The ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ author is set to play some intimate shows in venues all over the UK, kicking off on March 18 at the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham. Tickets are set to go on sale at 9am GMT on Friday 7 via TicketMaster.

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The 79-year-old Blues Rock legend will be going on tour in support of one of his 2024 album ‘New Arrangements And Duets’ which is an album made out of songs from Morrison’s archive. Morrison’s album contains duets of all sorts with names such as Joss Stone, Curtis Stigers and Kurt Elling. One name Van was the most thrilled about was Willie Nelson, 91-year-old Folk legend, with whom he shares the two songs ‘What’s Wrong With This Picture?’ and ‘Steal My Heart Away’.

In a talk with The Sun, the artist shared: “It had been on my mind to do a duet with Willie Nelson for a long, long time but I didn’t get the opportunity. It was absolutely fantastic. Very relaxing and very professional. Willie came in and delivered. I played those songs for him and he was into them. There’s not a lot of pondering with this stuff. The less back and forth the better. Willie covers all the bases and, to me, he’s very similar to Ray Charles. I like his work and I heard he liked mine.”

‘New Arrangements And Duets’ broadcasts a small percentage of the huge amount of unreleased music Morrison still has under his belt. Working alongside Paul Moran and Chris White on the songs that needed big band arrangements, leading an array of vocalists and paying tributes to places like Belfast, the Harland and Wolff shipyard as well as people like his father and the love the latter had for jazz music. The solo artist played a sold-out show at the Royal Albert Hall in late 2024 which received a four-star review from The Independent.

Set to play in his hometown of Belfast at the Whitla Hall venue at the end of the month, the singer added an extra date due to the high demand.  

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Van Morrison’s March UK tour dates are:

18/03/25 – Royal Concert Hall – Nottingham

19/03 – Symphony Hall – Birmingham

23/03 – New Theatre Oxford – Oxford

24/03 – The Subscription Rooms – Stroud

The tour will end at the Adelphi Theatre in London on September 30.

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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.

This new release is a retreat for Morrison. Playing the smoky music he was brought up with, he reminisces about where he comes from, to which he adds a smooth soulful modernisation without fully ridding of its initial essence. As a child, when he first started delving into the musical world in Belfast, he played in a skiffle band which was a rooting of what sort of music he was passionate about.

Moving On Skiffle will be a 23 track album hosting a combination of enduring classics of the era enhanced by the musicians rollicking stylistic input as well as original arrangements and entailing lyrical twists. Steaming from the folky roots, a skiffle fest is well on its way. He has successfully kept the ice cold by gradually releasing singles from the LP. Five tracks are now live, featuring unbeatable timeless tracks of the era.

He first released “Streamline Train” a few months back. A song originally written by the American blues singer Red Nelson in 1936. The crackly bygone recording has taken and moulded into a soulful strutting version by Morrison. He then released “I’m Moving On”, a country standard first released by Hank Snow in the 1950’s. Taking a classic sound to remake the ethos of the country folk chime and inducing his characteristic twist as well as some finishing gospel backing vocal touches.

“Worried Man Blues” is the third single release of the album. Another skiffle cover of an original written song by Carter Family in 1964. A track many blues artists have re written and reimagined but never failed to hold it’s magical purity. Following these he releases “This Loving Light Of Mine”, a rolling interpretation of Harry Dixons “This Little Light Of Mine” back in 1962. Finally, Van Morrison has just released his last single “Freight Train”. Positioning the track as the starting song of the bunch to perfectly set the scene for the experience about to unfold. It is a jazzed up version of Elizabeth Cotten’s writing, with a few added vocal harmonies and organ inputs.

The album is just around the corner and expect the enlivened robustness of the 1950’s skiffle moulded into a brand new album. An album global tour is to come along with its release, set to start on the 13th March in Milton Keynes and run through until the 19th September, finishing on the other side of the world in California, USA.

Click here to pre-order the album.

Having only a few years ago said “I’m apolitical. I’ve got nothing to say about politics whatsoever” it seems Van has made quite the U-turn in recent years. With these songs he joins a growing list of high profile anti-vaxers such as Eric Clapton, Robert DeNiro, Charlie Sheen, Selma Blair, Jim Carey, and Jessica Biel, in his criticism of his countries handling of the pandemic. Few public announcements of doubt have led to a legal showdown though, for that the esteemed singer-songwriter raises his head above the parapet.

The Northern Ireland Department of Health told the BBC it would not comment on active legal matters, but it seems Morrison wasn’t the first to draw blood. Back in November 2021 Robin Swann issued proceedings against the singer following a cancelled hotel gig where Morrison chanted that the Health Minister was “very dangerous” after a last minute blanket ban on live music forced him to lay down his guitar in defeat. Swann’s proceedings against Morrison also included reference to an interview he had done where he called Swann a “fraud” and again made reference to him being “dangerous”. Morrison’s legal team responded at the time by saying “Mr Morrison asserts within that defence that the words used by him related to a matter of public interest and constituted fair comment.”

It’s all got a little sticky then, with all the back and forth it’s difficult to know who will end up on top and what that victory will actually mean for whoever claims it. Until Van reveals on what grounds he is pursuing legal action we won’t know, but he’ll certainly have an uphill struggle against the legal muscle the Northern Irish government is likely to put behind their defence.

Clapton received his first of two AZ jabs last February. He then shared his thoughts in a Telegram message to Robin: “I took the first jab of AZ and straight away had severe reactions which lasted ten days. I recovered eventually and was told it would be twelve weeks before the second one…”.

Clapton continues in the letter: “About six weeks later I was offered and took the second AZ shot, but with a little more knowledge of the dangers. Needless to say the reactions were disastrous, my hands and feet were either frozen, numb or burning, and pretty much useless for two weeks, I feared I would never play again, (I suffer with peripheral neuropathy and should never have gone near the needle.) But the propaganda said the vaccine was safe for everyone…”.

Eric Clapton sent me a message to share on my Telegram channel. You can find it here:https://t.co/XY3irswt0x

— Robin Monotti (@robinmonotti2) May 12, 2021

The letter has been confirmed for authenticity and shared on twitter with Clapton’s permission. He also discussed his views of like minded anti-lockdown politicians and shared his views on rebels saying: “I continue to tread the path of passive rebellion and try to tow the line in order to be able to actively love my family, but it’s hard to bite my tongue with what I now know”. 

Clapton continued with the statement: “I’ve been a rebel all my life, against tyranny and arrogant authority, which is what we have now,” Clapton wrote. “But I also crave fellowship, compassion and love… I believe with these things we can prevail.”

Clapton previously shared his anti-lockdown views and last year alongside his fellow musician Van Morrison, they recorded an anti-lockdown track ‘Stand and Deliver’. The protest song that is part of the ‘Save Live Music’ album, was released on 18th December 2020 and described as ‘dangerous’ by Northern Ireland health minister.

“Stand and deliver / You let them put the fear on you / Stand and deliver / But not a word you heard was true” we can hear Clapton sings on the blues track. The song continues with: “But if there’s nothing you can say/There may be nothing you can do/Do you want to be a free man/Or do you want to be a slave?”. You can listen to the track below.

Joe Rice, Morrison’s solicitor, highlighted that different restrictions in England permitted some live music performance under the tier system – after the risk of certain areas had been assessed. However, in Northern Ireland, no such restrictions have been defined. On Tuesday, Rice confirmed that a “pre-action protocol letter” had been sent on behalf of Sir Van to the NI Executive Department of Health.

“We will be seeking leave for judicial review to challenge the blanket ban on live music in licensed premises in Northern Ireland,” Rice confirmed to RTE. “We’re not aware of any credible scientific or medical evidence to justify this particular blanket ban … and we’re going to challenge this in the high court.”

Hospitality and entertainment venues are all currently closed as a measure of the six-week lockdown imposed by the NI government. Like the devolved governments in Scotland and Wales, the NI executive has the responsibility for health policy, with the authority to impose lockdowns should they be deemed necessary.

Commenting on the decision, Rice said: “Many people in the music and arts world in Northern Ireland have been devastated financially, socially and artistically by this complete ban.” He told RTE that the singer-songwriter is asking the High Court in Belfast to review the current policy on behalf of the “thousands of musicians, artists, venues and those involved in the live music industry,” adding that the evidence behind the decision in Northern Ireland is “far from obvious”, echoing Morrison’s own convictions.

Day 98 – since I asked the Northern Ireland Health Minister to disclose all the scientific evidence for the blanket ban on live music. We are still waiting.

— Van Morrison (@vanmorrison) January 4, 2021

The series is being done by Irish music magazine Hot Press and all of the covers are on their YouTube channel. Speaking about the event, Hot Press editor Niall Stokes said; “The result is a feast of extraordinary music, brilliantly delivered by artists from all over the island of Ireland. This is a hugely deserved tribute to a brilliant, internationally acclaimed artist from East Belfast. But Rave On, Van Morrison has also turned into a powerful confirmation of the outstanding talent that exists in this extraordinary place on the eastern edge of the Atlantic Ocean. Long may it continue.”

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To mark Van Morrison’s 75th birthday on August 31, Ireland’s @hotpressmagazine has curated musical tributes by 75 exceptional artists, to be broadcast to the world via YouTube, in August and September. Follow the link in the bio to watch the series so far.

A post shared by Van Morrison (@vanmorrisonofficial) on Aug 10, 2020 at 7:18am PDT

The impressive line-up includes Hozier, Imelda May, Una Healy, Glen Hansard and Mary Coughlan to name a few. There was even a contribution from President of Ireland Michael D. Higgins. The poet and one-time culture minister took on a spoken word version of Rave On John Donne and changed the words to honour the late American politician and civil-rights leader John Lewis. President Higgins was also joined by Bill Whelan, composer of the Irish dancing show Riverdance.

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Taking the #RaveOnVanMorrison Birthday Celebrations to the next level for the man himself’s big day! We are delighted to be announcing back to back performances on our YouTube tonight from 7pm GMT+1 It’s our absolute honor to have President Michael D. Higgins starting tonight’s proceedings of the impressive line up of showcases we have for you this evening. #VanTheMan @presidentirl

A post shared by Hot Press (@hotpressmagazine) on Aug 31, 2020 at 2:42am PDT

Van Morrison is a Northern-Irish, who shot to fame in the 60’s when he was a part of Northern Irish R&B and rock band, Them. His solo career lead to great hits such as Brown Eyed Girl, Moondance and Jackie Wilson Said (I’m in Heaven When You Smile).  He has received two Grammy Awards, the 1994 Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music, the 2017 Americana Music Lifetime Achievement Award for Song Writing and has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

The Rave On, Van Morrison event will run until Sunday September 15th. You can watch all of the covers on the Hot Press YouTube channel, here.

Sharing a post on his website titled ‘Save Live Music’, the Northern-Irish singer criticised socially distanced gigs as not “economically viable”. “I call on my fellow singers, musicians, writers, producers, promoters and others in the industry to fight with me on this. Come forward, stand up, fight the pseudo-science and speak up,” he continued.

Morrison himself is scheduled to play several socially distanced concerts next month, including Camden’s Electric Ballroom and The London Palladium, and was announced to headline the UK’s first socially-distanced venue – The Virgin Money Unity Arena – in Newcastle next month.

“This is not a sign of compliance or acceptance of the current state of affairs, this is to get my band up and running and out of the doldrums. This is also not the answer going forward. We need to be playing to full capacity audiences going forward.”

FIGHT FOR LIVE https://t.co/QlxTmcfy9D pic.twitter.com/mAsNreXSkj

— Van Morrison (@vanmorrison) August 21, 2020

The Brown Eyed Girl singer also praised Andrew Lloyd Webber for his vocal criticism of socially distanced performances. “Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and myself appear to be the only people in the music business trying to get it back up and running again. Come forward. It’s not economically viable to do socially distanced gigs. Come forward now, the future is now.”

His announcement received a largely negative response on social media, with self-identifying Van Morrison fans criticising and ridiculing the singer’s plea. “I have been listening to your music since the early 70s and it remains something that I listen to nearly every day. But this is madness. The science is real,” said one fan in response to the Singer’s post on Facebook.

Socially distanced gigs began in the UK earlier this month, with Sam Fender performing two sold-out shows at Gosforth Park. Audience members were seated outside on separate elevated platforms to ensure space between groups.

Wild Paths Festival was recently announced as a new socially distanced festival coming to Norfolk next month, and other venues have announced their plans to restart operations with social distancing measured in place to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has now claimed more than 800,000 lives worldwide.

The line up includes iconic acts like Van Morrison, Ronan Keating, Two Door Cinema Club, Bootleg Beatles and Rumours of Fleetwood Mac. There will also be a range of comedians who will perform shows in the arena such as, Bill Bailey, Jimmy Carr and Jason Manford.

The arena’s events are appealing to all audiences by also hosting an event called Love at the Musicals, which will be a celebration of the greatest love songs in musical theatre and feature performers like Joe McElderry, Sophie Evans and Collabro.

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Virgin Money Unity Arena just got even BIGGER! 11 HUGE new shows announced with more to come soon! Tickets on sale Wednesday 29th July 10am. www.virginmoneyunityarena.com

A post shared by Virgin Money Unity Arena (@virginmoneyunityarena) on Jul 27, 2020 at 2:00am PDT

Speaking about the line-up announcement, festival organiser Steve Davis said; “We’ve been blown away by the response we’ve had regarding Virgin Money Unity Arena throughout the world. We’re proud to be hosting an event with this kind of vision and reach on Tyneside. With all eyes on the North East this summer, we hope this second announcement has everyone excited. To have acts of the calibre of Van Morrison and Jimmy Carr is amazing. And with more exciting announcements on the way, the UK’s first socially distanced live arena is set to provide the very best in live music, comedy and family fun this summer.”

The events will be fully socially distanced by following all of the government’s guidelines. Audience members will be able to pre-order food and drinks on their website. There will also be a one-way system for the toilets, which will keep contact to a minimum. The full information about their rules for the events are on their website.

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This is the life! Catch indie icons @twodoorcinemaclub in Newcastle this Summer! bit.ly/VMUA

A post shared by Virgin Money Unity Arena (@virginmoneyunityarena) on Jul 25, 2020 at 2:01am PDT

The line-up for the events ranging from the 15th of August until the 13th of September are as follows:

15/08 – Two Door Cinema Club
16/08 – The Bootleg Beatles (afternoon show)
16/08 – Adam Kay (evening show)
19/08 – Rumours of Fleetwood Mac
22/08 – Supergrass
23/08 – Love at the Musicals feat. Collabro, Joe McElderry & Sophie Evans
26/08 – Elvana
27/08 – Tom Grennan
28/08 – Klub Kids: Summer Mania
29/08 – The Libertines (afternoon and evening)
30/08 – Bongo’s Bingo (afternoon show)
30/08 – Jason Manford (evening show)
31/08 – Jimmy Carr
1-2/09 – Bill Bailey
3/09 – Van Morrison
5/09 – Maximo Park
9/09 – Craig Charles (*please note this date has changed from Friday 14th August)
10/09 – Alfie Boe
11/09 – Ronan Keating
12/09 – Bongo’s Bingo
13/09 – Becky Hill

Tickets for these events will go on sale on Wednesday 29th July at 10am. You can purchase tickets by clicking here.