Def Leppard prepping first new album since 2022’s ‘Diamond Star Halos’

A new Las Vegas residency isn’t the only thing that Def Leppard has planned for 2026.

The band tells USA Today that they’re working on a new album for release next year. It’ll be their first new studio album since 2022’s Diamond Star Halos. And like that record, they’re working on the new album remotely, rather than all the members together in a studio. 

“We’re blessed that technology has allowed us to do this,” singer Joe Elliott tells USA Today. “We get together metaphorically rather than physically and do Zoom meetings all the time. This way five people can work on the same song at the same time and it adds excitement to the flavors of what you’re doing. Laptops have become Abbey Road.”

Elliott added that there’s “plenty of stuff” completed for the new album, and that they just need to figure out which songs will make the final cut and in what order.

Meanwhile, the band is currently on tour. When they wrap up their dates in October, they’ll start preparing for Def Leppard: Live at Caesars Palace The Las Vegas Residency. The 12-show run is scheduled for Feb. 3, 2026, to Feb. 28, 2026, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. 

Elliott, who’s spent 48 years with Def Leppard, tells USA Today, “Health allowing, we’ll keep going until we feel we can’t anymore.”