JUDAS PRIEST Announces March 2024 Tour Of U.K. And Ireland With SAXON And URIAH HEEP

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST will embark on a tour of the United Kingdom and Ireland in March 2024. Support on the trek will come from fellow metal veterans SAXON and URIAH HEEP.

"JUDAS PRIEST are excited to announce our first 2024 shows in the U.K. and Ireland," the band said in a statement. "We are thrilled to start this world tour in the renowned traditional homes of heavy metal and can't wait to see our amazing family of PRIEST maniacs!"

JUDAS PRIEST 2024 tour dates with SAXON and URIAH HEEP:

March 11 - Glasgow, UK @ OVO Hydro
March 13 - Leeds, UK @ First Direct Arena
March 15 - Dublin, UK @ 2 Arena
March 17 - Bournemouth, UK @ International Arena
March 19 - Birmingham, UK @ Resorts World Arena
March 21 - London, UK @ OVO Arena Wembley

This past February, JUDAS PRIEST's European tour with Ozzy Osbourne, originally set for 2019 and then rescheduled three times, was officially scrapped because of a spinal injury Osbourne suffered four years ago and other health problems. The tour was scheduled to begin in Helsinki, Finland, on May 3, and include gigs in Nottingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Manchester, Dublin and London, before finishing in Ozzy's original hometown of Birmingham on June 14.

Four years ago, shortly after JUDAS PRIEST's European tour with Ozzy was postponed for the first time when he was admitted to the hospital due to complications from the flu, PRIEST singer Rob Halford was asked by Australia's Heavy if Osbourne's health scare made him question his own mortality. At the time, Rob said: "We love Ozzy to death. Oh my God! When you say 'Ozzy,' your head is full of this remarkable man's career and all the wonderful things he's done for rock and roll, for metal. He's touched so many millions of people's lives, and we're really, really happy that he's recovering.

"Life is life. And you do what you can to deal with the adversity that puts itself in your path. We're going through that with Glenn [Tipton, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist]. Let me just rephrase that — Glenn's going through that himself with his great battle against Parkinson's [disease] that he's dealing with. And he's a wonderful example — a really, really strong, powerful example — of somebody that's fighting back and pushing back and still living an active life with this challenge.

"Glenn comes out and joins us when he can. He's still an active, full member of JUDAS PRIEST. If he's not able to make [any of the shows], he's with us in spirit, in the songs that he's written, and he's up on the big screen.

"So, yeah, it is what it is. We're all getting on. But we're absolutely determined to keep going and live our lives in metal and share it with our fans."

The members of PRIEST have dealt with various health setbacks in recent years. Halford publicly revealed that he battled prostate cancer during the pandemic. He previously mentioned his cancer battle in the new chapter added to the updated paperback edition of his autobiography, "Confess". In "Confess", Halford revealed that he was diagnosed with cancer after experiencing symptoms for at least a couple of years.

Faulkner suffered an acute cardiac aortic dissection during the band's performance at the Louder Than Life festival in September 2021. Faulkner was rushed to the UofL Health - Jewish Hospital where the cardiothoracic surgery team needed approximately 10 hours to complete a life-saving surgery.

Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease nine years ago — after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — but announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of PRIEST's latest album, "Firepower". He was replaced by "Firepower" producer Andy Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.