The Tottenham-born rapper Wretch 32, real name Germaine Scott, has long been a pioneer of the evolving UK hip-hop scene. Beginning his career in grime before developing multi-genre fusions, his music has consistently balanced soulful storytelling with sharp social commentary.

His latest album HOME?, released in May 2025, is one of his most ambitious projects to date. Blending grime, afrobeat, reggae, garage, R&B, and spoken word, the record explores the question of what “home” means for a Black British artist raised in Tottenham. Critics praised it as a daring work of social documentation. Rolling Stone UK called it “a piece of social documentation that stretches back generations,” while Hive Magazine described it as “raw, unfiltered and unapologetic artistry.”

Wretch 32 grew up on the Tiverton Estate, situated next to the Broadwater Farm, notorious for the riots of the 1980s. He is the third generation of his family to be raised there, his great-grandparents having emigrated from Jamaica. His upbringing exposed him early to the realities of racial injustice in the UK. His father was active in community activism and frequently appeared on television campaigning for equality. Wretch himself was featured as a baby in the 1988 documentary Scenes from the Farm, filmed in the aftermath of the riots and capturing the lived realities of 1980s Black Britain.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Complex UK (@complex_uk)

This background informs much of ‘HOME?’. In “Black and British,” his collaboration with Little Simz and Benjamin AD, he recalls being abused on Black Boy Lane: “On Black Boy Lane I was caught on my own / He told me to go back to my country / I thought I was home.” That kind of raw commentary runs throughout the record, where personal experience intersects with broader cultural questions of belonging and displacement. Speaking to The Guardian earlier this year, he admitted his sense of home remains unsettled: “I feel like it always moves. I feel like it always changes. I’m still trying to put an exact location on it but as it stands it’s more who I’m with. I feel like I could make a home in any house.”

Now, following the release of the album, Wretch 32 will make his National Theatre debut with a dramatized adaptation of ‘HOME?’. Directed by Clint Dyer, the performance will combine music, spoken word, dance, and theatrical staging. Special guests will join him as he explores themes of Black British identity, belonging, and legacy in a production that blurs the line between theatre and live music.

The event is scheduled for one night only, on Thursday, 23 October at 9:00 p.m. at the Olivier Theatre.
It is part of the National Theatre’s autumn season, the first under new creative director Indhu Rubasingham, which signals a fresh and inclusive programming approach that welcomes artists from beyond traditional theatre circles.

The Rolling Stones will play four UK dates at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as part of a European tour this summer.@MailOnline pic.twitter.com/WODA8bQ3TD

— Lilywhite Rose (@Lilywhite_Rose) January 22, 2025

The announcement has sent waves of excitement through their fanbase, with tickets expected to be priced around £250. It is currently unknown whether the London shows will be the band’s only dates in the UK. An official announcement is expected in the upcoming weeks. Fans are encouraged to secure their tickets early to witness a piece of rock history live. The rockers, known for their dynamic stage presence and timeless hits such as ‘Paint It Black’, ‘Satisfaction’, and ‘Gimme Shelter’, promise a show to remember.

In 2022, The Rolling Stones celebrated their 60th anniversary with a series of performances across the UK, culminating in two significant concerts at London’s Hyde Park on June 25 and July 3. These shows were part of the British Summer Time festival and marked their return to the iconic venue since their memorable free concert in 1969.
This upcoming tour offers a unique opportunity for fans to experience the Rolling Stones’ legendary live performances, celebrating their enduring legacy in the rock and roll world. For the most accurate and up-to-date information, fans should regularly check the official Rolling Stones website and reputable ticketing platforms like Ticketmaster.

Opening for Field Day 2019, a timeless rendition of the event featuring Skepta, Earl Sweatshirt, Death Grips, and HOMESHAKE, it has since operated as a solo venue, albeit for a shorter amount of time that anyone would have hoped for. The decline of London’s venues is a well-documented and saddening phenonemon, a cultural trend that the Drumsheds had hoped to counter. A new, large venue in a city where these sorts of venues were only decreasing in number was supposed to be a minor source for hope, but with COVID piling on there seemed to be no other alternative.

The ambitious venue combines 10 acres of outdoor space with four interlinked warehouses, all featuring separate acts when operating at its full potential. As it is an appropriate distance from residential properties – situated on the old industrial area of the Tottenham marshes – music can play on until much later than residential venues. The venue was part of the Meridian Water project in Enfield, a £6 billion fund to regenerate the formerly-industrial marshlands into a cultural and creative hub.

Promoters The Hydra were supposed to host their Not To Be event on the 18th of December, yet this was postponed until the 29th of January. The event, featuring Four Tet, Floating Points, Jon Hopkins, and Joy Orbison, will be the Drumsheds last. This sad announcement was made on The Hydra’s Instagram, which you can view below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by thehydraldn (@thehydraldn)

“Thank you for your patience while we’ve been working to reschedule our NOT TO BE show, which was unfortunately postponed in December,” the statement from The Hydra reads. “As many of you recognised, postponing the show wasn’t a decision taken lightly – but it was the right call and we appreciate the ongoing support.”

“After a great deal of negotiation, we’re pleased to finally inform you that the show will now be going ahead on Saturday, 29 January 2022 at The Drumsheds.”

Tickets for Not To Be can be bought here.