Sign up for IQ Index
The latest industry news to your inbox.
Reading & Leeds Festival have announced details of a ‘historic overhaul’ to its camping offering – marking the biggest site change in the festival’s 55-year history.
The UK event’s promoter Festival Republic says it has invested “substantially” in five new campsites featuring a range of improvements, experiences and complimentary add-ons.
The Fields is described as “the place for those looking for a lively atmosphere” with daytime activities including a football pitch and pop-up performances. No booking is required for this campsite.
The Garden expands on what used to be the Quiet Camp and is suited to those looking for a “more relaxed camping experience with limited noise after 1 am”. Daytime activities at The Garden include yoga, meditation and the first-ever Reading & Leeds Run Club to kickstart the festival day. Spots can be booked for free via Ticketmaster.
The Meadow builds on what was Eco Camp – a space for those looking to reduce their impact on the environment. To stay at this campsite, campers must sign up to the following principles: Respect Your Fellow Campers, Respect The Environment (avoiding littering, separating recyclable materials and don’t cause excess waste) and Leave The Campsite Exactly As You Found It.
Daytime activities at The Meadow include yoga, sustainability-focused talks, upcycling workshops, and clothes swaps. Spots can be booked for free via Ticketmaster.
The Grove is touted as a “warm and welcoming space for festival-goers who want to camp with a supportive, like-minded community”. In partnership with Safer Spaces Now CIC, the camp is supported by gender-inclusive teams. Daytime activities at The Grove include open mic sessions, film screenings, karaoke and more. Spots can be booked for free via Ticketmaster.
“This is the most comprehensive overhaul in the camping experience at a UK festival in festival history”
The Valley is billed as a dedicated campsite for those coming to the festival on their own or as a pair. Daytime activities at The Valley include ‘FYP (Find Your Pal)’, ‘Meet Me Here’ daily meetups and a ‘Link Up Lounge’. Spots can be booked for free via Ticketmaster.
All campsites will benefit from more showers, the introduction of ‘Get Ready With Me’ stations and increased decor and production. This year’s edition will also introduce significantly improved toilets that will use 75% less water and slash the festival’s carbon footprint by 66%. As previously announced, a ‘groundbreaking’ new stage called The Chevron will also be debuted.
“It brings me great excitement and pride to unveil not just the biggest change in the Reading & Leeds festival sites since 1989 but the most comprehensive overhaul in the camping experience at a UK festival in festival history,” says Melvin Benn, managing director of Festival Republic.
“That experience at Reading & Leeds is a formative part of the weekend and something that means a lot to not just festival-goers but us as organisers too. With the support of some incredible partners, we’re transforming everything to high new standards not seen at a major UK festival before – with everything from the facilities to adding exciting new entertainment, all the while catering to a variety of preferences across five distinct camping spaces. This will fundamentally change what the Reading & Leeds weekend experience means to so many, and serves as a positive marker for what festivals can and should be offering in 2025 and beyond.”
Reading & Leeds 2025 is headlined by Chappell Roan, Travis Scott, Bring Me The Horizon and Hozier. Additional acts include AJ Tracey, Becky Hill, Sammy Viriji, Trippie Redd, Amyl and The Sniffers, Conan Gray, The Kooks, The Dare, Bloc Party and Enter Shikari. The festival returns to Richfield Avenue in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds between 21–24 August.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
The full lineup has been revealed for the third edition of ILMC’s Soho Calling (formerly London Calling), set for Wednesday 26 February.
The event will see more than 20 emerging artists perform across six of Soho’s iconic stages: The 100 Club (hosted by Music Venue Trust), 21Soho, The Lower Third (presented by DIY Magazine), Phoenix Arts Club, The Social, and The Forge.
21Soho, in association with Amplead, will host sets from Admt, Bluai, Savana Funk & Kai Bosch, while Music Venue Trust will present The Molotovs and Panic Over + very special guests at 100 Club.
DIY magazine is set to showcase Alien Chicks, Really Good Time, Punchbag and Wet Iguanas at The Lower Third, while Monster Florence, Lola Moxom and Giift will perform at The Social.
ILMC Delegate Pass holders can access the shows for free by showing their pass
Tom Aspaul, Fig Tape & Lleo will deliver performances at Phoenix Arts Club, while Essence Martins, Chlöe’s Clue and Louis Oliver will take the stage at The Forge.
A core element of the 2025 International Live Music Conference programme, ILMC Delegate Pass holders can access the shows for free by showing their pass. Entry will be permitted on a first-come, first-served basis.
A limited number of all-venue wristbands are also available for non-delegates, priced £30, granting access to all six venues throughout the evening.
Soho Calling 2025 is supported by MVT, The Spanish Wave, Kilimanjaro Live, FORM, Notion, IQ, Clash, Drowned in Sound, DIY, Gigseekr and Amplead. For more information, click here.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Boardmasters, Forbidden Fruit, Superbloom, Pinkpop, All Points East, Love Supreme, Latitude, Syd For Solen, Colours of Ostrava, Pukkelpop and Open’er are among the raft of the festivals that have secured new names for their 2025 lineups.
Germany’s Superbloom has unveiled its first lineup announcement featuring international acts Post Malone, Nelly Furtado, Hozier, Tiësto, RAYE, and Suki Waterhouse, as well as top German acts such as 01099, Alligatoah, Montez, $OHO BANI, Juli, and Esther Graf. The fourth edition of the Goodlive-promoted event will take place between 30–31 August at Munich’s Olympic Park with 50,000 visitors per day.
Denmark’s Syd For Solen (South of the Sun) has secured Chappell Roan, Sam Fender and Queens of the Stone Age for headlining slots at this year’s festival in Valbyparken, Copenhagen. The 7–9 August event, promoted by Smash!Bang!Pow!, will also feature Mk.gee, Confidence Man, Overmono, Khruangbin, CMAT, Don West, MJ Lenderman & The Wind.
Chappell Roan has also been announced as a headliner for Pukkelpop 2025, along with Chase & Status and Oscar and the Wolf. The Belgian event will return to Kiewit, near Hasselt, between 14–17 August.
Poland’s biggest festival, Open’er, has added Grammy Award-winner Doechii to the lineup, as well as Lola Young. The Alter Art-promoted festival will return to Gdynia-Kosakowo Airport between 2–5 July.
In the Netherlands, Pinkpop‘s lineup is coming together with Justin Timberlake, Olivia Rodrigo and Muse set to headline. Tate McRae, Weezer, The Last Dinner Party, Cypress Hill, Korn, Biffy Clyro, and Girl In Red are also set to perform at the MOJO-promoted festival, taking place in Landgraaf between 20–22 June.
Love Supreme Jazz Festival has secured six-time Grammy-winning Jacob Collier for his first major festival headline appearance
Czech Republic’s Colours of Ostrava has announced FINNEAS, Iggy Pop, Justice, The Chainsmokers, Sting, Shaggy, Snow Patrol and more for its 22nd edition, taking place July 16 to 19 in Ostrava.
In the UK, Chase & Status will be making their All Points East debut on Saturday 16 August in east London. Their RTRN II DANCE takeover will feature special guests Overmono, Sammy Virji and Nia Archives. Chase & Status join previously announced headliners RAYE (Saturday 23 August), Barry Can’t Swim (Friday 22 August), and The Maccabees, who are headlining their first show in eight years on Sunday 24 August.
Elsewhere, it has been announced that The Kaiser Chiefs will return to Latitude as part of their 20th-anniversary celebrations. Leon Bridges, Air, Alison Moyet and Doves have also joined the lineup for the Festival Republic-promoted event, slated for 24–27 July in Henham Park, Suffolk. Previously announced headliners include Sting, Snow Patrol, Fatboy Slim, Basement Jaxx, and Elbow.
Boardmasters in Cornwall has announced Central Cee as the final headliner for the 2025 edition, joining RAYE and The Prodigy. Other new names for the Superstruct-backed festival include The Wombats, Sub Focus, Flo, Leigh-Anne, Krept & Konan, The Blessed Madonna, Caity Baser and Maverick Sabre. The event takes place at Watergate Bay and Fistral Beach from 6–10 August.
In Ireland, the 13th edition of Forbidden Fruit, promoted by POD in association with Aiken Promotions, is taking shape. In a full-circle moment, Jamie xx will return to the Dublin festival for his only Ireland show in 2025. Underworld, Caribou, Peggy Gou, Mall Grab, Glass Beams and FCUKERS are also on the bill for the 31 May to 1 June event at Royal Hospital Kilmainham.
Love Supreme Jazz Festival has secured six-time Grammy-winning Jacob Collier for his only UK show of the year and his first major festival headline appearance. The UK event returns to Glynde Place in East Sussex from 4–6 July 2025, with Smokey Robinson, En Vogue, Maxwell, War, Thee Sacred Souls and more.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Fresh off her Album of the Year win at the Grammys, Beyoncé has revealed the dates for her hotly tipped Cowboy Carter Tour.
Promoted by Live Nation and produced by Parkwood Entertainment, the 22-show run will kick off in April with four nights at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium and proceed to Chicago (Illinois), East Rutherford (New Jersey), London (UK), Paris (France), Houston (Texas), Washington D.C. and Atlanta (Georgia).
London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and East Rutherford’s MetLife Stadium will also get the four-show treatment, while Beyoncé will play two concerts each at Paris’s Stade de France, Chicago’s Soldier Field, Houston’s NRG Stadium, Washington D.C.’s Northwest Stadium and Atlanta’s Mercedes Benz Stadium.
Her D.C. stint will see her performing in the US capital on 4 July, in what is slated to be an Independence Day celebration for the ages.
Beyoncé’s previous outing, Rennaisance World Tour, was the second highest-grossing tour of 2023 after Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
The stadium tour grossed $579.8 million and sold 2.8 million tickets across 56 shows in North America and Europe, according to Billboard Boxscore. It became the biggest one-year sum for an artist in Boxscore history, dating back to the mid-1980s.
Beyoncé’s previous tour, Rennaisance World Tour, was the second highest-grossing tour of 2023 after Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour
The Renaissance World Tour is the seventh highest-grossing tour in the Boxscore archives. Swift joins her as the only two women and only American solo artists in the top 10. Beyoncé is also the only Black artist on the all-time ranking.
News of the Cowboy Carter Tour comes less than 24 hours after Beyoncé, the most nominated artist in 2025 and in Grammys history, finally won Album of the Year on her fifth try for Cowboy Carter. The 43-year-old also went home with Best Country Album and Best Country Duo/Group Performance for her track II Most Wanted ft Miley Cyrus.
It also comes after Beyoncé’s halftime performance during the NFL 2024 Christmas Day Halftime Show, which brought in an average viewership of 27 million for Netflix.
Beyoncé is one of a raft of artists that have announced stadium tours for 2025, which promises to be the biggest year yet for mega shows.
Artists including The Weeknd, Linkin Park, Imagine Dragons, Billy Joel, My Chemical Romance, Olivia Rodrigo, Robbie Williams, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, Kendrick Lamar & SZA, Stereophonics, System of a Down, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Stray Kids, Sam Fender and Iron Maiden are all set for next summer’s circuit.
Read more about this year’s monster stadium year here.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
History-making British rapper Central Cee has announced a mammoth 39-date world tour for 2025.
Produced by Live Nation, the outing kicks off on 1 April in Norway at Oslo’s Spektrum Arena making stops at renowned venues in Europe and North America before wrapping up on 2 July in Perth, Australia.
The Can’t Rush Greatness tour comes hot on the heels of his long-awaited debut album of the same name.
The project has already been hailed as having the biggest streaming day of all-time for a UK rapper, globally. This achievement comes on top of three Brit Award nominations for Best UK Artist, Best Song for “Band4Band” and “Best Hip Hop & Grime,” and a cinematic black and white visual for the album track “Limitless”.
The West London native previously made history as the first-ever British rapper to reach over one billion Spotify streams in a single year.
The Can’t Rush Greatness tour comes hot on the heels of his long-awaited debut album of the same name
Central Cee (born Oakley Neil Caesar-Su) released his first tracks in 2014, following them up with a long series of EPs and singles over the following years.
He released his first full mixtape, Wild West, in 2021, which was the top-selling British debut project of the year.
His 2022 single Doja has racked up more than 450 million streams on Spotify alone and debuted at No. 2 on the official UK charts, while his 23 mixtape debuted at No. 1 on the country’s albums chart.
2023’s Sprinter, a collaboration with fellow English rapper Dave, debuted at No.1 on the UK singles chart with over 13 million streams in just one week, the most for any UK rap single in history. The track remained at No.1 for 10 consecutive weeks, making it the longest-running No.1 rap single in UK chart history.
Central Cee is represented worldwide by Wasserman Music agents Brent Smith, Lauren Marker, Tom Schroeder and Jesse Fayne.
Can’t Rush Greatness tour dates:
April 1 | Oslo, NO | Spektrum
April 3 | Copenhagen, DK | Forum Black Box
April 5 | Hamburg, DE | Sporthalle Hamburg
April 6 | Berlin, DE | Velodrom
April 8 | Amsterdam, NL | Ziggo Dome
April 10 | Milan, IT | Fabrique
April 11 | Munich, DE | Zenith Die Kulturhalle
April 13 | Paris, FR | Accor Arena
April 15 | Dusseldorf, DE | PSD Bank Dome
April 16 | Brussels, BE | Forest National
April 18 | Birmingham, UK | Utilita Arena
April 19 | Manchester, UK | Co-op Live
April 22 | Dublin, IE | 3Arena
April 24 | London, UK | The O2
April 27 | Glasgow, UK | OVO Hydro
May 2 | Portland, OR | Roseland Theater
May 3 | Seattle, WA | Showbox SoDo^
May 6 | San Francisco, CA | The Masonic
May 7 | Los Angeles, CA | Hollywood Palladium
May 9 | Denver, CO | The Fillmore Denver
May 11 | Houston, TX | Bayou Music Center
May 12 | Dallas, TX | South Side Ballroom
May 15 | Detroit, MI | The Fillmore Detroit
May 16 | Chicago, IL | Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
May 18 | Charlotte, NC | The Fillmore Charlotte
May 19 | Atlanta, GA | Coca-Cola Roxy
May 21 | Philadelphia, PA | The Fillmore Philadelphia
May 22 | Silver Spring, MD | The Fillmore Silver Spring
May 24 | Toronto, ON, CAN | HISTORY
May 25 | Toronto, ON, CAN | HISTORY
May 27 | Brooklyn, NY | Brooklyn Paramount
May 29 | New York, NY | Terminal 5^
May 31 | Boston, MA | MGM Music Hall
June 1 | Montreal, QC, CAN | MTELUS
June 20 | Auckland, NZ | Spark Arena*
June 22 | Brisbane, AU | Brisbane Entertainment Centre
June 25 | Sydney, AU | Qudos Bank Arena
June 28 | Melbourne, AU | Rod Laver Arena
July 2 | Perth, AU | RAC Arena*
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Wasserman Music and UK music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins have announced the return of the music-inspired endurance event Music Mudder for a special fifth-anniversary edition.
Taking place on Friday 19 September in Dorking, Surrey, Music Mudder 2025 will see teams take on Camelot Events’ ‘Nuts Challenge’ obstacle course to raise funds for Nordoff and Robbins.
Running in teams of up to 10 people, competitors will tackle classic Music Mudder obstacles including the Bog of Doom, Rat Crawl, Kamikaze and River Crossing, as well as new obstacles in the works for 2025. Alongside the main event, there will be live music, free food and drink vendors, and exclusive raffle prizes up for grabs.
The 2024 edition of Music Mudder, hosted by broadcaster, presenter and content producer Ore Olukoga, raised over £75,000 for Nordoff and Robbins, with 540 people across 56 teams from all corners of the music industry taking on over 40 adrenaline-pumping obstacles at the legendary course.
ASM Global won the top prize for fundraising, with over £8,000 raised, Team Atlantic were the fastest overall team with an average time of 1 hour 18 minutes and 38 seconds and Oscar Tuttiett, competing on the ‘AEG Winners 2023 A’ team, completed the challenging 7km route in just 49 minutes 21 seconds to secure the fastest individual time.
“What better than to spend a day in the mud raising money for such a great cause”
“It’s an honour to represent such a worthwhile charity and to have Nordoff and Robbins as our national charity partner,” says Nicola Jackson, HR Director (UK Venues), ASM Global. “Having experienced first-hand the music therapy that is offered to those with challenges, we understand the difference it can make. Working within the music industry, we know just how powerful a connection music brings to people’s lives, so what better than to spend a day in the mud raising money for such a great cause.”
Sandy Trappitt, director of fundraising, Nordoff and Robbins, adds: “Music Mudder is one of the highlights of our year – it’s a chance for us to engage with future music industry leaders, get muddy and raise as much money as possible for Nordoff and Robbins. With our costs increasing across the board and demand for our services rising, support from our friends in the music industry is still crucially important to our cause. We’re so happy to be partnering with Wasserman Music again to bring you a special fifth-anniversary edition of this much-loved event. Sign up now!”
Lucy Putman, Agent, Wasserman Music, comments: “Raising £75,000 and having over 500 people join us for Music Mudder in 2024 was a huge milestone for us, but this year we want to go even bigger, with more money raised and more teams competing. This is a great chance to bond with colleagues in a team and enter into some friendly competition with peers, while raising money for this incredible charity. We have some surprises in the works for Music Mudder’s fifth anniversary, and we can’t wait to see everyone back out on the course.”
Nordoff and Robbins’ trained music therapists use music to break through the barriers caused by life-limiting illness, disability and social isolation. The charity reaches thousands of vulnerable people through their bases across the UK, and by working in partnership with organisations including care homes, schools and hospitals. Its work can be transformative, from an adult with dementia reconnecting with family, to a child with autism finding their voice.
The charity hopes to encourage at least 60 teams to register for Music Mudder 2025, raising enough to fund at least 1,000 music therapy sessions.
Teams of 10 cost £1,000, plus a minimum of £500 fundraising per team and can be booked by emailing [email protected] or via music-mudder.com.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
The countdown is on to the 37th International Live Music Conference, with a raft of new speakers joining the conference’s largest-ever programme.
The leading gathering of international live music executives will return to London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel between 25-28 February, with around 2,500 professionals expected to attend.
With five weeks to go, executives from FKP Scorpio, AEG Presents, Live Nation, Oak View Group and ASM Global have joined the speaker line-up.
FKP Scorpio’s Folkert Koopmans joins The Open Forum on Wednesday 26 February, while FKP’s Rauha Kyyrö is set to chair Ethics & Activism: Adapting to artist and fan views.
Festival Formats: Survive & thrive sees Alex Bruford from ATC Live take the chair, and Kelly Stelbasky from AEG Presents joins Pricing the Ticket: Balancing expectations.
The Venue’s Venue adds Tom Lynch from Live Nation EMEA, and Marie Lindqvist from ASM Global takes the chair for Wellness vs The Industry. The speaker lineup so far can be found here.
As previously announced, Superstruct co-founder James Barton will be the Hotseat interview for ILMC 37.
This year’s ILMC ushers in a new-look, refreshed programme, with session formats that range from question times to fan focus groups and panels to keynotes.
This year’s ILMC ushers in a new-look, refreshed programme, with session formats that range from question times to fan focus groups and panels to keynotes
A new element of the conference is Middle East Live supported by OVG, which will comprise two dedicated sessions on the rapidly expanding region: a state-of-the-nation review and a venue focus.
Other new additions to the programme include Question Time, which will see top industry leaders tackle questions submitted by conference delegates, and Meet The Fans – a fan focus group that gives the industry a chance to hear directly from regular gig-goers.
The Arthur Awards 2025 and the Gala Dinner will return on Thursday 27 February, with just a handful of tickets left.
Similarly, tickets for the third edition of London Calling – now rebranded as Soho Calling – are flying off the shelf. The showcase event takes place on Wednesday 26 February, bringing together over 20 exciting emerging artists to six of Soho’s iconic stages: The 100 Club, 21Soho, The Lower Third (presented by DIY Magazine), Phoenix Arts Club, The Social, and The Forge.
Performers include Tom Aspaul (UK), Monster Florence (UK), Giift (DK), Bluai (BE), Kai Bosch (UK), Lola Moxom (UK), Punchbag (UK) and Really Good Time (IE).
Also taking place on Wednesday 26 February is Touring Entertainment LIVE, which will offer a full day of big-brand live entertainment, exhibitions and touring family shows. The Greener Events and Innovations (GEI) Conference will tackle sustainability in the live sector throughout Tuesday 25 February and Futures Forum will offer a programme geared towards young and early-career live music professionals on Friday 28 February.
Key partners on ILMC 37 include Live Nation, Ticketmaster, CTS Eventim, ASM Global, Tysers Live, BWO Entertainment, AXS, Showsec, DEAG & LMP Group.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Malaysian conglomerate YTL has announced plans to invest around £2 billion in the long-delayed Brabazon Bristol development, which includes a 19,500-capacity carbon-neutral arena.
The Filton Airfield site will be transformed into the UK’s largest brownfield development, including 6,500 homes, three new schools and a 15-acre park.
Plans for the arena, which would be the fourth-largest indoor arena in the UK and the only arena in South West England, have faced several setbacks over several years. Earlier this month it was reported that the venue is facing up to a likely opening date of 2028.
The Brabazon Bristol development was formally announced last week by the Malaysian prime minister, who also revealed that YTL will invest a further £2bn in its UK businesses over the next five years.
Earlier this month it was reported that the venue is facing up to a likely opening date of 2028
The Copenhagen-inspired project, which will deliver more than 30,000 jobs, is being designed to allow people to access essential services within a 15-minute radius of their home. Developers hope the new town will be the most sustainable in the UK.
Bristol is the biggest city in the UK without an arena, with plans for such a venue first drawn up more than 20 years ago. A previous plan for a city centre arena near Temple Meads was scrapped in 2018 because of risk to the taxpayer.
Its current largest indoor venues are the 2,100-cap Bristol Beacon and 1,600-cap O2 Academy Bristol, although its 32,000-cap Ashton Gate Stadium has hosted concerts by acts including the Spice Girls, Take That, The Killers, the Rolling Stones, Arctic Monkeys, Muse and Elton John.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
ASM Global has named Ticketmaster as its ticketing partner for the new Becketwell Live in Derby, UK.
The 3,500-capacity venue is set to open later this spring with a programme comprising concerts, family events, sports and conferencing.
The venue will utilise Ticketmaster’s marketing and distribution technology to reach fans of all genres, according to a release.
In addition, ASM Global has renewed its partnership with Ticketmaster for the exclusive ticketing of Sheffield venues Utilita Arena Sheffield and Sheffield City Hall.
“2025 is shaping up to be an exciting year. We’ve already taken on major new contracts with Utilita Arena and Sheffield City Hall, both of which are set for investment and enhancements, and we’re thrilled to soon unveil the state-of-the-art Becketwell Live in Derby,” says Chris Bray, president of ASM Global Europe.
“We’re thrilled to soon unveil the state-of-the-art Becketwell Live in Derby”
“Our mission is always to deliver excellence, particularly when it comes to the fan experience. This begins the moment a fan decides to purchase a ticket, which is why we’ve partnered with Ticketmaster to ensure a seamless and unforgettable experience for everyone visiting these three extraordinary venues.”
Andrew Parsons, managing director of Ticketmaster, adds: “ASM Global renewing these Sheffield partnerships and choosing to work with us on their impressive Becketwell Live plans solidifies their confidence in our team’s ability to deliver an exceptional fan experience. We look forward to taking these venues to the next level.”
Becketwell Live’s programme so far includes concerts from Wet Wet Wet and Fleetwood Mac and ABBA tribute acts. Other live entertainment includes a comedy show with Miriam Margolyes and a live recording of the popular podcast Saving Grace.
ASM Global’s UK portfolio also includes Manchester’s AO Arena, Leeds’ first direct arena, London’s OVO Arena Wembley, and more.
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.
Cat Burns, Kasabian, Clean Bandit, Rachel Chinouriri, Soft Play, Nova Twins, Joy Crookes, Tom Walker, Rag‘n’Bone Man, Frank Turner and Blossoms are among the acts confirmed for the BRITs Week 25 for War Child lineup.
The annual charity concert series features intimate one-off performances from big names in some of the UK’s best venues. Since BRITs Week’s inception in 2009, the shows have raised more than £7 million for War Child to help children whose lives have been torn apart by war.
BRITs Week, which is produced by AEG Presents, BPI, DHL, and War Child, will take place around The BRIT Awards 2025 with Mastercard on Saturday 1 March.
Between 17 February and 5 March, the aforementioned stars will perform across venues including Omeara in London, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow and De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill.
Alongside a prize draw to win tickets, a limited number of tickets for each show will go on sale.
This year, DHL is joining as a new partner of BRITs Week 25 via War Child. The multinational logistics firm will provide transportation, distribution, or other logistical support to help the charity reach more children in need and deliver aid more efficiently.
“These shows help to raise crucial money for children caught in conflict, with our long-time partners, War Child”
Simon Jones, SVP of International Touring at AEG Presents, says: “BRITs Week is now in its 12th year and still going as strong as ever. It’s a testament to all of the artists, managers, labels and of course our new sponsors, DHL that keep supporting the event to help keep this wonderful annual industry fixture such a mainstay in the calendar. These shows help to raise crucial money for children caught in conflict, with our long-time partners, War Child. 2025’s edition will be no different, seeing incredible acts in smaller venues, and raising a bucket load of money for a really great cause.”
Clare Sanders-Wright, live music lead at War Child, adds: “BRITs Week is back for the 12th year running and I am ecstatic to announce this year’s stellar line up. The shows for BRITs Week are always so special, giving fans a chance to see their favourite musicians in beloved small venues. Children don’t start wars, and this past year has been devastating, with children bearing the unimaginable cost of conflicts they hold no responsibility for. War Child is forever grateful to the artists and their teams who are giving their time to make these shows happen, in support of War Child’s mission to support and provide a brighter future for children affected by war and to share our mission statement that No Child Should Be A Part Of War – Ever.”
BRITs Week 25 for War Child lineup:
17th February – Cat Burns – MOTH Club, London
18th February – Joy Crookes – Islington Assembly Hall, London
20th February – Rachel Chinouriri – Omeara, London
21st February – Frank Turner – 93 Feet East
24th February – Nova Twins – Omeara, London
25th February – Kasabian, supported by Blossoms – O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London
28th February – Clean Bandit and Friends – The London Palladium
3rd March – Tom Walker – King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow
4th March – Soft Play – Village Underground, London
5th March – Rag‘n’Bone Man – De La Warr Pavilion, Bexhill
Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.