Marcus King Drops Surprise 'Darling Blue' Album and Unveils 2026 World Tour—Everything Fans Need to Know

Blues-rock virtuoso Marcus King is kicking off 2026 with a burst of high-profile appearances and fresh tour dates that are already igniting fan buzz online. On January 24 the Grammy-nominated guitarist will deliver a fiery set on the long-running PBS staple Austin City Limits, sharing the episode with rising Americana artist Wyatt Flores. The televised performance arrives just days after ACL’s Season 51 mid-season premiere, giving King a valuable prime-time platform as he pushes his latest music to a national audience. Live shows follow fast. According to his official itinerary, the Marcus King Band links up with modern-blues heavyweight Gary Clark Jr. for a special co-bill at The Venue at Thunder Valley Casino in Lincoln, California on January 31. From there, King’s winter routing snakes through Colorado, Utah and the Pacific Northwest before jumping into major festival slots later in the year, all listed on MarcusKingOfficial.com’s updated 2026 tour calendar. With rooms ranging from intimate clubs to 5,000-capacity theaters, the run positions him to keep converting new listeners while maintaining the sweat-soaked vibe that fuels his reputation. Momentum is still surging behind King’s 2025 studio album “Darling Blue,” a roots-rock opus recorded at historic Capricorn Studios. The record’s swamp-southern lead single “On & On” continues to rack up streaming numbers, and physical copies remain available through his online store. In a recent Forbes interview, King called the project “a devotional to the healing power of rock-and-roll,” crediting producer Dan Auerbach for pushing his songwriting into deeper autobiographical territory. Ticket demand historically spikes after any televised appearance, so fans eyeing January and February shows are urged to secure seats early. VIP packages, limited-edition vinyl variants and exclusive merch drops are also moving quickly through King’s direct-to-fan channels—another sign that 2026 may shape up as his breakout mainstream year. Whether you catch him ripping solos on ACL, jamming alongside Gary Clark Jr., or headlining his own “Darling Blue” dates, Marcus King’s mix of powerhouse vocals, vintage-valve guitar tone and soul-searching lyrics promises one of the most electrifying live experiences on today’s touring circuit.