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Year after year, the UK remains a hub for the world’s hottest live bands – and 2025 was no different. Highlighting the most significant moments, global ticket marketplace viagogo’s annual ‘Year In Live Experiences’ report reveals the on-stage phenomena that defined music in the UK over the past 12 months.

“The enthusiasm for live music shows no signs of slowing,” said Hayley DiNaso, who manages partnerships at viagogo. “It’s exciting to see such a diverse mix of artists paving the way for unforgettable experiences.” Here are eight fascinating insights from this year’s report.

Coldplay broke even more records

The titans behind ‘Paradise’ and ‘Fix You’ claim top spot as the best-selling artist in the UK. Extending their ‘Music Of The Spheres Tour into 2025, not only did they cement its status as the highest-grossing tour in history, but they wrote their name into the record books at Wembley Stadium. They toppled Taylor Swift and Take That’s tally of eight shows by performing 10 of their own, over the course of a residency across August and September.

Lily Allen stormed back into the big time

Who had Lily Allen’s last-minute renaissance on their 2025 bingo card? The internet-breaking success of her new album ‘West End Girl’ led to huge fan excitement around her first headline tour in seven years. After those theatre shows sold out instantly, she’s since added nine arena nights for next June – including a stop at the capital’s 20,000-capacity O2 Arena.

Kendrick Lamar and Drake battled it out in north London

After their viral beef played out across 2024, both Kendrick Lamar and Drake scored massive wins when they visited the capital in July. While the ‘Humble’ rapper blew the roof off the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with help from SZA, it was Finsbury Park that turned into Drake’s kingdom. Headlining all three nights at Wireless Festival, the Canadian ensured it was the fastest-selling year in the festival’s recent history.

Lewis Capaldi proved he’s never been bigger

After a two-year hiatus to focus on his mental and physical health, Lewis Capaldi’s triumphant return was one of 2025’s sweetest success stories. The Scottish singer-songwriter brought hits like ‘Someone You Loved’ and ‘Survive’ to UK and Ireland arenas throughout September, including a heartwarming homecoming at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro. The shows helped seal his status as the best-selling British solo artist of the year.

Fans are here for the plot…

In February, Lamar cleaned up at the Grammys with ‘Not Like Us’ – the apex of his rivalry with Drake. Lily Allen made an album that tore into her ex-husband David Harbour. The spike in demand to see both acts in concerts proves why diss tracks and discourse in online spaces can be key factors that inspire fans to follow the storyline all the way through to the gig room itself.

The world flocked to the UK for two bands…

Oasis follow Coldplay as the two best-selling artists in the UK on viagogo – but they also attracted fans from further afield. The European leg of the Oasis Live ’25 reunion tour exclusively took place in the UK and Ireland, while Chris Martin and co. stopped by London and Hull for their only shows in the continent. It was the latter who, according to the report, drew in thousands of international fans – far outstripping other artists in terms of attendees from overseas.

But nothing beats a Jet2 holiday… to space

UK holidaymakers were converted to live music punters throughout the summer, as plenty hoped to score Jess Glynne tickets after her now-iconic ‘Hold My Hand’ soundtracked the viral Jet2 advert. Katy Perry took things one step further, jetting off to space itself, which inadvertently caused a huge uptick in demand for her ‘Lifetimes’ arena shows. From Belfast and Sheffield to Glasgow and London, the Californian pop legend swapped spaceships for a giant butterfly that soared above the audience.

International pop stars are dominating the top 10

The UK remains the premier market to witness some of the planet’s most iconic pop stars, from Lady Gaga and Beyoncé to Billie Eilish and Sabrina Carpenter. All four visited the UK this year, bringing world-beating production and chart-topping hits to our shores that earned them a place in the top 10 best-selling artists, accompanied by the likes of Teddy Swims and Lana Del Rey. From summer festival slots to autumn arena spectacles, there was rarely an occasion where the UK didn’t have a world-class pop show on offer.

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The UK’s live music calendar is stacked at the start of next year with feverishly anticipated arena tours from homegrown stars and global talent. Whether you’re a metalhead, an indie fan or a rap aficionado, there’s a show for you coming soon. Here’s a guide to the most in-demand gigs of 2026 so far, according to search traffic on ticket marketplace viagogo.

Florence + The Machine

Playing: February 6 – Belfast, SSE Arena; February 8 – Birmingham, bp pulse Live; February 9 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro; February 11 – Newcastle, Utilita Arena; February 13 – Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena; February 14 – Sheffield, Utilita Arena; February 16, 17 – London, The O2; February 20 – Manchester, Co-op Live

Since she broke through 18 years ago, Florence Welch has forged a reputation as one of our most thrillingly visceral live performers. Next year is a massive one for the South London siren and her award-winning band: they’re embarking on a huge UK arena tour in support of their stellar sixth album ‘Everybody Scream‘ and headlining Reading and Leeds festivals for the first time ever. Dog days are over indeed.

RAYE

Playing: February 17, 18 – Co-op Live, Manchester; February 20, 21 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow; February 23, 24 – BP Pulse Live, Birmingham, UK; February 26, 27 and March 1, 2 – The O2, London

Ever since she left her label to become an independent artist, RAYE has excelled by doing things her way. Early next year, she’ll fill the UK’s arenas with a live run she’s wittily titled ‘This Tour May Contain New Music’. Given that her upcoming second album has already yielded the ridiculously catchy retro-hit ‘Where Is My Husband!’, it’s safe to presume her new music will be worth the price of admission. All bangers and no clangers? That’s very much the RAYE way.

Gunna

Playing: March 25, 31 – The O2, London; March 26 – AO Arena, Manchester

Fans who caught Gunna at Wireless Festival in 2024 will know he’s a seasoned showman with delivery slicker than an otter’s pocket. When he brings his ‘Wun World Tour’ to arenas in London and Manchester in March, it’ll be a major moment for fans of the Georgia rapper. He’s only ever played one headline show in the UK, and that was back in 2019, so you won’t want to miss this rare transatlantic trip.

Deftones

Playing: March 12 – BP Pulse Live, Birmingham; March 13 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow; March 14 – Co-op Live, Manchester; March 18 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff; March 20 – The O2, London 

Alt-rock legends Deftones are bigger than ever. Earlier this year, their 10th album ‘Private Show’ entered the UK charts at number two – a career-best for the Sacramento band – and 2026 brings arena and festival shows up and down the country. Thirty years after they released their dizzying debut album ‘Adrenaline’, they’re a fast and furious live act who can put together one hell of a career-spanning setlist.

André Rieu

Playing: April 9 – The SSE Arena, Belfast

Dutch violinist and conductor André Rieu is the king of accessible classical music. When he brings his 60-piece orchestra to Belfat in April and other UK arenas in September, he’ll treat fans to an eclectic setlist that pings between Strauss, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Little Richard. Rieu and his orchestra have even been known to cover Los Del Rio’s Europop banger ‘Macarena’ – elegantly and without the dance routine, of course.

Sombr

Playing: March 8, 9, 10 – O2 Academy Brixton; March 12 – Aviva Studios, Manchester;  March 13 – O2 Academy, Birmingham; March 15 – O2 Academy, Glasgow

New Yorker Sombr smashed through spectacularly in 2025 with a Top 10 album, his cathartic debut ‘I Barely Know Her’, and three Top 10 singles. After playing a last-minute gig at London’s Koko earlier this month, he’s bringing his ‘Late Nights & Young Romance Tour’ to the UK in March for his biggest headline shows yet. Expect emotional vocals and dynamic stage moves that split the difference between early Bowie and a young Mick Jagger.

Richard Ashcroft

Playing: March 24 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff; March 26 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool; March 28 – The O2, London; March 31 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow; April 2 – First Direct Arena, Leeds; April 4 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham; March 6 – Utilita Arena, Newcastle

When Oasis reunited for the most anticipated tour of 2025, they needed an iconic support act, so they gave Richard Ashcroft a call. After smashing the assignment, the Verve legend is back on the road in 2026, performing huge headline shows in arenas and a one-off outdoor concert at London’s Alexandra Palace Park. Hollering along to ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ with tens of thousands of Britpop fans is a real bucket list moment.

Dave

Playing: March 4 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow; March 6, 7, 10, 11 – The O2, London; March 13 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham; March 16, 17 – Co-op Live, Manchester

London’s David Omoregie – Dave to his legions of fans – made history in October when he became the first British rap act to debut three albums at Number One. At 27, he’s a generational talent who keeps on levelling up.

Xavier Naidoo

In his native Germany, Xavier Naidoo is a superstar who revolutionised his country’s approach to R&B and soul music. When he announced a one-off comeback show last July, demand was so great that he ended up expanding it into a massive arena tour. If you want to catch him next year, get your gig-tripping hat on because so far, he’s only confirmed dates in Germany.

Gorillaz

Playing: March 21 – Co-op Live, Manchester; March 22 – BP Pulse Live, Birmingham; March 24 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow; March 25 – First Direct Arena, Leeds; March 27 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff; March 28 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham; March 29 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool; March 31 – SSE Arena, Belfast

Gorillaz recently celebrated their 25th birthday with an immersive exhibition, House of Kong, and four era-specific shows at London’s Copper Box Arena. Damon Albarn and co. aren’t staying in nostalgia mode for long, though, because 2026 brings their ninth studio album, ‘The Mountain’, and a nationwide tour culminating in a massive hometown show at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Live, they’re a thrilling mix of human musicianship and virtual visuals that every music fan should experience at least once.

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Music fans couldn’t get enough of brilliant female musicians this year – to borrow a term from Chappell Roan, there was a ‘femininomenon’ across the UK’s small venues, arenas and stadiums. Beyoncé even played six shows at 62,000-cap Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Here’s a rundown of 2025’s most in-demand gigs by female artists, based on search traffic on ticket marketplace viagogo.

Lady Gaga

Played: The O2, London (four shows); Co-op Live, Manchester (two shows)

Originally, Lady Gaga wasn’t going to tour in support of her 2025 album ‘Mayhem‘. But fans were so dazzled by its array of bombastic pop stompers that she hatched ‘The Mayhem Ball’, a four-act spectacular with a lavish stage set that resembled an opera house. Gaga’s banger-packed setlist ran the gamut from her 2008 breakthrough single ‘Just Dance’ to this year’s luminous earworm ‘Abracadabra’.

Billie Eilish

Played: Co-op Live, Manchester (four shows); The O2, London (six shows); The OVO Hydro, Glasgow (two shows)

No one can bring intimacy to a packed arena like Billie Eilish, who combines supple vocals and nimble musicianship with unflagging, stage-prowling energy. Her ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft Tour’, which traversed the UK this summer, was such a cultural sensation that it’s even spawned an upcoming concert film directed by James Cameron. It’s definitely a show worth reliving.

Sabrina Carpenter

Played: Utilita Arena, Birmingham; The O2, London (two shows); The OVO Hydro, Glasgow; Co-op Live, Manchester (two shows); Hyde Park, London (two shows)

If 2024 was Sabrina Carpenter‘s breakthrough year, then 2025 cemented her place on pop’s A-list. She released a witty new album, ‘Man’s Best Friend’, and embarked on her first arena tour before playing two huge headline shows in Hyde Park. As well as performing ‘Espresso’, ‘Manchild’ and all her other earworms, she demonstrated her range by dropping in surprise cover versions. Could Carpenter make ‘Come On Eileen’ and ‘Mamma Mia’ her own? Of course she could – in Hyde Park, she even sang ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ with Duran Duran.

Beyoncé

Played: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London (six shows)

When Beyoncé brought her ‘Cowboy Carter Tour’ to London in June, she turned Tottenham Hotspur Stadium into a glitzy and super-inclusive rodeo. Her epic, two-hour 45-minute live show was defined by its dazzling production values and uncommon generosity. Every night, she rode a flying Cadillac high into the rafters so everyone could see her close-up. That’s just the sort of regal behaviour we’ve come to expect from Queen Bey.

Gracie Abrams

Played: The O2, London; Co-op Live, Manchester; Utilita Arena, Cardiff; The OVO Hydro, Glasgow; First Direct Arena, Leeds; Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham, Glastonbury Festival; Hyde Park, London; TRSNMT Festival

Gracie Abrams graduated to the A-list with last year’s chart-topping album ‘The Secret Of Us’ and its inescapable folk-pop banger ‘That’s So True’. In 2025, the LA singer-songwriter underscored her main pop girl status with a sellout UK arena tour and stellar festival sets. At Glastonbury, she even got to deliver the viral ‘Apple’ dance for Charli XCX: the ultimate pop culture seal of approval.

Olivia Rodrigo

Played: Hyde Park, London; Glastonbury Festival; Co-op Live, Manchester

Right after she headlined Glastonbury, Olivia Rodrigo returned to Manchester to play two ‘Guts World Tour’ shows she had to postpone in 2024. That’s a typically magnanimous move from the Gen Z icon, who charmed audiences with pop-punk anthems (‘Brutal’, ‘Bad Idea Right?’), dramatic ballads (‘Drivers License’, ‘Vampire’), and off-the-cuff chat about how much she loves M&S. At this point, she’s practically an honorary Brit.

Tate McRae

Played: Utilita Arena, Birmingham; The O2, London (two shows); The OVO Hydro, Glasgow; Co-op Live, Manchester (two shows); Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham

After dropping her third album ‘So Close To What’ in February, Tate McRae showcased its Y2K-influenced club bangers at UK arenas in May and June. The charismatic Canadian is one of the fiercest dancers in pop right now, so she served killer choreo as well as killer pop hooks. At a Tate McRae show, no one stays seated for long.

Lana Del Rey

Played: Principality Stadium, Cardiff; Anfield, Liverpool; Hampden Park, Glasgow; Wembley Stadium, London (two shows)

Though she delayed her much-anticipated country album, ‘Stove’, 2025 was still a landmark year for Lana Del Rey. During the summer, she levelled up with her first-ever stadium tour, which brought vintage Americana to the UK’s most capacious venues. Her stage set featured a recreation of a classic suburban house complete with a porch swing and a white picket fence: the perfect backdrop for Del Rey to sing evocative alt-pop ballads like ‘Ride’ and ‘Born to Die’.

Olivia Dean

Played: O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London (two shows); The Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh; The Dome at Grand Central Hall, Liverpool; The Wardrobe, Leeds; Trinity Centre, Bristol (two shows); Gorilla, Manchester (two shows); Circuit, Kingston-upon-Thames (two shows), Saltbox, Nottingham (two shows)

If one word sums up Olivia Dean‘s year, it’s supernova. She opened for Sam Fender at his UK stadium shows, scored her first Number One single with the slinky soul bop ‘Man I Need’, and released an excellent second album, ‘The Art of Loving’. Fans who caught her in relatively intimate venues up and down the country were definitely lucky – next year, Dean is headlining arenas.

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It’s been a hell of a year for live music, with British rock icons and UK rap legends thrilling fans across the country, proving that our love of big gigs remains in rude health. But what are the most in-demand UK shows this month? It’s lucky you asked, because viagogo have crunched the numbers to reveal the acts who’ve been hotting up the servers as we barrel towards silly season.

From indie heroes to liquid funk, there’s bound to be something here that floats your boat. Where else are you going to find Cliff Richard and D Block Europe on the same list?

Mumford & Sons

Playing: Glasgow: OVO Hydro (Dec 2), Manchester: Co-op Live (Dec 3), Sheffield Utilita Arena: (Dec 5), Birmingham: Utilita Arena (Dec 7), Cardiff: Utilita Arena (Dec 8), London: The O2 (Dec 10-11)

One newspaper recently referred to Marcus and the gang as “monsters of rock”. Before you knock over the nearest upright bass in a rage, think about it for a moment. Now a trio, following guitarist Winston Marshall’s departure in 2021, the banjo-peddling superstars have been opening their UK arena tour with ‘Run Together’, a gargantuan anthem taken from their upcoming album ‘Prizefighter’. These unstoppable beasts only just released its predecessor, ‘Rushmere’, in March!

D Block Europe

Playing: Glasgow: OVO Hydro (Dec 1), Liverpool: M&S Bank Arena (Dec 2), Birmingham: bp pulse LIVE (Dec 4), Leeds: First Direct Arena (Dec 6), Nottingham: Motorpoint Arena (Dec 7), Manchester: Co-op Live (Dec 9-10), Brighton Centre (Dec 12), Cardiff: Utilita Arena (Dec 14), London: The O2 (Dec 15-Dec 16), Cardiff: Utilita Arena (Dec 17), London: The O2 (Dec 19)

Talk about range. Young Adz and Dirtbike LB might be best-known for thumping trap – probably the main reason they were picked to headline Wireless back in 2023 – but the Lewisham lads can also do romance, introspection and killer hooks, as massive 2024 album ‘Rolling Stone’ proved. Known for surprising fans with stellar guests at their high-energy shows, the duo thrive with a little help from their friends. So that’s why they call themselves the ‘Black Beatles’.

Jamairoquai

Playing: Glasgow: OVO Hydro (Dec 3), Manchester: Co-op Live (Dec 6), London: The O2 (Dec 9), Birmingham: Utilita Arena (Dec 12), London: The O2 (Dec 14)

Who ordered the trunk of funk? This winter, novelty headwear enthusiast Jay Kay has been treating audiences to his soulful brand of acid-jazz-disco-pop mash-up (and it’s not often you get to write that). Before Dua Lipa brought the relentlessly groovy Stretford star out to unleash ‘Virtual Insanity’ on 70,000 punters at Wembley Stadium in June, she introduced him as “someone who has really been a trailblazer for British music”. If it’s good enough for Dua…

Stereophonics

Playing: Birmingham: Utilita Arena (Dec 3), Nottingham: Motorpoint Arena (Dec 4), Newcastle: Utilita Arena (Dec 6), Sheffield: Utilita Arena (Dec 7), Aberdeen: P&J Live (Dec 9), Glasgow: OVO Hydro (Dec 10), Manchester: Co-op Live (Dec 12), Birmingham: Utilita Arena (Dec 13), Liverpool: M&S Bank Arena (Dec 16), London: The O2 (Dec 18)

When the Welsh rock titans released their 13th album this spring, ‘Make ‘Em Laugh, Make ‘Em Cry, Make ‘Em Wait’ was notable for being their shortest yet (less than 30 minutes) while also having a really long title. Confusing. More importantly, it absolutely slapped. Ahead of hitting the arena circuit earlier this year, frontman Kelly Jones told NME: “The shows keep getting bigger and the audiences get younger”. Not bad for a band that formed in 1992!

Cliff Richard

Playing: Birmingham: Symphony Hall (Dec 2), Brighton Centre (Dec 4), Bournemouth International Centre (Dec 6), London: Royal Albert Hall (Dec 8-9)

Cliff isn’t just for Christmas, even if ‘Mistletoe and Wine’ is as much a part of the festive season as having a tantrum in your childhood bedroom because you lost at Monopoly. In the recently rereleased Beatles Anthology documentary series, John Lennon famously said: “Before Cliff and ‘Move It’, there was nothing worth listening to in England”. No wonder the rock ’n’ roll pioneer’s still packing out arenas some 67years since the release of that debut single.

Madness

Playing: Sheffield: Utilita Arena (Dec  4), Manchester: AO Arena (Dec  5), Glasgow: OVO Hydro (Dec  6), Aberdeen: P&J Live (Dec  7), Newcastle: Utilita Arena (Dec  9), Liverpool: M&S Bank Arena (Dec  10), Leeds: First Direct Arena (Dec  12), Nottingham: Motorpoint Arena (Dec  13), Brighton Centre (two shows on Dec  14), Bournemouth International Centre (Dec  16), Cardiff: Utilita Arena (Dec  18), Birmingham: Utilita Arena (Dec  19), London: The O2 (Dec  20)

Nostalgia is a hell of a drug, but it’s one that Madness kicked long ago. Frontman Suggs once said that acclaimed 2009 album ‘The Liberty Of Norton Folgate’ helped them escape “‘80s nostalgia shit”, while the north London ska dons scored their first-ever UK Number One album with 2023’s ‘Theatre Of The Absurd Presents C’est la Vie’. More than 45 years since their formation, the lads still love a right old knees-up.

Ed Sheeran

Playing: Coventry Building Society Arena (Dec 5), Manchester: Co‑op Live (Dec 7)

There’s some weird magic to the Framlingham folkie’s gigs. How does he shuffle onstage, dressed like he’s there to man the hot dog stand, and bewitch stadiums full of people with nothing but an acoustic guitar? 2025’s Loop Tour is named after his gift for layering sounds to simulate the effect of a full band – less a technique than a conjuring trick. If you’re lucky, he might pull a surprise guest out of a hat, too.

Wolf Alice

Playing: Cardiff: Utilita Arena (Dec  1), London: The O2 (Dec  2-3), Leeds: First Direct Bank Arena (Dec  5), Glasgow: OVO Hydro (Dec  7), Nottingham: Motorpoint Arena (Dec  8)

“We’ve backed ourselves creatively,” Wolf Alice bassist Theo Ellis told NME earlier this month. Not half! Their fourth album ‘The Clearing’, released in summer, found them reaching for the big time while preserving what made them special in the first place. Rich in scope and packed with epic songwriting, it also paved the way for their current arena tour – heartwarming proof that the live circuit still delivers acts from poky pub gigs to massive venues.

Carols At The Hall

Dates: Royal Albert Hall, London Dec  14-24

With better acoustics than God’s bathroom, the Royal Albert Hall is one of the most iconic venues in the world. This Christmas, the Royal Choral Society will be joined by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, plus a whole host of other world-class musicians, for a big festive bash at the Kensington gaff. Fun fact: the Royal Choral Society performed their debut concert there in 1871. That’s right – they’ve been together longer than the Rolling Stones!

Three Days Grace

Playing: O2 Academy Birmingham (Dec 9), O2 Academy Glasgow (Dec 10), O2 Apollo Manchester (Dec 12), London: O2 Academy Brixton (Dec 13)

Speaking of grizzled rockers: Canadian angst-mongers Three Days Grace have also gone from strength to strength, thanks in part to original vocalist Adam Gontier’s return to the fold after his messy departure in 2013. His replacement, Matt Walst, stayed in his post for last year’s album ‘Alienation’, giving them the rare distinction of being a band with two frontmen. Horns up for their biggest tune ‘Animal I Have Become’ – fittingly named for a two-headed beast.

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Without music tech, there would be no music industry. Unless they’ve developed these skills themselves, your favourite artist needs an engineer, a mixer and a producer to record their songs and make them sound as polished as possible. These roles are rarely public-facing, but they are multi-faceted and foundational: if you work in music tech, you help to build each track from scratch, from the beat to the instrumentation to the vocal part.

For this reason, it’s both troubling and unacceptable that less than 5 per cent of the music tech industry is comprised of women, non-binary and trans people, and fewer than one per cent of these roles are occupied by women, non-binary and trans people of colour. If recording studios remain overwhelmingly white, male-dominated spaces, how can the rest of the music industry become more inclusive too?

This is where Bristol-based nonprofit Saffron comes in. Ten years ago, Laura Lewis-Paul launched this intersectional music tech network to improve representation in the sector while also nurturing women, non-binary and trans DJs. Saffron’s success over the last decade is reflected in the way its remit has evolved to serve its growing community.

“At the beginning, it was very much about helping women, non-binary and trans people who wanted to learn how to produce or DJ. We were really focused on those beginner-level interactions,” Lewis-Paul says. “But over the last 10 years, we’ve kind of grown up with our community, so we’re also working with people at an intermediate to advanced level.” One of Saffron’s main objectives now is helping their mentees to “break into the industry and build viable long-term careers”.

The organisation’s work has three main strands: educating the next generation of music tech professionals, creating pathways for them to enter the industry, and building a close-knit network of women, non-binary and trans creatives. With robust support from companies like viagogo – who have contributed to Saffron for the past two years – Saffron ensures that at least 25 per cent of places on every music production, sound engineering, radio broadcasting and DJ mixing course they run are completely free, helping to reshape the music industry into a more inclusive and equitable space for all talent​.

Many of Saffron’s courses run once a week in the evening, while others are entirely online, so people can fit them around paid work and other commitments. Most students hear about Saffron through word-of-mouth: a testament to the strong sense of community that it fosters.

Lewis-Paul and her team also strive to build partnerships with record labels and other industry gatekeepers who can help to level the playing field. She readily admits this is an ongoing process that has involved several “ups and downs” over the last decade. “During the pandemic, the Black Lives Matter moment really captured the moment, and that definitely got people listening,” Lewis-Paul says. “But since then there have been setbacks because of wider societal trends like D&I [diversity and inclusion] budgets being cut.”

Above all, it takes time to change industry practices that may have remained largely the same for decades. “The key is building real trust with people at each company on a personal level,” Lewis-Paul says. “It’s a big industry but I do feel as though we’re really gaining momentum in this area.”

Encouragingly, Saffron has recently benefited from a high-profile shot in the arm courtesy of FKA Twigs, a world-class artist who grew up in the West Country. The visionary avant-pop artist is teaming with the non-profit to launch an educational grant programme supporting women, non-binary and trans people working at what Twigs calls “the backbone of the industry”. During her speech at this month’s Music Week Women In Music Awards, she highlighted the scope of the problem and its potentially toxic side effects.

“In the two decades I’ve been in the studio, aside from the sessions where it’s been at my request, I’ve only worked with one female engineer,” she said. “I wish when I started out, I could have had more women around me – engineers, techs, managers, executives – more support, more advice, more people to hold those accountable who made me feel uncomfortable. Then maybe I wouldn’t have had to navigate so much unnecessary noise.”

For Lewis-Paul, Twigs’ speech wasn’t just a source of pride, but also of excitement for the future. “It was hearing our vision in a way I’ve never heard it before, because Twigs was able to relate it directly to her experience as an artist,” she says. “And it was even more amazing because the entire music industry was in that room. We’ve been working for 10 years, but it felt like a moment when all these different people could really hear the why of what we do.”

Generally, though, it’s grassroots moments with the Saffron community that make Lewis-Paul proud of what she and her team have achieved. “At the end of every DJ course, we have a mix night that’s basically a beautiful showcase for people to come out and do their first live set,” she says. “In that moment, you can really see what an inclusive dance floor looks like and the incredible support that our community offers to people. If something goes wrong, no one boos or judges – they cheer! That’s a really special energy to be around.”

The post What Saffron founder Laura Lewis-Paul has learned from 10 years in music tech appeared first on NME.

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Christmas is coming! Tickets for next summer’s hottest gigs, such as My Chemical Romance at Wembley, Twenty One Pilots at All Points East or Florence + The Machine’s UK arena run, might already be on your list for Santa but there’s plenty of exciting stuff happening this side of the new year too.

Stadium star Ed Sheeran is getting intimate with a handful of smaller arena shows, Wolf Alice are stepping things up in a big way with their current tour and Ice Nine Kills are bringing the spooky goth vibes. Long story short, there are loads of reasons to leave the house this month – so put the mince pie down and get on the barrier!

Sites such as viagogo allow fans to buy resale tickets from other fans. However, it is important to note that ticket conditions often prohibit resale after initial purchase. Those tickets may not be valid for admittance to gigs.

Fans intending to buy tickets for live events through resale websites should check the ticket terms and conditions, to confirm whether resale is prohibited, before they buy. Ticket terms and conditions can be checked with the original seller, such as Ticketmaster or Live Nation. If resale is prohibited, tickets bought second-hand could be voided and admission to the event refused

Ed Sheeran

Fresh from releasing a deluxe edition of his genre-hopping, joyful eighth album ‘Play’, Ed Sheeran is heading out on a brief arena jaunt. He’s promised that these shows will “obviously” be more intimate than his typical stadium shows “but will still be incredible.” With some of the biggest pop songs of recent times in his back pocket, we believe him.

Ed Sheeran plays:

DECEMBER
5 – CBS, Coventry
7 – Co-op Live, Manchester

Wolf Alice

Wolf Alice are one of the most beloved groups in Britain and this month, they head out on their first ever arena headline run. New album ‘The Clearing’ is a glam-infused celebration of the inspirational mythos of bands and live, it’s given the four-piece space to go bigger and more theatrical. We’ll see you down the front…

Wolf Alice play:

DECEMBER
01 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff
02 – The O2, London
03 – The O2, London
05 – First Direct Arena, Leeds
07 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
08 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
10 – 3Arena, Dublin

The Last Dinner Party

This month, The Last Dinner Party kickstart a three-month tour that’ll eventually see them visit Europe and Australia. Before that though, they’ve got a huge UK headline run. In a recent interview, the band’s Georgia Davies said they were “re-designing” the whole show. “If you’ve been to a Dinner Party gig before, this will be a totally different experience because we’re levelling up,” she continued. “Obviously, there’s a load more new songs we want to play but we also want to step into the theatrics of it all a little more.”

The Last Dinner Party play:

DECEMBER 2025
2 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff
4 – Plymouth Pavilions, Plymouth
5 – Brighton Centre, Brighton
7 – O2 Academy Brixton, London
8 – O2 Academy Brixton, London

Madness

The ska legends are bringing “glittering hits of all shapes and sizes” to 13 cities this December. If the promise of hearing ‘Baggy Trousers’, ‘Our House’, ‘One Step Beyond’, ‘It Must Be Love’ and countless others wasn’t enough to tempt you, Madness will be joined by rock icons Squeeze for the tour. Now that’s a house of fun.

Madness play:

DECEMBER
4 – Sheffield, Utilita Arena
5 – Manchester, AO Arena
6 – Glasgow, OVO Hydro
7 – Aberdeen, P&J Live
9 – Newcastle, Utilita Arena
10 – Liverpool, M&S Bank Arena
12 – Leeds, First Direct Arena
13 – Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena
14 – Brighton Centre
16 – Bournemouth, International Centre
18 – Cardiff, Utilita Arena
19 – Birmingham, Utilita Arena
20 – London, The O2

Ice Nine Kills

Your Christmas tree might be up already but what’s wrong with a little festive spookiness? Horror rockers Ice Nine Kills are bringing their ‘A Work Of Art’ tour to venues across the country alongside vampiric punks Creeper. The European leg has already seen Terrifier’s Art The Clown invade the stage while the band play heavy metal songs inspired by the best scary movies. Ice Nine Kills are even hosting their own horror convention in London as a post-tour treat. If your favourite Christmas film is A Nightmare Before Christmas, this run of shows is for you.

Ice Nine Kills play:

DECEMBER
8 – Co-op Live, Manchester
9 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
10 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
12 – OVO Wembley Arena, London

Mumford And Sons

“We’re all fired up,” Marcus Mumford declared to NME recently. And the folk rock band has got plenty to be excited about. New album ‘Prizefighter’ is due early next year and Mumford And Sons recently confirmed they’d be headlining Hyde Park next summer alongside The War On Drugs. Before that though, there’s a UK arena tour to round out a busy year on the road. Don’t worry though, the band aren’t feeling tired. “We’re enjoying ourselves as a band more than we ever have,” said Marcus. “We have this sense of joy of being back.”

Mumford And Sons play:

DECEMBER
2 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
3 – Co-op Live, Manchester
5 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield
7 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
8 – Utilita Arena, Cardiff
10 – The O2, London

Babyshambles

After playing their first gig in 11 years last month, Pete Doherty and co. are set to bring the curtain down on their long-awaited reunion with some more UK dates. The indie champions recently released new single ‘Dandy Hooligan’ but it’s hard to tell what the future holds for Babyshambles – according to Doherty, the band can’t tour internationally because guitarist Mick Whitnall hasn’t got a passport. Enjoy them while you can, is our advice.

Babyshambles play:

DECEMBER
1 – The Empire, Middlesbrough
2 – O2 City Hall, Newcastle
4 – O2 Academy, Glasgow
5 – O2 Academy Glasgow
7 – O2 Academy, Leeds
8 – Rock City, Nottingham
9 – O2 Academy, Bristol
15 – KOKO, London

Kennyhoopla

Kennyhoopla helped kick off the entire pop-punk revival with the release of his 2021 Travis Barker-produced mixtape ‘Survivors Guilt’. This brief UK jaunt, though, is in celebration of his brilliant new EP ‘Conditions Of An Orphan’. If you want an early taste of what’s going to be massive in 2026, this seems like a great place to start.

Kennyhoopla plays:

DECEMBER
10 – Cathouse, Glasgow
14 – Gorilla, Manchester
16 – Downstairs At The Dome, London
17 – Downstairs At The Dome, London
19 – Exchange, Bristol

Jamiroquai

The funk pioneers are back on home soil for their first UK gigs in more than seven years. As well as disco hits ‘Little L’, ‘Virtual Insanity’ and ‘Cosmic Girl’, a recent European tour has featured a handful of groovy new tunes (‘Disco Stays The Same’, ‘Shadow In The Night’ and ‘Queen Machine’) that has fans convinced a new album is right around the corner.

Jamiroquai plays:

DECEMBER
3 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
6 – Co-op Live, Manchester
9 – The O2, London
12 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
14 ­– The O2, London

Stereophonics

The Welsh rock giants’ new album ‘Make ‘em Laugh, Make ‘em Cry, Make ‘em Wait’ was created after the band tried to pull together a Greatest Hits collection. Their vision for the record was to make something “very concise, very compact and… how Sterophonics sound in 2025,” according to vocalist Kelly Jones. If you’re worried about missing out on the, the gigs are a full-throttle trip through their massive back catalogue of guitar anthems.

Stereophonics play:

DECEMBER
4 – Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
6 – Utilita Arena, Newcastle
7 – Utilita Arena, Sheffield
9 – P&J Live, Aberdeen
10 – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
12 – Co-op Live, Manchester
13 – Utilita Arena, Birmingham
16 – M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
18 – The O2, London

Fans can buy and sell tickets at global marketplace, viagogo here

The post These are the best gigs to see this month appeared first on NME.

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FLO will headline Limitless Live at London’s Roundhouse next year – the fifth time the event has been held.

• READ MORE: FLO on making their own lane as a UK R&B group: “It’s a constant battle, but we know how to get the best out of a situation”

Limitless Live is the UK’s largest free live music show with social purpose at its core and has previously featured performances from Raye, Stefflon Don, Ghetts, Krept & Konan, Unknown T and Ms Banks.

To celebrate its fifth anniversary, Limitless Live 2026 will be headlined by GRAMMY-nominated R&B girl group FLO on May 3, 2026. The group released their debut album ‘Access All Areas’ last November and have spent most of 2025 on the road. Limitless Live will be their first hometown gig since selling out O2 Academy Brixton in September.

Since 2021, Limitless Live has worked to connect and inspire aspirational young people from underrepresented backgrounds, creating opportunities that extend far beyond the stage. Over the past five years, Limitless Live has brought live music experiences to more than 12,000 young people and worked with more than 150 charity and community partners to make live music accessible to all.

“Over the past five years Limitless Live has surpassed my wildest expectations,” founder Tolu Farinto said in a statement. “We have given young people across the country the opportunity to see the biggest acts in the UK for free and become a welcome moment for connection and joy in the backdrop of increased uncertainty, particularly for young people. Our ambition is to raise the standard and level every year in terms of the opportunities we create for young people but also the music experience – and we can’t wait to have FLO shut down the Limitless Live stage.”

Tickets for Limitless Live 2026 are free and will be made available via the Roundhouse website in the near future.

As well as the FLO concert, Limitless Live has once again teamed up with secondary ticket marketplace viagogo to launch a new Access programme which is designed to give young people from underrepresented backgrounds access to experiences they otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend, including a range of Manchester City football games and the F1 Silverstone Grand Prix.

Limitless Live has also partnered with DHL to provide access to Manchester United games while a collaboration with cultural learning platform WHATCLASS will offer emerging creatives access to best-in-class education from established artists around the world.

To find out more, head here.

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Spent October watching all your favourite scary movies (plus checking out the new ones) and fancy something different for Halloween itself? Feeling slightly too old for trick-or-treating, or ploughing ahead anyway and looking to raise a toast to the spookiest night of the year afterwards? Step this way for our pick of the UK’s most ghoulish gigs on October 31.

Fontaines D.C. DJ set

Blondies, London
Blondies is a gloriously grubby New York-style dive bar dropped into unsuspecting Leyton; a terrifying prospect for anyone who prefers a gentrified boozer. On Halloween, proper street punks The Chisel will lay waste to the gaff. If there’s anything left after that, Fontaines drummer Tom Coll will spin tunes while tattoo artists ink up plucky punters who’ve picked designs from a limited selection that’s exclusive for the evening.
Halloween dress code: Nu-rave steam-punk

King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard

Aviva Studios, Manchester
In conversation with NME in 2022, King Gizzard And The Lizard Wizard singer and guitarist Joey Walker summed up the band’s supernaturally prolific output (27 wildly eclectic albums and counting). “If something is shit and no one likes it,” he reasoned, “you just put out another one the next month.” Thanks to their notoriously intense shows, they’re one of those bands you need to experience live to fully understand.
Halloween dress code: A wizard’s cloak and/or reptilian make-up. The band go all-in, so why shouldn’t you?

Arch Enemy

O2 Apollo Manchester
Well, it wouldn’t be a Halloween gig list without a storied metal band in the mix, would it? Three decades since their unholy formation, the Swedish titans have lost none of their ferocity, as their 12th album, ‘Bloody Dynasty’, proved earlier this year. There may be moments of melodicism in amongst the kick-drum chaos, but expect a true headbangers’ ball.
Halloween dress code: All-black, as if you’re out to frighten the normies at the local shopping centre

The Enemy

Leeds Becket Students’ Union, Leeds
‘We’ll Live and Die in These Towns’, The Enemy warned with the title of their classic debut album in 2007 – yet the Coventry indie tykes rose spectacularly back from the dead when they announced their reformation in 2022. Time to celebrate a comeback that’s continued apace, with the lads promising a new album (their first since 2015’s ’It’s Automatic’) on the way.
Halloween dress code: Skinny jeans and a mod hairdo, paired with an insolent scowl (imagine your mum said you can’t eat all your trick-or-treat sweets at once)

Black Country, New Road

O2 Academy Brixton, London
While south London’s most unclassifiable band have a reputation as wilfully obscure chorus-dodgers, their third album, ‘Forever Howlong’, proved they’re more than capable of ‘Hunky Dory’-style folk whimsy that’s impossible not to like. OK, don’t come expecting a singalong, but if you’re in the market for some of the most forward-thinking music being made today, you’ll be right at home.
Halloween dress code: Charity shop chic

The Orb

Hangar 24, Liverpool
Ambient house heroes The Orb released their 18th album, ‘Buddhist Hipsters’, just in time for this Halloween. It’s spooky rather than scary; a dubby concoction of spectral synth and eerie basslines, with snatches of samples that drift in like apparitions. The Orb and Hangar 24 – a warehouse space located in Liverpool’s ultra-cool Baltic Triangle district – are the perfect combo for a night when the ghosts come out to play.
Halloween dress code: Hipster Buddhist (orange robe and retro cross-body bag, obvs)

Jehnny Beth

Camden Assembly, London
The multi-talented Beth (musician, TV presenter, actor) wanted her latest record, the colossal ‘You Heartbreaker, You’, to tap into the primal punk energy of her former band Savages. She certainly delivered. Its bruising lead single ‘Broken Rib’ begins with a blood-curdling scream, she told NME, because “the world was broken, I was broken, but it’s not a sad thing”, adding: “How can a song recompose those fragments? Is it like a Frankenstein beast?”
Halloween dress code: Stitches and nuts and bolts

Haim

OVO Hydro, Glasgow
All acts go through eras, but few make as decisive a break with the past as Haim did with ‘I Quit’, which saw them enter a whole new phase. Their first album made without lead vocalist and drummer Danielle Haim’s former partner Ariel Rechtshaid is a breezy affair that’s all about moving on. And with guitarist Alana pursuing an acting career in Hollywood with the likes of the brilliantly bonkers One Battle After Another, it’s clear they’re still fighting fit.
Halloween dress code: A glossy wig and, of course, a big sign that declares: “I QUIT”

The Lovely Eggs

Metronome, Nottingham
NME once described Lancaster’s The Lovely Eggs as “one of the country’s most beloved underground bands”. This is breakneck lo-fi punk delivered with a volley of gags (yes, the latest album is called ‘Eggsistentialism’) and Nottingham’s 400-capacity Metronome is the kind of intimate venue in which they thrive. Bring your sense of humour.
Halloween dress code: The duo released an ‘Eggsistentialism’ B-sides and outtake compilation called ‘Bin Juice’, so maybe a bin bag?

Inhaler

Royal Albert Hall, London
Inhaler went arena-sized with this year’s ‘Open Wide’, an album that proved frontman Elijah Hewson certainly inherited a thing or two from dad, U2’s Bono. Out were scuzzy indie anthems; in was glam-rock stomp, shimmering ‘80s-style synth and, in the soaring title track, a yearning rock ballad that Sam Fender would be proud of. Live at the historic Royal Albert Hall, they’ll take your breath away.
Halloween dress code: Bono-style wraparound shades, if you really want to freak out Hewson

Fans can buy and sell tickets at leading global ticket marketplace viagogo here

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On Thursday (July 3), Sam Fender headlined the British Grand Prix opening concert at Silverstone. It was the first of four massive gigs at the iconic racing circuit over Grand Prix weekend, with RAYE, Fatboy Slim and Becky Hill headlining on subsequent nights. Also on the four-day bill? Pop alchemist JADE, R&B queen Mabel and a DJ set from Idris Elba.

With around 480,000 motorsport and music fans expected to attend the four-day event, there was a real festival vibe to opening night with loads of food trucks and thumping DJ sets between live performances. Some punters wore Newcastle United shirts as a nod to Fender’s beloved football club, while many more wore McLaren, Ferrari and Alpine baseball caps.

Fender’s hour-long headline set definitely got the crowd revved up, but here’s everything else that happened on a balmy summer night at Silverstone.

@silverstoneuk

Mega-incognito Sam Fender was on fire last night @Sam Fender #BritishGP #F1 #SamFender

♬ original sound – Silverstone

Taylor Swift got a couple of shout-outs

Before support act Blossoms came on at 8pm, the main stage welcomed two British F1 hotshots: McLaren’s Lando Norris and Mercedes’ George Russell. The former revealed that he wouldn’t mind a role in a Marvel movie, while the latter confirmed something that fans will already know: he’s a card-carrying Swiftie. Norris told the crowd he sings along to Swift in the car, though on this occasion, he couldn’t be coaxed into giving an impromptu rendition of one of her hits. Maybe next time, Lando?

Norris, who’s currently second in the drivers’ world championship behind his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, also joked that he hoped loud cheers from British F1 fans might distract his rivals at the grand prix on Sunday. He’s very much in it to win it.

Blossoms delivered a storming support slot

The Stockport crew delivered a typically stylish set featuring cool retro visuals. Their stage design incorporated a neon sign spelling out ‘Nightclub’ – the title of a recent album track – and an old-school reel-to-reel cassette player. Highlights included crowd-pleasing renditions of fan favourites ‘Charlemagne’ and ‘There’s a Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls)’, plus newer tunes from last year’s chart-topping ‘Gary’ album. The wry, wiry ‘What Can I Say After I’m Sorry?’ felt particularly atmospheric as the light was beginning to dim.

Frontman Tom Ogden also slipped in a location-appropriate motoring pun. “Come on, I know you’ve got a little more in the tank,” he told the crowd as he challenged them to cheer even louder for headliner Sam Fender. They didn’t need to be asked twice.

Sam Fender charmed Silverstone from the start

Having recently completed a UK stadium tour including three hometown shows at Newcastle’s St James’ Park, the 31-year-old really knows how to work a crowd. After his opening number, the sax-flecked stomper ‘Getting Started’, Fender said it was an “honour” to be performing at “such a prestigious racing circuit”. He also aligned himself with the many petrolheads in the crowd by saying: “You like cars – class. We like cars too.”

And though he quipped that he wouldn’t be walking down the main stage’s extended catwalk – because his guitar lead “won’t stretch that far” – he gave it a pretty good go later on.

@f1ems

Sam Fender speaking f1 fans language #f1 #silverstone #samfender

♬ original sound – Ems

He made the main stage feel impressively intimate

At this point, three chart-topping albums into his career, Fender has real range. He introduced the fast and furious ‘Howdon Aldi Death Queue’ as a “stupid punk song”, but tugged at the heartstrings a couple of songs later with ‘Crumbling Empire’. He described the latter as “a song about my hometown, this country and my family”, highlighting his flair for blending the deeply personal with universal sentiments.

No less affecting was ‘Spit Of You’, a song about his struggle to open up emotionally to his father. When he sang “I can talk to anyone, I can talk to anyone, I can’t talk to you”, thousands of fans roared along with him.

He bowed out with his biggest ever tunes

Like his hero Bruce Springsteen, Fender has a gift for writing stadium-slaying anthems that don’t skimp on heart and soul. He ended with two of his most galvanising: ‘Seventeen Going Under’, an unsentimental account of his teenage struggles, and ‘Hypersonic Missiles’, a song about holding onto love in an increasingly chaotic world. Both became mass singalongs.

He left the Silverstone crowd feeling seriously hyped up for the grand prix weekend – many were camping nearby so they could enjoy the full four-day programme of music and motorsport. If Glastonbury is looking for a home-grown headliner when it returns in 2027, Fender just powered his way into pole position.

The four-day British Grand Prix event highlights the crossover between live music, entertainment and F1. With viagogo now an official team partner of BWT Alpine F1 Team, fans can plan their own cultural and F1 crossovers this summer with tickets to all the major Grand Prix now available

The post Here’s what happened when Sam Fender headlined the British Grand Prix opening concert appeared first on NME.

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There’s nothing like Pride. Halloween might be ‘gay Christmas’, as they say, but this worldwide celebration of LGBT+ people and culture is utterly without comparison. Since 1972, campaigners and revellers in the UK have shown their solidarity by having a right bloody laugh through music, parades, club nights and more, making the planet a little more colourful and inclusive along the way.

The beauty of Pride is that you never know quite what to expect; no two events are ever the same. Leeds Pride, for example, has booked a Chappell Roan tribute act for 2025, and it really doesn’t get any better than that, does it? The real deal, a former NME cover star, is fond of calling herself “your favourite artist’s favourite artist”. Short of booking the icon herself, the event’s organisers have opted for your favourite tribute act’s favourite tribute act. Bravo! 

Across the country, UK Pride 2025 looks set to be as eclectic and joyful as ever, with metal and classical events rubbing shoulders with pop royalty and red-hot techno. Wherever you are and whether your colour scheme is rainbow-hued or goth black, there’ll be something to tickle your fancy. Here’s our pick of the best gigs… 

Pride On The Park

Preston Park, Brighton (August 2-3) 

Another former NME cover star, Mariah Carey, will finally headline Brighton’s Pride On The Park on the Saturday night, having been forced to cancel her planned 2020 set due to that rotten pandemic. Brighton Pride managing director Paul Kemp recently said he was “absolutely gutted by the cancellation,” but added: “Pride is always an amazing weekend of celebration and inclusiveness of our city and this year is going to be incredibly momentous.”

No kidding: Sugababes will headline on the Sunday, with Fatboy Slim, Ashnikko, Confidence Man and The xx’s Romy just some of the world-class acts also on the bill. As Mariah would say: obsessed.

Pride Rock ft. Sophie Lloyd

CHALK, Brighton (August 1)

Guitar shredder Sophie Lloyd rose to fame on YouTube and has since become a bona fide modern rock star, releasing chart-bothering solo albums, touring in Machine Gun Kelly’s band and smashing stages across the land. Topping the bill at this festival, a sort of axe-wielding alternative to the poptastic Pride on the Park, she’ll rock out in the name of love.

Classical Pride 2025

Various venues, London (June 27-July 10)

Like sexuality, taste can be a spectrum – why shouldn’t we mosh to Sophie Lloyd and throw on our glad rags for Classical Pride 2025? Curated by conductor Oliver Zeffman, this is a series of events held across the capital (with one at LA’s Hollywood Bowl if you’re feeling really committed). London’s leading LGBT+ choir The Fourth Choir will take to London’s historic Wigmore Hall, while the Barbican Hall will host Voice of Tomorrow, which sees hotly tipped young LGBT+ composers set music to poems by queer poets. Remember to polish your Docs.

Worthing Techno Militia Presents Worthing Pride Party

Coast Cafe, Worthing (July 4)

After all that respectability, let’s blow away the cobwebs with Worthing Techno Militia, a party on a self-described “mission to bring real underground deep techno music to Worthing”. Here Wes Baggaley and DJ Bunnyhausen will shake West Sussex to its very foundations with thumping house, techno and more. It’s all part of Worthing Pride, which this year also features S Club 7’s Jo O’Meara and Atomic Kitten’s Natasha Hamilton. Now there’s an event with range.

Gladrags: official Notts Afterparty

Rough Trade Nottingham (July 26)

Legendary Midlands LGBT+ club night Gladrags is throwing the official afterparty for Nottingham’s Pride event, promising performances from fabulously named drag acts such as Fatt Butcher and Pork Elizabeth Pie. Check out “punk horror drag superstar” – to quote their Insta bio – Baby Lame, who was once part of bizarr-o stage show Circus of Horrors and rocks a look best described as “Art the Clown stumbled into Claire’s”.

The Grand’s Pride After Party

Clapham Grand, London (June 29)

Back in 2022, after appearing as a guest presenter at the BandLab NME Awards, drag superstar Bimini promised us “some unexpected collabs,” teasing: “Think about someone you wouldn’t expect… and expect it!” Even in our wildest fever dreams, though, we couldn’t have imagined the Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK don appearing at a Pride afterparty with – checks notes – Tulisa and Nadine Coyle. Iconic.

Mardi Gras

Depot Mayfield, Manchester (July 5)

Determined not to let Brighton have all the glory, Manchester Pride’s festival, Mardi Gras, boasts an embarrassment of riches. If Mariah Carey is pop royalty, Manchester has some heirs to her throne lined up: Little Mixer Leigh-Anne will headline the shindig, as will former Years & Years frontman, one-time Eurovision hopeful and current solo star Olly Alexander. Throw in triple threat Billy Porter and rap pioneer Big Freedia and you’ve got yourself a party.

Among other essential events, Manchester Pride is also hosting a Gay Village Party – basically, imagine the greatest local fete on the planet – and an always eye-popping parade. All in all, it’s a knees-up like no other.

Not officially Pride, but don’t miss these too!

Lady Gaga

The O2 Arena, London (September 29 – October 4), Co-op Live, Manchester (October 7-8)

Lady Gaga has described herself as a “supporter” of the LGBT+ community, which has supported her in kind for almost 20 years. Her Little Monsters create a powerful sense of unity at her shows – and with her latest mega-tour dubbed the Mayhem Ball, you can bet the atmosphere will be celebratory, loving and a whole lot of fun. It’s no wonder, then, that 13 per cent of Brits voted her their number one bucket list artist to see live (according to data from secondary ticket provider viagogo). That’s more than Beyoncé, Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Bruce Springsteen and Ariana Grande.

Billie Eilish

OVO Hydro, Glasgow (July 7-8), O2 Arena, London (10–17 July) Co-op Live, Manchester (July 19-23)

Billie Eilish has many gifts, one of which is to make arenas feel as intimate as a tiny gig down your local pub. A Gen-Z superstar who’s made inclusivity central to her pop persona and whose ‘Lunch’ is a modern LGBT+ anthem (not a love letter to the Boots meal deal), she’s the perfect person to congregate around as we celebrate Pride 2025. 

Lana Del Rey

Principality Stadium, Cardiff (June 23), Hampden Stadium, Glasgow (June 26), Anfield Stadium, Liverpool (June 28), Wembley Stadium, London (July 3-4)

By the time she seemed to depict a queer relationship with 2019’s woozy ‘Doin’ Time’, she had already become an LGBT+ icon. Lana’s always played with different personas through her music, making her entire career an ode to self-invention. At a Lana gig, you can be whoever you want and find your people. If you’re only looking for tickets now you better get a move on though. According to viagogo, woozy pop pioneer Lana Del Rey ranked at number eight in the world’s top-selling female artists for 2023. So she’s incredibly popular with just about everybody.

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