Fans of the legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan don’t have long to wait to see what he will perform on the European leg of his 2026 tour.
With Dylan set to take the stage for a series of shows in Europe and the United Kingdom from October to December, avid gig-goers are speculating on what the setlist may include. The veteran songwriter has omitted some of his biggest and best songs, opting instead for deep cuts that will no doubt delight dedicated listeners. Those who caught up with Dylan’s North American setlist will know the likes of I Shall Be Released and Man in the Long Black Coat returned to his show for the first time in decades.
The 2026 tour has been filled with surprises outside of setlist variations too, with long-serving guitarist Bob Britt departing the tour midway through. It is unclear who will join Dylan on guitar for the European shows, though fans will find out on October 17, when Dylan performs in Oslo.
Gig-goers anticipate a few setlist changes from the veteran songwriter, but not too many. A “dream setlist” post to the r/BobDylan subreddit saw one fan suggest a possible, 15-song setlist from the 85-year-old music veteran. They asked: “What would be your dream setlist for Bob in 2026, one within the realms of possibility? We all know he is not going to play Like a Rolling Stone or Blowin’ in the Wind.”
The fan then shared their possible setlist, which featured songs from Love and Theft, Oh Mercy, and Under the Red Sky. The “dream setlist” can be found below.
- To Be Alone With You
- Dirt Road Blues
- Man in the Long Black Coat
- Political World
- When I Paint My Masterpiece
- Cold Iron Bounds
- All Along the Watchtower
- Under the Red Sky
- Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
- You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere
- Gotta Serve Somebody
- It Ain’t Me, Babe
- High Water (For Charley Patton)
- Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
- I Shall Be Released
It isn’t far off of what Dylan had been performing across his North American shows. While a few changes were made to Dylan’s set across his shows earlier this year, he mostly stuck to the same setlist. His most recent setlist from the August 1 show at the Ascend Amphitheater in Nashville is an indication of what Dylan may play later this month. The full setlist can be found below.
- Watching the River Flow
- Man in the Long Black Coat
- It Ain’t Me, Babe
- Tryin’ to Get to Heaven
- False Prophet
- I Can Tell (Bo Diddley cover)
- Black Rider
- Share Your Love With Me (Bobby Bland cover)
- When I Paint My Masterpiece
- I’ll Make It All Up to You (Jerry Lee Lewis cover)
- Crossing the Rubicon
- Soon After Midnight
- Under the Red Sky
- I’ve Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You
- Goodbye Jimmy Reed
- I Shall Be Released
While some fans believe the setlist will be somewhat similar to the North American dates, Dylan did change up the songs he played considerably on his last UK tour. Notably, he did not perform any covers until he got to the 3Arena in Dublin, where he performed The Pogues’ Rainy Night in Soho.
One fan wrote: “I just hope he plays Desolation Row in the EU leg, it’s probably in my top five songs (not just from Bob, speaking generally).” Another added: “Desolation Row would be a dream. It’s likely his best song (if one would stoop so low as to pick one).” There is every chance Dylan performs Desolation Row, having done so frequently on his 2025 UK tour.
Another fan is simply hoping for more variety, and less from Dylan’s most recent album. They wrote: “When I saw him last year he did about eight or nine songs off Rough and Rowdy Ways, and it looks like in recent shows that’s down to about five now. I’m happy about that, as it isn’t my favourite album. However, it looks like he is doing a fair few covers in recent shows as well. By the time he gets back to the UK this year, I’m hoping it’ll be down to three Rough and Rowdy Ways songs and then not doing so many covers.
“If I had to pick dream songs to pull out that would be a surprise, I’d probably say Most of the Time (not played it since 1992!), I Want You (not played since 2005), Shelter From the Storm (not played since 2015) and Standing in the Doorway (not played since 2017). But fully anticipating some obscure Bo Diddley B-sides instead.”
Dylan will kick off his European and UK tour on October 17, with a show in Oslo.
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