The Format will reunite for a trio of shows

The beloved indie-pop band is reuniting for a short run of shows.

July 9, 2025

Sam Means (right) and the other half of the Format (left). The Format

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Never say never. If you were among the terribly bummed when The Format canceled their reunion shows in 2022 due to the pandemic, get ready to form a smile. The band is reuniting for three dates.

Nate Ruess and Sam Means are getting together for this trio of dates, starting with a whopper of an event on Saturday, September 27, at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum at the Arizona State Fair. If you just said 'Awesome!', the event replied, 'Hold my beer,' as this show has way more in store.

An outdoor side stage curated by The Format will offer stripped-down performances by locals, including Sydney Sprague, Astrologer, and JPW & Dad Weed. These outside sets will happen before and after The Format delivers their performance.

After that show, the band heads to NYC for a night at Beacon Theatre, with Ben Kweller opening on September 30. Then, there is one more show in Los Angeles at the iconic Hollywood Forever Cemetery, with guests Phantom Planet.

click to enlarge

Astrologer.

Alex Vese

In a press release about these upcoming shows, Nate Ruess explains that although they prefer a smaller venue, they want as many people as possible to be able to get entry, especially after having to cancel a few years back.

"With that debacle in mind, we've decided to play much larger (and scarier) venues so that hopefully everyone gets a chance to come see us play. The Beacon in New York is one of our favorite theaters anywhere. Hollywood Forever seems like a special place to see a show, let alone put one on, and lastly Sam and I were at dinner one night trying to figure out a unique place to play in our hometown when Sam said "remember when we used to go to the Arizona State Fair as kids to see some of our favorite bands in the 90s?… I know it sounds crazy, but we should play that … I still think it sounds crazy, but we are gonna do that anyway…AND as our first show back in like 20 years. So here goes nothing!"

Visit the band's website for pre-sale registration, which began at noon ET on July 9. Fan pre-sale starts at noon, local time, on Wednesday, July 16, and the general on-sale begins at noon, local time, on July 18.

Amy Young is the Music Editor at Phoenix New Times. She joined the New Times staff in May 2025 after more than a decade of covering arts and music for the publication. In her role, Amy writes about music, searches for compelling news and works with writers who are also dedicated to bringing quality music and music-related stories to readers across the Valley and beyond. Previously, Amy worked for the Arizona Republic, Hearst Connecticut Media Group and Newsbreak.

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