Kraftwerk’s 50 Years of Autobahn tour is poised to electrify North America in 2025, marking half a century since their seminal Autobahn album and their 1975 U.S. debut. Ralf Hütter and the legendary electro pioneers are set to traverse 25 cities, delivering their acclaimed multimedia performances—a synthesis of music, visuals, and performance art that embodies their “Gesamtkunstwerk” ethos.
The tour kicks off in March, winding through Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Miami, Atlanta, Nashville, Chicago, Denver, Vancouver, Austin, and more, culminating with a stop at Coachella.
The announcement came with a sleek video featuring skateboarding icon Tony Hawk, a surprising but fitting nod to the band’s enduring cultural relevance.
Formed in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and the late Florian Schneider, Kraftwerk initially experimented with avant-garde approaches as an art collective. By the mid-1970s, they achieved fame with their innovative electronic style, influencing electro, hip-hop, and techno.
Kraftwerk’s lyrics intricately wove themes of post-war European urban life and technology, encapsulating experiences like car travels on the Autobahn, train journeys, and the use of home computers. Deeply influenced by the modernist Bauhaus aesthetic, they viewed art as fundamentally intertwined with daily life. Their lyrics, often minimalistic, skillfully balanced an innocent appreciation and a subtle caution regarding the modern world. This lyrical approach not only played a key role in the rhythm of their songs but also delved into the paradoxes of modern urban existence.
Kraftwerk’s songs frequently highlighted the simultaneous sense of alienation and the joy that modern technology brings, presenting a complex, multifaceted view of contemporary life. Their use of synthesizers and drum machines, in turn, revolutionized music. In 2019, Kraftwerk were nominated into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and were finally inducted in 2021. The band recently completed a groundbreaking nine-show residency at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the esteemed home of the LA Philharmonic. Earlier this week, Kraftwerk were among the first wave of artists confirmed for the inaugural Forever Now Festival, the sister festival to Cruel World.
For the 50 Years of Autobahn tour, expect an immersive audiovisual experience, where Kraftwerk’s groundbreaking soundscapes meet pulsating visuals, resonating with the same innovation that transformed them into icons of electronic music. With Autobahn as its beating heart, this tour is both a celebration of legacy and a forward-facing acknowledgement of Kraftwerk’s timeless influence.
Register for early access to tickets! Presale starts Wednesday, December 11 at 10am local. Tickets will be available here. Fans can sign-up for presale access now.
Before the pale glow of modernity’s halogen glare, Los Angeles was a place where dreams were sculpted from shadow and…
Three-piece instrumental space rock band SUMO, hailing from sunny Miami, stands sealed in a perpetual cycle of creation and collapse,…
LOSE CONTROL SO I CAN FEEL SURRENDER TO YOUR HUMAN NEEDS German outfit Bleak Monday births a brittle, brooding brew…
The sun rises for everyone We are the same The standard behavior attacks again Attacks again A cold, unforgiving grip…
When the room spins yet I’m here standing still Dim the light all too soon We got the screams and…
Run into hiding Wanna have some fun Real life is sliding Escape to summer sun There’s something undeniably exhilarating about…