Following last year’s successful run, the 80’s New Wave tour Totally Tubular Festival announces its return this summer and features artists that exploded in the pop culture zeitgeist in the 1980’s thanks mainly to the high rotation of their music videos on MTV. Right Said Fred, Men Without Hats, The Tubes, The Motels, Animotion, The Escape Club and Musical Youth will perform at Meadow Brook Amphitheatre on Sunday, July 20 at 5:30 p.m. Oakland University Credit Union is the exclusive presenting partner of Meadow Brook Amphitheatre.

These artists have enjoyed a steady rise in popularity in recent years, with their music having a lasting impact. Tour creator and JPA agency founder Jon Pleeter calls the Totally Tubular Festival “the best ‘80s party on the planet. The audiences last year fully embraced the spirit of the tour and were wildly enthusiastic. The party continues this summer.”

The 2025 tour launches June 27 in San Jose, CA and runs through July 24 in Indianapolis, IN. The lineup is: Right Said Fred, Men Without Hats, The Tubes (7/10 – 7/24), The Motels, Animotion (6/25 – 7/5, 7/10 – 7/24), The Escape Club (6/25 – 7/5, 7/10 – 7/24), and Musical Youth (who don’t appear on the 7/6, 7/13, and 7/18 stops). Men Without Hats and The Tubes return to the tour this year while some artists, such as show closer Right Said Fred, have not toured the U.S. since the early 90’s. Lineup is subject to change.

Totally Tubular Festival will expand into new cities such as Anaheim, CA, Virginia Beach, VA, Bethlehem, PA, Huber Heights, OH, and Indianapolis, IN. and will keep its popular compact set times highlighting each artist’s major hits. The tour will also offer an expanded merchandise line at shows and online, including limited edition/collector’s items.

A portion of proceeds from ticket sales will go towards food banks locally in each market.

Here’s an array of praise for last year’s Totally Tubular Festival:

“As if in a DeLorean, Totally Tubular took us back to the '80s on Tuesday… Some of these '80s hit songs are so woven into the fabric of our lives, fans seemed ecstatic to get the chance to hear and see these songs performed firsthand.’”

– Andrew Sherman, Dallas Observer, 7/10/24,

“The Totally Tubular Festival on Friday, July 26 at the Meadow Brook Amphitheatre was a trip in the Way Back Machine, a nearly five-and-a-half hour exercise in unabashed and unapologetic nostalgia, 80s variety. Modern English slipped in a couple of songs from its new album, ‘1 2 3 4,’ but mostly the eight acts from the day joyfully led a crowd of 6,000 or so down an aural memory lane of enduring hits from four decades ago. And if there was any PTSD about the fashion choices of that era, it was shed as many of those at Meadow Brook brought out their garishly colorful garb and face make-up to add to the time capsule feel of the night. ‘I hope it looks and feels and sounds the same,’ Bow Wow Wow’s Annabella Lwin told the crowd.”

– Gary Graff, The Oakland Press, 7/27/24,

“Totally Tubular Festival at the Santa Barbara Bowl Was a Feast Full of Fun for the Fifty-Something Set”

– Leslie Dinaberg, Santa Barbara Independent, 7/3/24,

“The Totally Tubular Festival at the YouTube Theatre was a blast from the past, with a lineup of '80s acts that brought back memories of neon colors and big hair. The audience was treated to a night of pure nostalgia and fun, with standing ovations and sing-alongs.”

– L. Paul Mann, Grateful Web, 7/9/24,

“The Fox Theater transformed into a neon-drenched time machine this past Sunday, as the Totally Tubular Festival crashed into Oakland like a tidal wave of '80s nostalgia. With a surprisingly early 5:30 pm kickoff, the festival crammed eight iconic acts into one glorious night of '80's (synth) pop ecstasy. The lineup read like a ‘Who's Who’ of MTV's golden era, featuring the likes of Modern English (still promising to melt with you), Men Without Hats (safety dance, anyone?), and Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey (holding out for a hero in his own right). But for us, the cherry on top of this retro sundae was none other than the mad scientist of synthpop himself, Thomas Dolby.”

– Kevin Keating, SF Bay Area Concerts, 7/1/24,

“The Totally Tubular Festival really connected with its audience at The Anthem. Most of us in attendance readily recalled the halcyon days of Live Aid, and the invocation of anniversaries related to the date put us in a receptive mood for an evening of timeless music. Across the seven acts, there was a great deal of variety while everyone at least touched upon the dominant “new wave” label of the day. With Thomas Dolby, Tom Bailey, and Ivan Doroschuk alone, the festival also was bursting with personality.”

– Mickey McCarter, ParklifeDC, 7/18/24,

“Every once in a while we all wish we could relive a certain moment in time, good or bad. The Totally Tubular Festival at the Hartford Healthcare Amphitheater in Bridgeport was a welcome blast from the past, turning an ordinary hot summer day into an unforgettable ’80s extravaganza! With the venue lights emulating pink and blue neon lights and vintage tunes blaring, the amphitheater transformed into a time machine, whisking us back to an era of big hair, synth-pop, and infectious energy.”

– Jessie Fuentes, Finding Connecticut, 7/22/24,

www.totallytubularfestival.com