On The Beach is a series of summer day concerts run with British station Radio X, all set on a giant stage on Brighton Beach. Past iterations have brought the likes of Royal Blood and Noel Gallagher in 2023, The Kooks and The Libertines in 2024, and both Kaiser Chiefs and Bloc Party last year. For this July, the other events cover ska and electronic music, with Madness on the 24th and Moby on the 26th, while Fatboy Slim is booked for three shows in his spiritual home across the 17th, 18th and 19th. The Maccabees, who play the biggest night of music in this years event on the 25th of July, chose to split and send the band off with a farewell tour in 2017, but returned for live shows starting with Glastonbury and a headline set at All Points East last year.

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The full lineup was announced yesterday on Dan O’Connell’s Evening Show on Radio X, as he sat down to chat with co-host Felix White, guitarist for The Maccabees. Under its former name XFM London, the station was the first to promote the group before their breakthrough, and Brighton was the place where they initially rose to prominence. Prior to the news, White was asked whether there might be new music in the pipeline for the band, to which he responded cautiously “it’s not a no at the moment.”

The day opens with local indie quartet Lime Garden, before singer-songwriter Damon Gough, better known as Badly Drawn Boy plays. Northern Irish cult classic rock band Ash take to the stage third, before the incredibly talented singer-songwriter Anna Calvi makes her appearance. Miles Kane is next up, bringing his captivating solo show, and Editors fill the penultimate set with their brand of darker post-punk. Finally The Maccabees close the night with what will most definitely be another emotional, long-awaited headline set.

Radio X On The Beach with The Maccabees runs from 1PM to 10:30PM on Saturday the 25th of July at Brighton Beach. The new wave of tickets go on pre-sale on Tuesday the 31st of March, with a sign-up link here. The Maccabees play On The Beach as part of a UK tour with tickets for other dates here. You can find the full tour dates below:

• 06/07 – Corn Exchange, Edinburgh
• 07/07 – O2 City Hall, Newcastle
• 09/07 – Alexandra Palace Park, London
• 11/07 – Eden Project, St Austell
• 23/07 – Bristol Amphitheatre & Waterfront Square, Bristol
• 23/07-26/07 – Truck Festival 2026, Abingdon
• 25/07 – Brighton Beach, Brighton
• 31/07 – Kirkstall Abbey, Leeds

A series of gigs have been announced next month to mark its long-awaited reopening, with its first performances taking place on Friday April 19, except it will feature tribute acts as opposed to famous bands. Nirvana UK will pay homage to the 90s grunge band, with a tongue-and-cheek The Smyths following suit. On the following Friday, April 26, two more tribute acts will take to the stage, including Definitely Might Be, inspired by Oasis, and UK Foo Fighters. Tickets for both shows will go on sale this Friday (March 8) at 9am GMT. You can purchase them here.

English quintet Editors will be the first major band to headline the venue, and are set to perform on May 2, with special guests yet to be confirmed. The band took to social media today (March 4) to showcase the gig after wrapping up their UK tour yesterday, commenting: “We’re extremely excited to return to @o2academybrix in London on May 2nd!”

We’re extremely excited to return to @O2AcademyBrix in London on May 2nd!

Tickets on sale this Friday, March 8th, at 10am -> https://t.co/9cvHB75upU pic.twitter.com/6DRZ1U8QK6

— EDITORS (@editorsofficial) March 4, 2024

In an unexpected announcement, US rock band The Black Keys have also revealed they will be playing the South London venue in a two-night residency on Tuesday 7 May and Wednesday 8 May. Tickets for both Editors and The Black Keys will also go on sale on the same date as the tribute shows, Friday March 8, but at 10am GMT. You can find them here.

Pre-order our new album Ohio Players from our UK store before March 5th, 5pm GMT to access the exclusive fan pre-sale on March 6th, 10am GMT. Fans who have already pre-ordered will also get access.

Tickets go on sale Friday 8th March, 10am local time. https://t.co/0inZOM7ceQ pic.twitter.com/mG3Avcfm4i

— The Black Keys (@theblackkeys) March 4, 2024

The future of the legendary music venue remained uncertain for the best part of a year and a half after Lambeth Council suspended its license, with the Metropolitan Police reportedly advocating for the beloved music spot to close its doors permanently. An online petition was launched after the venue confirmed its closure, with the hope that the decision would be overturned. A plethora of artists and industry professionals also spoke out, condemning the possibility that it could be closed for good.

In December 2023, it was declared that the venue would be allowed to retain its license and reopen, providing the building and its organisers can meet more than 77 “robust” safety rules and conditions. Brixton Academy has allegedly spent £1.2 million on maintenance and improvements last year, including stronger doors, a more efficient queuing system and a more secure ticketing process, according to Brixton Academy’s owners, Academy Music Group (AMG).

Interior. CREDIT: AMG.

“We continue to be devastated by the events of last December,” AMG’s statement said. “Our heartfelt condolences remain with the family and friends of Rebecca Ikumelo and Gaby Hutchinson. What happened was and is a tragedy and we are committed to ensuring that it can never be repeated.”

“Over the past nine months, the venue’s importance to the local community and the live music scene in the UK has been made clear. Academy Music Group is determined to learn all appropriate lessons from the night of December 15 2022. As the Licensing Sub Committee knows, the venue must implement all the new conditions and will reopen at first with test events. The commitment we give to work in close partnership with all the responsible authorities as we reopen is a serious and sincere one.”

The building first opened in 1929 as a cinema and boasted sleek Art Deco interior and a theatrical-style stage framed by its famous arch, which was modelled on the Rialto Bridge in Venice. In July 1972 it reopened as a disco, rebranded again throughout the 80s and 90s, and has held enormous cultural significance ever since, attracting some of the world’s greatest and most renowned acts, including Amy Winehouse, The Clash, David Bowie, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones.

With a string of exciting new headline shows set to take place over the coming months, this hopefully marks a new chapter and era for a venue that has been clouded by such a devastating event.

.@CreationDayFest line-up announced! #GigTickets on sale Friday 23 October at 10am. https://t.co/nvEUXuo6CN pic.twitter.com/ULyCDzWvUe

— Get To The front (@gettothefront) October 16, 2020

Happy Mondays and Echo and the Bunnymen head up the bill on the first day of the festival (Saturday 29th May); which will also feature sets from Echobelly, Merseyside rockers Cast and Kirkcaldy four-piece Shambolics. Day Two (Sunday 30th May) is headed up by Editors, who scored noughties hits with Munich and Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors; Friendly Fires; Ash and Glasvegas.

Glasvegas’ set will coincide with the release of their upcoming fourth studio album Godspeed. The Scottish outfit, who burst onto the scene in 2008 with their Phil Spector-influenced debut album Glasvegas, dropped their latest single Keep Me A Space in August. The rousing track returns the band to the melodic ‘wall of sound’ feel which powered their excellent early singles Geraldine and Daddy’s Gone.

Other acts featuring on Day Two of the festival include indie rockers Sleeper, who reformed in 2017 after a nineteen year hiatus; Leeds veterans The Wedding Present; and Anglo-Italian alt-rock four-piece Cat FX, who have been hailed by Clash Magazine as a “rebel force… continually championing the underdog“.

The Creation Day Festival website promises a two-day event that “…testifies to a trailblazing history and a vibrant future…the ultimate celebration of all things Creation, as orchestrated by the man, the myth and the legend behind it all.” The man in question, Alan McGee – who famously helped launch the careers of Super Furry Animals, Primal Scream, My Bloody Valentine, Teenage Fanclub and Oasis during his tenure at Creation Records – has recently spoken of his disenchantment with the modern music scene.

In an interview with NME, he said “You’ve got to accept that the music industry and media don’t want young, punky indie rock n’ roll bands. They just don’t. That makes it easier for me, as the quality I’m signing up is incredible. I don’t know if it will ever change, because the culture is just so different now. There are other people doing great stuff… I don’t know if there’s a happy ending for the industry if it stops putting out records by hungry indie punk rock ‘n’ roll bands. But I’m not trying to change anything, I’m just doing it because I like doing it.”

McGee – who has stated that he wants the Creation Day Festival to become an annual event – will hope that his new summer showcase can demonstrate that the British indie scene still has plenty left in the tank. Tickets for the Creation Day Festival are available online from 23rd October at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/creation-day

Robert Smith and co. sill be headlining a huge show in London’s famous Hyde Park on July 7, and they won’t be coming alone. Already announced to be supporting them- ahead of one of their own traditionally lengthy 2 hour sets- are Editors, Goldfrapp, Ride, Slowdive, the Twilight Sad, and modern indie rock titans Interpol. Tickets will go on sale here, at 9am, on December 15.

This massive show will also mark The Cure’s first live performance since they took up a residency at Wembley Arena last winter. The Twilight Sad will be supporting the band for a second time, having been hand picked as a support act throughout the entirety of The Cure’s 2016 world tour.

In addition to this personal celebration, it will mark The Cure’s return to the festival circuit, with the gig doubling up as a headlining slot for the British Summertime Festival alongside the likes of Bruno Mars, Michael Buble, Roger Waters, and Eric Clapton.