Grateful Dead announces series of releases and events celebrating 50th anniversary of 1972 European tour

The Grateful Dead has unveiled plans to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the band’s historic 1972 European tour — highlights from which appear on the group’s popular triple album, Europe ’72 — with a variety of special releases and events.

Among the releases is Lyceum 1972: The Complete Recordings, a limited-edition 24-LP package due out July 29 that will be the largest vinyl box set ever from the band. The collection presents the entire final four shows of the ’72 trek, which took place at London’s Lyceum Theatre.

The discs for each show are organized in separate clamshell boxes, and the package also includes a book offering an in-depth look at the concerts. Lyceum 1972 can be pre-ordered now exclusively at Dead.net.

Also on July 29, a newly remastered 50th anniversary edition the Europe ’72 album will be released as a two-CD set, a three-LP collection, and via digital formats and streaming. A special “Bozo or Bolo” limited edition version of the album pressed on psychedelic rainbow vinyl will be released on June 3 exclusively at Dead.net.

In addition, a four-CD set titled Lyceum Theatre: May 26, 1972, featuring a recording of the very last show of the European tour, will be released on July 29.

To kick off the 50th anniversary commemoration of the 1972 European tour, the fifth season of “The Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast” premiered today with an episode that delves deeply into the trek.

Then, on Friday, April 8, a livestream event called “Dead Studies: The Wonders of Dark Star” will premiere on The Grateful Dead’s YouTube channel. The event will feature a musicology professor presenting an analysis of the band’s first performance of “Dark Star” during the 1972 trek, which happened at London’s Wembley Empire Pool on April 8.