The Sex Pistols, icons of rebellion and pioneers of punk music, are set to celebrate the genre’s 50th anniversary with a world tour that includes a stop in Hungary. The band, featuring Frank Carter on vocals, will perform at Budapest Park on 20 July, 2026, as part of their 50 Years of Punk concert series. The evening will open with a performance by The Damned, another seminal British punk act, organizers Live Nation announced on Wednesday.
The Sex Pistols formed in London in the autumn of 1975, when guitarist Steve Jones, drummer Paul Cook, and bassist Glen Matlock teamed up with a young John Lydon, soon to become Johnny Rotten. Despite their limited musical skills, the group’s raw energy, confrontational lyrics, and chaotic performances made them symbols of youth disillusionment.
During their brief but explosive two-year career, the band released only one album, Never Mind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols (1977), which became one of the most influential records in rock history. Their singles Anarchy in the U.K. and God Save the Queen shocked the British establishment and defined punk’s anti-authoritarian spirit. The latter was even banned from radio for its anti-monarchist lyrics but still topped the charts.
Internal conflict and controversy led to the group’s breakup by the end of 1977. Bassist Sid Vicious, who had replaced Matlock, became an emblem of the punk lifestyle before dying of a heroin overdose in 1979.
The Sex Pistols have reunited several times since, most notably in 1996 and 2002, performing to sold-out crowds and even appearing at Hungary’s Sziget Festival in 2008. After years of silence, the band resurfaced in 2023 with Frank Carter taking the microphone, reigniting the punk spirit for a new generation.
Now touring as Sex Pistols feat. Frank Carter, the group is marking half a century since punk’s birth, a movement that challenged authority, broke conventions, and gave voice to the anger and frustration of millions. The Budapest concert will be one of the highlights of their anniversary tour, with The Damned—who last played in Hungary years ago—opening the night.
Related articles:
