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.

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Support for these gigs comes from the winners of a Battle of the Bands contest held by Bombay Bicycle Club. On their website they wrote, “we got our start playing Battle of the Bands events when we were teenagers. We wanted to offer a similar opportunity to the next generation of teenagers.”

The winners were West London band, Tight Lines, who will be supporting The Camden Assembly gigs and Leeds-native band, Call Me Animal, who will support the Nambucca gigs.

Tickets for these shows will be available via prize draw. Each entry costs £10, and results in two tickets for each fan chosen. The proceeds go to the Universal Music UK Sound Foundation, a music education charity for children. More information on this charity can be found at their wesbite.

These nostalgic and intimate gigs come as further celebration of the band’s 20^th anniversary. Previously, it was announced that the band will be playing a one-off show at London’s LIDO Festival on June 14 with support from Metronomy, Alice Phoebe Lou, Billie Marten, Lucy Rose and more.

At LIDO, Bombay Bicycle Club will perform their 2009 debut album, ‘I Had The Blues But I Shook Them Loose’ in full. It is an album the BBC remarked as “the sound of a band with a immense future ahead.” A live recording of the album at London Brixton Academy was released in 2019 and critics said it ‘creates an almost painful longing for live music’ and that ‘it’s enough to make you miss the feeling of spilt beer on your skin and hearing more of what your neighbour is belting than the actual band you came to see.’

The band returned to recording new music after a three year hiatus in 2023. Their latest album, ‘My Big Day’ was given four stars by Far Out Magazine, saying in their review, “this album feels like a maturation of the original starter kit that saw them turn into ready-baked brilliance 15 years ago.”

Bombay Bicycle Club says, “it’s not lost on us how rare it is and how fortunate we are to have the opportunity to make music and to still have so many people who care about our music and support us by coming to our shows.” And their 20-year celebrations—created with future, past and present fans in mind—show this thoughtful appreciation.

Tickets for the London LIDO Festival can be found on the festival’s website. And to enter the prize draw for the upcoming March gigs, visit this site.

Just be sure to line up a ride after, as the band says their “parents will be picking [them] up after the gigs.”

Bombay Bicycle Club 2026 Live Dates

13/3 – The Camden Assembly – London, UK

14/3 – The Camden Assembly – London, UK

20/3 – Nambucca – London, UK

21/3 – Nambucca – London, UK

14/6 – LIDO Festival – London, UK

Headliners include psychedelic rock icons The Flaming Lips, Britpop band Lightning Seeds, Cambridge-native Black Country, New Road and more. Running from July 16 to 26, eleven acts will shine through summer nights in the iconic courtyard of one of London’s favorite cultural hotspots.

The London Standard’s post announcing the event can be found below:

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Matthew Cook, Head of Live Events at Somerset House says: ‘Featuring artists spanning a variety of genres and generations, this year’s edition promises to deliver spectacular performances in the unique setting of the Somerset House open-air courtyard.’ The acts were chosen for their cross-disciplinary work and pioneering careers: from French-Haitian pop singer-songwriter Naïka, rapper Raf-Saperra, indie rock group The Cribs, to Danish singer-songwriter Agnes Obel and more. Since 2003, the Somerset House Summer Series have hosted electrifying performances from a litany of culturally innovative acts. Previous acts include Adele, Amy Winehouse, black midi, Olivia Dean and St. Vincent to name a few.

Cook went on to say, ‘From creative trailblazers who have led the way for bold new genres, innovators whose impact can be felt across a vast array of musicians today, distinctly individual talents who continue to surprise, and future greats carving out their own path – Somerset House Summer Series once again stands as a testament to the power of the Arts. We can’t wait to welcome artists and fans to our home this summer.’

Running through the Summer Series, the Somerset House will also present its 2026 Spring Exhibition, Holy POP! Time Out Worldwide says it ‘will explore the power of fandom and the world of modern shrines. Through art, memorabilia, letters, photographs, and interactive installations, the pay what you can exhibition will uncover the rituals of idolisation, showing how fandom shapes identity, values, and community.’ Exploring the fandoms of megastars such as David Bowie, Prince, Aaliyah, Britney Spears and Elvis, Somerset House marks itself as the place to be for all music fans this summer.

NME reports that Black Country, New Road say they are ‘excited’ to be playing the Summer Series.  And of the Somerset House, the band went on to say, ‘it is one of London’s most beautiful and prestigious courtyard venues. Some of us have very fond memories of a summer’s evening some years ago seeing our friends performing on the same stage. The sun was going down over the Thames and it was very loud. We hope to recapture some of the same magic we felt that evening.’

NME also reports that Lightning Seeds are ‘very excited to headline one of London’s grandest and most iconic venues.’ They say, ‘it’s going to be a very special day and we can’t wait.’

The full lineup for the 2026 Somerset House Summer Series is below:

16/07 – Nakïa

17/07 – Palace

18/07 – Thee Sacred Souls

19/07 – Lightning Seeds

20/07 – The Cribs

21/07 – Agnes Obel

22/07 – Black Country, New Road

23/07 – Venna

24/07 – Raf-Saperra

25/07 – The Flaming Lips

26/07 – Benjamin Clementine

Tickets go on general sale next week, Friday 6 March at 10AM. Pre-sale will be Thursday 5 March also at 10AM. Tickets for each event are sold separately. To sign up for pre-sale as well as find out more information about the event, visit the Somerset House website.

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Both bands announced the concert today on social media, along with another one in Montreal, Canada. The UK night is going to be held at at the OVO Wembley Arena in London on the 24th of June, with Alexisonfire playing ‘Crisis’ and Billy Talent playing ‘II’ in full, to what will certainly be a maximum capacity crowd of 12,500.

Both bands were founded in the Ontario province in Canada, with Billy Talent being the older group, having formed in 1991 under the name Pezz. Though they released three self-titled albums after renaming, ‘Billy Talent II’ was their best remembered and received the best scores from review sites. Packed full of angst, it walked the line between anthemic rock and rebellious punk, not quite pigeonholing itself into either. Singles like ‘Fallen Leaves’, ‘Red Flag’ and ‘Devil In A Midnight Mass’ were a hit with rock radio stations, and the band earned themselves a Juno Award for best rock album, one of Canada’s most prestigious prizes.

Alexisonfire formed later in 2001, but following on from strong second album ‘Watch Out!’ in 2004 led them to a defining album in the rock and hardcore scene in ‘Crisis’. Sometimes described as “pop screamo”, their sound was a mixture of hardcore punk with George Pettit’s harsh vocals, and very raw emotional rock built around Dallas Green’s hauntingly beautiful singing. The singles ‘Boiled Frogs’ and ‘This Could Be Anywhere In The World’ are still hugely popular today, with the album being cited as inspiration to many of the Canadian scene’s later albums by artists like Cancer Bats and Silverstein.

Both albums reached number one in Canada’s Album Chart and became a large part of each band’s legacy. Fittingly, Liam Cormier of Cancer Bats was quoted in a now-deleted article as saying “everyone will always remember Alexisonfire and Billy Talent as the two bands that brought heavy music to the forefront and broke that scene wide open in this country.” Also rather appropriately, both bands released their last albums in 2022, and both are currently in the studio writing new music, with Alexisonfire only documenting their recording sessions earlier this week.

In a post on Instagram, Alexisonfire stated that the tour will feature both albums played front-to-back, with the headliner alternating – they will headline London while Billy Talent will play last in Montreal. US post-hardcore stars Touché Amoré will be opening the evening at the Wembley Arena. Pre-sale starts tomorrow at 10AM, general sale follows this Friday also at 10AM, with both Alexisonfire and Billy Talent providing ticket links and passwords on their Instagram posts. Alexisonfire will also be performing ‘Crisis’ in full when they headline the Saturday at this year’s Outbreak Fest, which runs from the 26th to the 28th of June at Manchester’s B.E.C Arena.

The influential rock band are set to play three gigantic shows in the UK next summer. The gigs are billed as 25th anniversary celebrations of their timeless 2001 album, ‘Bleed American.’

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The highly anticipated shows are the very first opportunity for UK fans to witness Jimmy Eat World perform their classic fourth studio album, ‘Bleed American’ in its wondrous entirety from front to back, Alongside this, fans can expect a catalogue of other hits from their discography, it’s definitely one not to miss.

‘Bleed American’ holds a noteworthy impact on the introduction of alternative and emo rock into the mainstream music world. This is solely due to the success of the notorious single, ‘The Middle.’ Jimmy Eat world will forever be a household name in the residence of the alternative and pop-punk scene. Released post 9/11, Americans everywhere were reeling at the lasting consequences of the attacks. ‘Bleed American,’ specifically ‘The Middle,’ became a signal of unity and hope comforting individuals during a remarkably tragic time. The album continued to maintain chart success, every single charting in the top twenty of at least one US chart, with ‘The Middle’ reaching an astonishing No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. As of 2025, ‘The Middle’ has surpassed an impressive 1 billion streams on Spotify, placing it in the Billion streams club.

The exciting UK touchdown begins on August 14 in Yorkshire’s Halifax, The Piece Hall, before the band make their way over to Cardiff Castle on August 15 then finalising their UK run August 16 in London’s Gunnersbury Park.
The London Gunnersbury Park date is set to be the bands biggest ever UK show to date and tickets are guaranteed to fly out.

The group have influenced an impressive array of modern artists including Blink-182, My Chemical Romance, All Time Low, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday and even Taylor Swift. Their lasting authority over modern music is a testament to the legend status.
This reveal was not announced before the band had a little bit of fun teasing fans last week. Bowling trophies symbolic of the ‘Bleed American’ album cover were spotted in little nooks outside the booked UK venues featuring the band members’ names.

This is not just your average tour; it is a celebration of one of the most important albums in alternative rock history. With a carefully hand-picked list of support acts to ensure a high-energy, classic punk rock show.

Not embarking on this venture alone, the guys are joined by special guests, Rise Against, The Get Up Kids and Jay Som. This is simply music to the ears of those who grew up on early 2000’s rock, bound to be a grand night of nostalgia.
General sale is set to begin from Friday December 5 at 10am GMT and fans can gain access via Ticketmaster’s website.

77 has been purpose-built for sound and visuals. The venue features an advanced L-Acoustics sound system with powerful subwoofers to deliver deep, clear audio. On the visual side, the space will use lasers, LED screens and Robe lighting creating an exciting, club-quality atmosphere.

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The venue is built over two levels, with a mezzanine, VIP tables, and clear views of the stage. Guests can enjoy a close connection to the performers, while still getting the benefit of high-end production usually found in much larger clubs.

77 is also planning a distinct weekly schedule. Thursday nights will focus on live music, while weekends will highlight electronic DJs. Uniquely, the club will also host extended and all-night DJ sets, something not often offered in London. These longer performances will give artists more time to express themselves and let the audience dive deeper into the music.

The team behind 77 are experienced nightlife professionals. Jonathan Wade, who previously worked with Tao Group, brings global nightclub expertise. Eniz Hilmi, the Director of Music, has years of experience programming at Rinse FM, Mas Tiempo, and various UK festivals.

Together, they want to make 77 a venue that combines big-club sound and lighting with the intimacy of a smaller space. Speaking to MixMag, Hilmi explained that the goal is to provide “world-class production while keeping the connection between the artist and the audience at the center.” 

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The main idea behind 77 is to give people something they can’t always find in larger venues: an immersive environment where both artists and audiences feel truly connected. By mixing powerful sound and visuals with carefully curated music programming, 77 aims to stand out in London’s competitive nightlife scene.

More details on the opening lineup and events are to be shared soon. Clubbers who want to stay in the loop can visit 77london.com or follow the venue on Instagram.

The separate days of the festival had different themes – for the Friday (July 11), fans were treated to a day of R&B/soul music. Speaking to the crowd, Drake said, “You came to a very special night. It’s night one. It’s a celebration of all things R&B. All things melodies. All classics.” The audience enjoyed sets throughout the day from rising UK stars like Nippa and KWN, as well as American artists such as Summer Walker and Leon Thomas. During Drake’s set, he pulled through with a host of guests including Giveon, Bryson Tiller, Bobby Valentino and Mario.

@wirelessfestival We said we were making history this weekend @Rockstar Energy UK #drake #laurynhill #mslaurynhill #wirelessfestival #20yearswireless #wireless2025 #wireless ♬ original sound – Wireless Festival

One of the biggest surprises of the day came as Lauryn Hill took to the stage. A famously reclusive artist whose live appearances have been notoriously disorganized, she came out to perform “Ready Or Not” and “Ex Factor”, the latter of which transitioned into Drake’s hit “Nice For What” which samples the soulful classic.

The tempo and tone was changed for the Saturday show (July 12), as the mellow vibes of the previous night were switched for a high-energy day of hip-hop. ““London, tonight is different,” Drake said onstage, hyping up the audience. “All that sweetheart, singing sh*t? That sh*t is over tonight. This is for my motherf*cking dogs.” A lineup of homegrown UK talent was featured throughout, with experimental trap rapper Lancey Foux and grime collective Boy Better Know providing sets.

@wirelessfestival You asked for Dave & Cench, we delivered DRAKE SPECIAL GUESTS NIGHT 2 @Rockstar Energy UK @CentralCee #drake #dave #centralcee #cench #wireless #wireless2025 #20yearswireless #wirelessfestival ♬ original sound – Wireless Festival

When it was Drake’s time to take to the stage, he gave another star-studded set featuring guests like Dave, Central Cee, J Hus, Yeat, Skepta, Latto, Sexyy Redd, K-Trap, Headie One and 21 Savage.

The Sunday (July 13) saw the styles travel from London to around the world for a “global” themed day, featuring afrobeat and dancehall artists legends like Vybz Kartel, Burna Boy, Spice and Popcaan. Unfortunately, Drake only managed to perform for 40 minutes, due to a strict 9:30pm curfew, as he opted to give the other acts more stage time.

@wirelessfestival VYBZ X DRAKE @Rockstar Energy UK #wireless #20yearswireless #wireless2025 #wirelessfestival #drake #vybzkartel ♬ original sound – Wireless Festival

During the Saturday night, Drake seemingly weighed in on the debate brewing as to who would reign victoriously in a clash between UK and US rappers. He said to a supportive crowd, “London rappers are the best lyricists in the world. No disrespect to America, but nobody in the world can out-rap London rappers. This is the highest level – this is what I aspire to be.”

To read more into the growing UK vs US battle debate drawn up by Skepta, click here.

M.O.T.H, which stands for Memorable Order of Tin Hats, is a support network for ex-servicepeople, founded in South Africa in 1927. This network subsequently spread across continents over time, leading to the formation of MOTH Club in Hackney back in 1972. Though for the last ten years, MOTH Club has operated as a live entertainment venue, under the programming of LNZRT, hosting music and comedy gigs, film nights and club events. It’s hosted massive names such as Lady Gaga, Dave Grohl and Jarvis Cocker, as well as artists from a wide range of genres, including King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, IDLES, Caroline Polachek and many more. They also support emerging artists and entertainers.

The issue emerged in September last year, where Hackney Borough Council announced plans to build a block of flats next to the venue on Morning Lane, which prompted MOTH create a petition in protest and reach out to social media for support, fearing noise complaints from the new residents of these flats would cause MOTH’s closure. In November, a second building planning application was passed, again beside the venue, with balconies directly overlooking MOTH’s smoking area.

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In an interview with the BBC, MOTH’s general manager Edie Kench-Andrews discussed in further detail the importance of venues like MOTH and the impact these developments might have. She said: “Without venues like the Moth Club, and many others like us, bands wouldn’t lift off the way that they do.” She added: “A building like that getting built next to us will cast such a shadow over everything that we have worked for.

“If we were to get shut down, it would be a monumental difference for the community.

“Without places like us you wouldn’t be listening to half the bands you’re listening to.”

MOTH Club reposted the petition again last Monday, 7 July, urging fans to “keep the pressure on”. They wrote in a caption on Instagram: “Despite the overwhelming public response, Hackney Council has yet to respond to our concerns raised about the two separate planning proposals threatening MOTH Club’s future.”

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As of today, 9 July, the petition has over 19,000 signatures and an outpouring of support across music-lovers and ex-servicepeople alike. One comment by Mark Ian on the petition’s website reads: “I am one of the MOTH’s of the MOTH Club (MOTH Club Member). We are still an old soldiers club of which we still hold regular meetings in our room in the upstairs of the club which is out of bounds of the general public

There are very few places veterans can meet and socialise in Hackney […] There is no club like it in London and maybe unique in England.”

Click here to read the petition.

The Mayor of London has collaborated with Music Venue Trust, Featured Artists Coalition, Outernet, the Metro and Universal Music in an effort to shed a light on the music venues and artists from the city.

The City Hall released numbers to highlight the cultural relevance and importance of independent venues within London. There are currently 179 grassroots venues in the capital which welcomed a total of 4.2 million visitors in 2024 alone, with an incredible 328,000 artists performing.

Not only are they important culturally, but also economically, with these businesses employing close to 7,000 people and contributing £313 million to the economy.

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This campaign is another step in the right direction as the desire to save grassroots venues continues to grow throughout the UK. Groups such as Music Venue Trust and Featured Artists Coalition have been working endlessly to promote the problems facing independent music spaces up and down the country.

Although there is still lots of work to be done, the message is seemingly beginning to get across to the British population. In a recent survey conducted by ‘Music Fans’ Voice’, an overwhelming 94% of respondents agreed that legislation must be bought in to give music venues and nightclubs some form of protected status.

The pendulum continues to swing in favour of independent venues, with this new London-based campaign being a further example of acknowledgement that change is needed. However, many still argue that the words are not being transferred into actions.

Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn recently called out the government for not implementing a recommended £1 ticket levy on large venues, saying: “Almost a year ago, the parliamentary DCMS committee vindicated this approach… which was subsequently acknowledged by the government as a viable option.

“But a year on, we continue to lose grassroots music venues at a truly alarming rate.” Corbyn said as he launched a new campaign, ‘A Summer To Save Live Music’. Check out mxdwn coverage on the series of gigs which aim to raise awareness for these struggling venues.

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The reimagined tube map was published in the Metro newspaper today (May 13) and will be displayed on screens at Outernet London on Denmark Street for the next month.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, pointed out the importance of the grassroots scene in London, whilst also stating just how crucial the survival of it is, saying: “From providing opportunites for talented aspiring artists to develop their trade, to giving Londoners a great night out, our venues are an essential part of our life at night and provide a huge boost to our economy.

“This special edition Tube map is a great way to highlight what a huge impact the scene has on our capital, as we continue to do all we can to support venues and build a more prosperous London for everyone.”

Although the sentiment will be appreciated, independent venues up-and-down the country will be hoping to see true legislation and change bought in sooner rather than later. 

It was reported in 2024 how 10 nightclubs were closing every week on average, something that can only be prevented by legislation and protection.

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The festival is just one of many appearances from the American singer this summer with Carey set to headline the Brighton and Hove Pride on August 2nd as well as King Charles’ Royal Sandringham Estate in Norfolk on August 15th as part of the Heritage Live Series. As part of the Sandringham gig, the ‘We Belong Together’ singer will be joined by special guests including Nile Rodgers and CHIC and famous 90s band Eternal.

Presale for Capital’s Summertime Ball with Barclaycard 2025 opens on April 29 at 9am. Tickets are available exclusively on Global Player, the official Capital app. Tickets to Capital’s Summertime Ball go on general sale on April 30 at 9am.

Capital Breakfast hosts Jordan North, Chris Stark and Sian Welby will announce more names from 7am on Tuesday. Jordan North said: “We are absolutely buzzing to be back at Capital’s Summertime Ball with Barclaycard this year. We’ve just announced the first half of the incredible line-up on air but be sure to tune in to Capital Breakfast tomorrow for even more names that will be playing.”

Ashley Tabor-King, founder and executive president of radio company Global, said: “Capital’s Summertime Ball with Barclaycard is back, and this year we’re bringing some huge names we’ve never had at the ball before. “We’ve got a stellar line-up of global superstars and today’s biggest hit music artists – all set to light up the stage. This is truly one of our best ever line-ups and we can’t wait to see 80,000 Capital listeners enjoy every moment, it’s going to be a day to remember.”

Last year Kylie Minogue made a surprise appearance at the event to perform to the more than 80,000 fans at the radio station’s show. Will Smith & Jazzy Jeff, Tate McRae were also announced this past week as performers for the festival.