Japan Tour Confirmed! Progressive rock legends Yes release their new album ‘Aurora’, their first in approximately three years.

Yes, consisting of Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Jon Davison, Billy Sherwood, and Jay Schellen, presents their 24th studio album, ‘Aurora’. This comes approximately three years after their previous album, ‘Mirror to the Sky’, which was a huge hit, reaching number 1 on the UK Progressive Albums chart and number 4 on the Rock & Metal Albums chart.

Steve Howe comments:
The process of making this album was a joyous opportunity to play, explore, and dedicate everything to the music. The creation was always based on collaboration. Someone can write a song, but it’s not a Yes song unless everyone contributes. We’re not trying to repeat the past. We’re moving the spirit of Yes forward and transforming it into something new.

When Yes first began to envision what would later become ‘Aurora’, the process was free and exploratory. There wasn’t a pre-planned concept at the start; it was just a collection of musical fragments. These fragments gradually found their way together and began to take shape. Among the early concepts was a song titled “Aurora,” and it soon became clear that the name held a particular appeal. It suggested values ​​that deeply resonated with the band: light, emergence, and a sense of vastness. John Davison revealed, “The title immediately resonated with Steve Howe, and for artist Roger Dean, it ignited visual inspiration and set the conceptual direction that would guide the project.”

Work on “Aurora” began almost immediately after the “Classic Tales of Yes” tour ended in 2024. Ideas for the new album came quickly, and with encouragement from the label, they had time to develop the material in a spontaneous way. Rather than gathering in one studio for months, they adopted a modern workflow. Ideas were generated in home studios, formed individually, and then woven together through constant collaboration. Downes and Howe often played a central role in the creative axis, with Howe also serving as producer, acting as the point where all ideas ultimately converged.

Throughout “Aurora,” each track possesses its own unique character. Some echo Yes’s classic approach, while others push into new territory, but together they form a cohesive whole, embracing progress while respecting the band’s tradition. With their 24th studio album, Yes demonstrates not only their longevity but also their enduring curiosity and desire to continue exploring, refining, and discovering their creative capacity.

[Japan Tour Information]　
YES: THE FRAGILE JAPAN TOUR 2026
A Japan tour has been announced to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the release of Yes’s “Fragile”!

■Performance Schedule (2026)
9/9 (Wed) Osaka Festival Hall
9/10 (Thu) Hiroshima JMS Aster Plaza Main Hall
9/13 (Sun) Aichi COMTEC PORTBASE
9/15 (Tue) Tokyo Showa Women’s University Hitomi Memorial Hall
9/17 (Thu) Tokyo Showa Women’s University Hitomi Memorial Hall
9/18 (Fri) Tokyo Showa Women’s University Hitomi Memorial Hall