James Bourne's 'Busted Vs McFly tour' replacement revealed with special connection
James revealed he had to pull out due to health reasons
Last updated 17th Sep 2025
Busted and McFly have now started their highly anticipated 'Busted Vs McFly tour', kicking off their UK run of dates in Birmingham on Tuesday 16th September. Despite the excitement for the tour, fans were left devastated when Busted's James Bourne revealed he would have to pull out of the tour, just days before it was due to start.
Telling his fans on social media, James said: 'There’s a lot of information I still don’t have about my condition but my bandmates, management and I are unanimous in deciding that I should focus on the medical stuff for now.'
Who is replacing James Bourne on the 'McFly vs Busted tour'?
However, it seems that all is not lost as the tour got underway in Birmingham, James was replaced by none other than his younger brother Chris. While Chris is James' brother, he also has a strong connection with the band, having appeared in the 'Year 3000' video.
Welcoming Chris on stage, Busted's Matt Willis explained what happened when James said he couldn't perform. Matt said: "He (James) was like, 'you guys should totally do it', and we're like, 'we'd love to do it. You know, we don't want to let everyone down. We want to come on stage, but it's going to be f--king weird without you.'
"'And we've got to get someone else to play guitar and some songs because we're going to miss something'. And so we're like, 'what do you want to do about that?'
"I mean, we said, ‘one of McFly can do it’, and James was like, ‘absolutely not, absolutely not.’
"We suggested it, James was adamant that was not a choice."
He continued: "So we said, 'What do you want to do?' And he said, 'How about my little brother Chris comes and plays?' So you might recognise this little guy from the 'Year 3000' video...
"This is James's brother, Chris Bourne. We still have a Bourne with us, we still have a Bourne!"
As the battle of the bands continued, Matt later revealed that he had taught Chris guitar when he was just six-years-old! ❤️
After a second night in Birmingham, the 'Busted Vs McFly tour' will continue across the UK with dates in London, Cardiff, Sheffield, Leeds, Aberdeen, Belfast and more. Tickets are available to buy from Aloud.com.
Take a look through other tours taking place in 2025 and beyond:
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Cian Ducrot
Cian Ducrot announced in March 2025 he's heading out on his first ever arena headline show! Cian is playing dates across the UK and Ireland in July, September and December!
Hilary Duff
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Jason Derulo
Jason will be performing several dates across the UK and Ireland in January and February 2026. The singer is expected to perform some of his biggest hits from the last 15 years.
James Arthur
One to look forward to next year in 2026 - In celebration of his sixth studio album 'Pisces', James Arthur is going on a huge tour in February 2026! Starting in Nottingham at Motorpoint Arena on Tuesday 3rd February, the singer will then travel across the UK ending at Manchester's Co-Op Live on Saturday 21st February.
Fatboy Slim
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Kesha
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Leigh-Anne
Leigh-Anne will be going on a tour in April 2026. The tour is called 'My Ego Told Me To Tour' and is in support of her debut solo album 'My Ego Told Me To', which will be released in February. She will be playing dates in Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol and London as part of a wider European tour.
Alex Warren
'Ordinary' singer Alex Warren is heading to this side of the pond in the spring of 2026, with UK tour dates from 20th April to 6th May. He'll be visiting London, Newcastle, Birmingham, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds, Nottingham, Belfast and Dublin.
Louis Tomlinson
Following the release of his first new music in three years, 'Lemonade', and the announcement of his third solo album 'How Did I Get Here?', Louis Tomlinson has now announced he will be going on a World Tour in 2026. The singer will perform seven dates across the UK and Ireland in April and May 2026.
Example
Example has announced he will be going on tour in May 2026. The singer is known for his hits 'Kickstarts', 'Won't Got Quietly' and 'Changed the Way You Kiss Me'. He will be performing five dates across England in May 2026.
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'Clubland Arena Tour 2026' has been announced featuring Cascada, Ian Van Dahl, Cascada and Darren Styles. Taking place across two weekends in May, the events will take place in Glasgow, Manchester, Newcastle and Aberdeen with a new show in Leeds.
Doja Cat
Doja Cat has announced UK dates for 'Tour Ma Vie World Tour', which will see her performing across the country in May 2026. The 'Say So' singer will start her tour in Glasgow on Thursday 21st May 2026, followed by dates in Manchester and Birmingham, ending her run in London at the O2 Arena on Friday 29th May.
Sister Sisters - 'The Kiki Continues'
The Sister Sisters have now announced outdoor dates across the UK in May, July and August 2026, including several festivals - Mighty Hoopla, Rock Oyster Festival and Boomtown Festival. 'The Kiki Continues' will start in London in May.
James Arthur - Summer dates 2026
James Arthur has announced two dates for Summer 2026. The singer will play in Scarborough and Halifax in July at outdoor venues. He told his fans they would be 'very special shows'.
Lewis Capaldi - Summer dates 2026
In September 2025, just a few days after he started his autumn tour, Lewis announced lots of summer 2026 dates! He then added to these dates after they sold out very quickly. He will tour the UK and Ireland in June, July and August.
Pitbull
Pitbull has been announced as the headline act for several gigs next summer. After the success of his 'Party After Dark Tour' in 2025, he will be returning to the UK for gigs in London, Leeds, Glasgow and Belfast as part of a larger tour including dates in Ireland.
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Ariana Grande
In August, Ariana Grande announced she would be going on 'The Eternal Sunshine Tour', including five dates in the UK. The singer will be coming to the UK in August 2026.
Westlife
After much excitement and teasing, the band revealed they will be playing across the UK in September and October 2026, as part of their 'Westlife 25: The Anniversary World Tour'. The band will start their UK leg in Aberdeen on Tuesday 29th September, before performing across the UK, ending with FIVE dates in Belfast (previously announced).
Hits Radio Live 2026
Hits Radio Live 2026 has now been announced at bp pulse LIVE in Birmingham on Friday 20th November 2026 and Co-op Live in Manchester on Saturday 21st November 2026. Buy tickets now!
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