Turner rose to prominence fronting post-hardcore group Million Dead in the early 2000s, before establishing his solo career in 2005. Branching out with an eclectic mix of acoustic folk and punk rock, Turner is estimated to have played over 3,100 shows, many of which with his backing group The Sleeping Souls, including a Guinness World Record-setting run of 15 gigs in 24 hours in 2024. He has become something of a patron saint of live music and independent venues in the UK, having performed a staggering amount of benefit shows for grassroots venues and online sets to support the Music Venue Trust during the global COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

Lost Evenings was founded by Turner in 2017 as a new festival to celebrate live music and champion up-and-coming talent. Turner himself played 4 sets across the 4 days at London’s Roundhouse. Subsequent editions were held in Germany, Canada and the US, with the 2026 instalment held last week in Dallas, Texas. Lost Evenings X, the 10th version, has been confirmed to return to London at the Wembley Arena from November 4 to 7 next year. Frank Turner and The Sleeping Souls will headline all four nights with unique sets from their incredible catalogue, with the Nick Alexander Stage also making a comeback alongside workshops and other events.

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With Lost Evenings X locked in for 2027, Turner made an announcement today of his intentions to take an indefinite hiatus following the festival. The statement says “After 28 years on the road, 10 albums and well over 3,000 shows, it’s time for a change. As announced yesterday, next year’s Lost Evenings will take place in London at OVO Arena Wembley. It will be the biggest, best, and final edition of the festival. The 4 shows there will be my last for the foreseeable future.”

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Later in the post, he cites that it has been a long time coming after being on the road for so much of his life, and that he wishes to “try new things,” and “recharge, spend more time with friends and family, and explore other ways of life.” He also discusses the continuing struggles of artists with rising costs to tour and the issues with the modern social media age. Turner continues: “I also want to leave the stage with my head held high. These final shows will be a pinnacle, and chance for all of us to celebrate the last 20 years and bid them the farewell they deserve.”

He signs off the piece writing “I genuinely don’t know when I’ll play shows again in the future. Certainly not for a good while. So let’s make these final ones count. With joy, humility and thankfulness in my heart, I’m looking forward to seeing you all at Wembley in November 2027 for some Last Evenings. ft”

Tickets for Lost Evenings X at the OVO Arena Wembley go on sale at 10am GMT tomorrow, September 30. Pre-sales are currently live now. If you want to see one of Britain’s hardest working live musicians in his element, this may be your last chance for a while.

Taking place from Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 September 2026, the four-day festival offers something distinct from the noise and busy crowds often associated with larger music events. At Deepdale, the focus is on creating an atmosphere where audiences can appreciate how much can be achieved through unamplified and intimate acoustic sounds.

The festival describes itself as a “small but perfectly formed Music Festival with a Heart of Folk across 4 stages on the last weekend of September”. Over the four days, festival-goers can enjoy over 50 acts across four unique stages: the Brick Barn, Orchard Stage, Courtyard and Cafe Stage.

The festival gets off to a strong start on Thursday, with Joe & Mary, Dear Wife and East Angles Brass as the first performers to take the Orchard Stage. The evening then continues with a special 9pm session from Blackbeards Tea Party in the Brick Barn.

One particularly impressive aspect of Deepdale festival is the carefully planned schedule. Despite offering more than 40 hours of live music, performances are scheduled without clashes, meaning visitors can, if they wish, see every act rather than having to choose between their favourites.

The music is only part of the attraction. Deepdale places an emphasis on community, with local street food and artisan markets adding to the festival experience and giving people plenty of time to explore between performances.  Meanwhile, for those looking to take it easy, Deepdale offers yoga classes, meditation sessions and massages which allow for a refreshing start to the morning.

The surroundings are just as much part of the experience. One of the festival’s main venues, the Brick Barn, is an authentic 16th-century farm barn, where modern sound technology meets a century old setting. While it may be considered an unusual place for live music, the contrast gives Deepdale a character of its own.

Around 500 people make the trip to Deepdale festival each year, with on site camping often booked way in advance. For those staying overnight, nearby lodges offer an alternative option, while day tickets mean you can come and go without committing to the full four days. They range from £60 to £70, compared with the full £150 ticket price and are available to buy here.

Friday sets the musical pace with performances from George Boomsma, Langkamer and Sam Kelly & The Lost Boys taking to the Brick Barn, while Honey & The Bear and 3 Daft Monkeys bring vibrancy to the Orchard Stage. Saturday shifts the mood again, with Veduna, Floral Image and Neev adding their own creative flare to the festival’s acoustic side, alongside the Shackleton Trio on the Orchard. By Sunday, things are winding down but hardly quietly with 5 hills out among the acts on the Orchard Stage, before Noble Jacks brings the official festival run to a close.

With more than 50 acts spread across the weekend, Deepdale’s lineup moves between folk, acoustic, roots and contemporary sounds, with enough variety to keep you wandering between stages. It’s this mix that gives the festival its character.

The Long Road, one of the UK’s biggest celebrations of country music, is returning in just 2 months. The festival will be bringing all the sounds of country, americana and roots to Stanford Hall in Leicestershire for August bank holiday weekend, with a line-up featuring Bailey Zimmerman and Emmylou Harris.

As country music becomes a major force in the UK industry, American-inspired events like The Long Road (TLR) have become a highlight of the British summer, where attendants can dress up, enjoy fantastic barbecued food, and dance the night away. Running since 2018, the festival transforms its site at Stanford Hall near Lutterworth in Leicestershire into a modern cowboy paradise, giving fans a place to embrace the country lifestyle and discover a massive variety of activities alongside it’s deep roster of musical acts.

This year’s edition kicks off on August 27 and runs until August 30, starting with a Friday night which stars Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Steve Earle and Country Music Association (CMA) Award winners from the UK, The Shires, at the top of the bill. Saturday is headlined by multi-platinum singer Bailey Zimmerman, while Sunday sees 14-time Grammy winner Emmylou Harris play before five-time CMA Award winner Maren Morris closes the weekend.

Elsewhere on the stacked line-up we find Irish blues artist Muireann Bradley, Californian country singer Sheyna Gee, and West Virginia multi-instrumentalist William Matheny. The weekend is also packed with British stars, including Manchester singer-songwriter Bec O’Malley, London folk two-piece Ferris & Sylvester, and Sweet Thieves, another London duo. See the poster below for the full lists of acts performing at The Long Road 2026:

In keeping with the festival’s mission to promote country music in the UK, it runs a Homegrown Talent Contest. Last year’s winner Liam Price has earned a spot on the main stage line-up after a huge year, and the now the hunt is on for this year. The contest will take over The Hitching Post site on the Sunday, hosted by Irish singer-songwriter Janet Devlin, and judged by a panel including TLR’s creative director Baylen Leonard, Radio 2 producer Mark Hagen, William Morris Endeavor (WME) agent Hannah Spark, and Sara Pearce, a publicist at Lime Tree Media. The winner will receive an assortment of prizes including a performance slot at The Long Road next year, a one-year CMA membership, a slot at the Snakefarm Label Showcase and A PR consultation with Weller Media Agency (WMA).

Perhaps the biggest draw of TLR is the culture and engagement – all of which compliments the music. This year has added events for beginner, advanced, and family line dancing activities, open mic events, as well as late night after-parties and a hootenanny. Then there are car and motorbike shows, the ominously-named ‘cowboy olympics’, and their hugely popular ‘country-oke’ among so many other amazing distractions. And then there’s the food – there are smoky barbecues all across the weekend, including Austin-style BBQ from TLR’s partners at Red Dog Saloon, and a range of craft beers.

The Last Road 2026 will bring the country feel to Leicestershire from August 27 to August 30. The Tickets for all 3 days, weekend general, and their ‘High Falootin’ VIP Tickets’ are on sale now, as well as camping, glamping and live-in vehicle packages. Applications for the Homegrown Talent Contest are open now, and close at 11:59pm on July 19. Click here for more information on The Long Road’s site at Standford Hall and how to get there.

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Previously announced was an expansive run of North American dates beginning on June 12 in Orlando, Florida, spanning across the States and ducking into Canada. The run includes four sold-out nights at Fenway Park in Boston, as well as nights in Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Minneapolis and many more major US cities. But, as the official information account for the singer said in their announcement post, “you thought he was done!” Kahan has added 21 international dates to his 2026 tour.

In September, Kahan will embark on The Great Divide World Tour with two nights in Melbourne. The Australian/New Zealand leg will continue through October with nights in Sydney and Auckland.

The singer returns to the UK with two shows at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro Arena on November 5 and 6. The singer is set up for a string of two-night sets at arenas across the nation. After Glasgow he will play two nights at the AO Arena in Manchester, then to London’s O2 Arena before capping off the UK/IE run at Dublin’s 3Arena on November 21 and 22.

From there, he will head through Europe on the final leg of the tour. Through December he will visit Zurich, Cologne, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Paris and Munich.

Support for the UK leg of the tour comes from New York native singer-songwriter, Bella Kay. Recently, Kay received her first career entry on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts with her single, ‘ILOVEITILOVEITILOVEIT.’

The Great Divide Tour will also continue Kahan’s philanthropic pursuits. A portion of every ticket sale will go towards The Busyhead Project, a mental health initiative founded by Kahan in 2023. The Busyhead Project aims at providing resources and information needed to end the stigma around mental health. According to the official site, $6.6 million has been raised for their work since 2023.

It was announced just last week that Kahan will appear on SNL (US) as the musical guest with host Matt Damon on May 9. Additionally, his documentary, Out of Body will come to Netflix April 13, just ahead of ‘The Great Divide.’ The documentary will see him reckon with his recent launch to fame as he returns back to his home state, Vermont. Kahan called the experience of being filmed for the documentary “weird, difficult, and genuinely beautiful.” He said he is looking forward to fans seeing it despite also being “nervous” about the more personal and “painful” things the documentary touches on. But, he said “anything scary or hard is usually worth sharing with the world” and he hopes that “it will reach [fans] in a time when [they] need it.”

Tickets for The Great Divide World Tour go on general sale this Friday 17 April at 10 AM local time in the UK and Europe. Artist presale will commence on Wednesday 15 April, also at 10 AM local time for the UK and Europe. Sign up for artist presale here.

The Great Divide World Tour UK/IE Dates

5/11 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow, UK

6/11 – OVO Hydro – Glasgow, UK

9/11 – AO Arena – Manchester, UK

10/11 – AO Arena – Manchester, UK

13/11 – O2 Arena – London, UK

14/11 – O2 Arena – London, UK

21/11 – 3Arena – Dublin, IE

22/11 – 3Arena – Dublin, IE

The show marks their only UK show for 2026. In the post, linked below, the band says “just thinking about this night makes us teary-eyed.”

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While the first half of the evening will consist of ‘Stay Gold’  performed in full, they promise the second half to be “a mix of [their] favorite songs, old and new.”

‘Stay Gold’ is the band’s breakthrough album, having been certified Platinum by the Swedish Recording Industry Association in January 2015, just seven months after its release.  After the duo appeared on the Graham Norton Show, the album soared from Number 54 to 11, selling 7,726 copies. It was then certified Gold by the British Phonographic Industry in April 2015.  The album holds an 80 overall score on Metacritic with critics saying the album “has a rich texture of classic country instrumentation and stirring string arrangements, matching their soaring vocal melodies.” The album includes some of their most popular tracks, ‘My Silver Lining’ currently has over 288 million streams on Spotify while the title track, ‘Stay Gold’ has over 40 million.

The 65-piece Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, hailing from the band’s homeland, will support them in bringing these beloved ‘Stay Gold’ tracks to fans at the Royal Albert Hall. The band said the upcoming show “truly feels like a dream come true.” Previously, the Swedish sisters,  Klara and Johanna Söderberg, played a show with the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra in January 2025. There, the band played ‘Stay Gold’ in its entirety, in celebration of 10 years since the album’s release. They called the show an “incredible priviledge” and said that the “songs have never sounded better.” Now, they are set to bring the experience to the UK for the first time.

First Aid Kit released their most recent album, ‘Palmino’ in 2022, which was the their first studio project since 2018. It scored 4 stars from NME and a 7/10 from Clash, who called it, “deeply personal and moving” and it was the band’s “most conventionally ‘pop’ work yet whilst still offering the sisters’ unique blend of folk and Americana.”

The show on Tuesday September 29 will be the duo’s second time appearing at the Royal Albert Hall, with their last appearance being in 2014. Presale begins on Wednesday March 11 at 10 AM GMT. Presale codes will be given out to fans who sign up for First Aid Kit’s text or email list by 9am GMT on Wednesday, 11 March. The link to do so can be found here. General sale will commence on Friday 13 March at 10 AM GMT.

Now 80, Siffre has spent much of the past two decades away from the album cycle, releasing only occasional singles and making rare live appearances while his classic recordings quietly gathered new generations of listeners online. Unfinished Business, due later this year via Demon Music Group, is his first full album since 1998’s ‘The Last Songs‘ and spoken-word project ‘Monument‘, ending an almost three-decade pause in his studio discography. The new record arrives at a moment when his catalogue, once a cult concern, has been reframed as foundational listening for contemporary pop, hip-hop and indie fans alike.

Lead single ‘Far Away’ anchors the announcement, a reflective piano ballad that leans into the soulful inflexions that have long underpinned Siffre’s folk-rooted music. Built around intimate vocals, the track feels like a continuation of the emotional clarity that defined songs like ‘Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying’ and ‘My Song’, but delivered with the weight and stillness of an artist looking back over a long life. ‘Far Away’ has already been showcased in a rare BBC Radio 2 Piano Room performance, where Siffre paired the new piece with ‘My Song’ and a cover of the Four Tops’ ‘Baby I Need Your Loving‘, underlining how comfortably his new material sits alongside his vintage work.

Siffre’s return has been building quietly for several years, helped by social media virality and high-profile sync placements. ‘Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying’ featured prominently in the 2024 film The Holdovers, while ‘Cannock Chase’ appeared in the critically acclaimed Sentimental Value the following year, pushing his songs back into wider public consciousness.

At the same time, tracks like Bless The Telephone have taken on new life on TikTok, and official channels have been steadily uploading restored videos and interviews, reframing him for a younger, online audience.

Across the 1970s and 1980s, Siffre released a run of albums that blended folk, soul and jazz, yielding UK hits like ‘It Must Be Love’ and the anti-apartheid anthem ‘(Something Inside) So Strong’ which would go on to be reimagined through popular covers by Madness, Kenny Rogers and others. His tracks have also been sampled in acclaimed hip-hop singles, including Ye’s cult-classic 2007 single ‘I Wonder’, which samples Siffre’s ‘My Song’.

With a poignant legacy spanning several decades, a legacy now both nostalgic and new to many, Labi Siffre’s ‘Unfinished Business‘ is expected to unite his audience through his revived, soul-touching soft-rock and folk sound. If anyone can encapsulate the human experience through music, it’s Siffre.

Whilst specific dates are yet to be confirmed, the album is expected to be released later this year.

The hypnotic folk ballad, produced by Philip Weinrobe, was released with a romantic music video, where Mescal’s voice shines in a dark red theme.

Mescal teased her heartbreak anthem on Instagram, filming herself in an empty field with the caption “got carried away need to reconnect don’t text me”.

This new track marks a change for the artist as she goes from indie sorrow to folk storytelling. Mescal told Dork Magazine, “It’s a song about asking for reassurance from someone you’re in a tumultuous relationship with and being disappointed by their answer,” she then explained the crux of the story with its title, “Instead of saying they love you back, they say they just got carried away.”

Though, this fresh new track comes with an emotional honesty that’s been present throughout her career, quickly capturing the hearts of listeners worldwide. On ‘Can I Miss It For A Minute’, Mescal explained in an interview with Vogue how this vulnerability comes about in her writing process. She said, “I was writing with my friend yesterday, and he said, ‘Sometimes we write stuff, and we don’t even realize those are our feelings about it […] Then all of a sudden it’s written, and we’re confronted with the fact that we said that, so we mean it.”

The artist has had a quick rise to fame after the EP reached the Scottish Top 100 Album Charts, performing some exciting gigs from joining Florence and the Machine on tour to supporting Shania Twain at the BST Hyde Park Headline show in July. Mescal has also concluded her set of intimate shows around the UK just two days ago (24 July). Fans recorded her last night in Cardiff, with Mescal’s captivating charm silencing the audience at Wales’ signature rock venue, Clwb Ifor Bach.

@keelalaa Nell Mescal performing ‘In My Head’ live from Cardiff! @Nell Mescal #nellmescal #inmyhead #smallartist #acousticmusic #livemusic #cardiff ♬ original sound – keela

You can catch Mescal at several UK festivals this summer, including Newcastle’s Come Together festival and Reading & Leeds. Find tickets on the artist’s official website. 

The tour will hit some exciting venues, beginning in September at Brudenell Social Club, Leeds as well as three dates at London’s The Tabernacle. The tour will then continue throughout Europe and the US.

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In February this year, Yaelokre performed for their biggest crowd, opening for folk-pop singer Aurora. Initially performing underground gigs for about 20 people, the singer spoke to Rappler about their sudden rise in popularity and the overwhelming feeling that came with it. They said, “How can you prepare to face a whole world where kindness is scarce and hate is normalized, when all you’ve ever really wanted to [was] to tell your stories to little children and make them happy?”

Following these difficulties, the artist says that come November of that year, “something magical happened”, in regards to support from friends which led them to continue with their musical pursuits.

In January 2024, Yaelokre made their debut with ‘Harpy Hare’, which took the internet by storm. The sombre, yet addictive, folk single spread through TikTok like wildfire with just under 500k videos using the song according to TikTok statistics. The track tells the story of a mother’s protectiveness and a child’s desire for freedom with the eerie hook “Harpy Hare, where have you buried all your children?”

Listeners were eager to discover the lore behind the track as Yaelokre performs the song in animalistic, earthy costumes. The singer gave little away about the backstory, letting the song speak for itself, though fans were intrigued by the character-based lyricism and created a trend in which two people, donning Yaelokre’s distinctive costuming, perform a childish handshake.   

@half_baked_mushrooms @Thenice_demon ♬ Harpy Hare – Yaelokre

Originally planning to become a kindergarten teacher, the artist took ‘Harpy Hare’s popularity and released their debut EP ‘Hayfields’, telling the stories of four characters Cole, Clémente, Peregrine and Kingsley, who play music together in a group called ‘The Lark’. 

Fans were as dedicated as ever to understand the full story of the whimsical record, and took to social media with numerous ‘lore explanation’ videos.

@a1234music For any new Yaelokre fans out who want to know somw of the lore, here’s a brief rundown for you! #yaelokre #harpyhare #yaelokre_yarrow #yaelokre_cole ##meadowlark #hayfields @ ♬ Harpy Hare – Yaelokre

The singer has shared the general concept behind the record, explaining with Rappler, “the four characters are based off of my childhood. [Creating Yaelokre] was like a [form] of therapy for me.”

In the run-up to the tour, Yaelokre has released a new single ‘Cole’s Response’, a melancholic, ethereal acoustic folk track which the singer describes as “a bashful rabbit’s retort”. The new song and Yaelokre’s full folk discography is greatly anticipated for the upcoming tour. Check for more exciting updates and where Yaelokre will be performing next on their Instagram. 

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The exhibition will take place on 3 May in Covent Garden, the same day as her live performance at OVO Arena in London as part of her What Happened To The Earth tour. In a recent press release, the singer revealed that the exhibition will be an artistic exploration that “blends art, fashion, and digital innovation in an intimate setting”.  The 28-year-old singer has been blending ethereal dark-pop sounds with electronic influence since her debut EP ‘Running With The Wolves’ in 2015. The collection of songs follows a thread of sombre folklore and a dreamy sonic integrity which the singer has held since she began writing the second track on the project ‘Running With The Wolves’ at aged 13. 

The song shows an authentic, unapologetic voice following the opening track ‘Runaway’, a fan favourite which AURORA has since released in piano and orchestral versions. She has also made a documentary on the impact this song has had on her career titled. The documentary, ‘Portrait of a Song’, is available to watch on YouTube.

Since her first release, the singer has made seven EPs and five studio albums including her latest in 2024 ‘What Happened To The Heart’. The album has a natural focus that has been prevalent throughout her discography, including the song ‘Some Type Of Skin’ – the namesake of her exhibition. The event is said to explore the evolution of her discography as well as display a curation of looks and props that have been integral to her musical narrative. 

‘What Happened To The Heart’ breaks down digital and human barriers for connection. In an interview with DIY magazine, she explains the thoughts that led to its creation, sharing “The world is dying; our home is rotting, burning up, and we are engaging in meaningless wars that put resources over human lives. I think a lot of us look at the world and wonder: what happened?”. Her commentary on the state of the world was highlighted similarly in her role as New Music Ambassador for War Child UK, as well has with her single ‘Through The Eyes Of A Child’ which featured on the hit show Adolescence– a staggering Netflix series commentating on the experience of youth in the digital age.  

Her latest album has seemingly inspired the singer to explore her place in the art world with this upcoming exhibition as well as her PAUSE collection of art prints and her latest book release, ‘What Happened To The Heart’. She has expressed the book’s vulnerability to fans stating, “I’d prefer if you’ve read it alone in your room”.

AURORA has recently released a fresh new single ‘The Flood’, a soft dreamy soundscape which she has shared alongside visuals of choreography in an angel inspired look.   

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Sign-up for tickets of the Some Type of Skin exhibition can be found here, along with tickets to her UK and EU tour on her website.

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First established in 1965 by Paul Rayment, Philip Abrams, George Scurfield, and Ken Woollard, the Cambridge Folk Festival was envisioned as a celebration of folk music and a means to preserve its cultural heritage. Since then, the festival has grown to become a cornerstone of the folk music scene, drawing renowned artists such as Joan Baez, Paul Simon, Van Morrison, Emmylou Harris, and Mumford & Sons.

The decision follows financial losses incurred during the 2024 edition, reflecting broader struggles faced by music festivals across the UK. Rising production costs, the lingering economic impact of Brexit, and the cost-of-living crisis have led to the cancellation of over 71 independent festivals over 2024 alone. Organisers are calling for government support, lower VAT rates, and improved insurance schemes to help the industry recover. Despite these difficulties, demand for major festivals like Glastonbury remains strong, offering hope for a stronger economic future for smaller independents as well.

Despite the disappointment of the 2025 cancellation, organisers remain hopeful for the festival’s future. The council has emphasised its commitment to exploring innovative approaches that will allow the festival to return stronger in 2026. In a statement on the festival’s website they suggested that “throughout 2025 the festival will continue to support the folk community with a series of locally based events throughout Cambridge, with other initiatives to support local emerging youth and folk artists.”

They can’t afford to run a folk music festival which everyone loves, but they can afford £162m for a lame-ass busway which nobody needs or really wants https://t.co/3d6imzqvRD

— Mike Scialom (@CambsOpenMedia) January 19, 2025

Fans and artists alike have expressed their concerns over the festival’s hiatus, with many taking to social media to share their sadness, support, and hopes for its revival. As the folk music community faces mounting challenges, the Cambridge Folk Festival’s potential comeback in 2026 will be one to keep an eye on.