2026 in British music

See also: Timeline of musical events

This is a summary of the year 2026 in British music.

Events

January

• 1 January – Radio X listeners vote the Wolf Alice single "The Sofa" as their Record of the Year for 2025 in the station's annual poll of music for the year.
• 7 January
  • Aurora Orchestra announces that John Harte would depart as its chief executive in July 2026.
  • The London Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of John Harte as its next managing director, effective in August 2026.
• 9 January – Skye Newman is named as the BBC Sound of 2026.
• 12 January – The Orchestra of the Swan announces the appointment of Zoë Curnow as its next executive director, effective 1 April 2026.
• 19 January – Scottish singer-songwriter Jacob Alon is named as the winner of the 2026 Brits Critics' Choice Award.
• 23 January – Robbie Williams' album, Britpop, reaches number one in the UK Albums Chart, marking his sixteenth number one and surpassing a record previously held by The Beatles.
• 30 January – The Molotovs release their debut album Wasted on Youth.

February

• 13 February – It is announced that the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest live tour, scheduled to begin in London on 15 June, had been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances.
• 16 February – Organisers of the 2026 Meltdown Festival announce that the event would be headlined by Harry Styles.
• 17 February – The electronic music and YouTube content creator Look Mum No Computer is chosen to represent the United Kingdom at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.
• 20 February –
  • Sam Fender and Olivia Dean make UK chart history after their track "Rein Me In" reaches number one after 35 weeks on the chart.
  • The winners of the 2026 Radio 1 Dance Awards are announced.
• 25 February –
  • Phil Collins and Oasis are among artists to be nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, they were announced as 2026 inductees two months later.
  • Cruz Beckham, the youngest son of David and Victoria, embarks on his first headline tour with his rock band, Cruz Beckham and the Breakers at a venue in Birmingham.
• 28 February – The 2026 Brit Awards are held at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, the first time in the ceremony's history that it has been held outside London. The event includes Ozzy Osbourne being posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award, accepted by his widow Sharon and daughter Kelly.

March

• 3 March
  • The London Philharmonic Orchestra simultaneously announces the scheduled conclusion of the tenure of Edward Gardner as its principal conductor at the end of the 2027–2028 season, and the appointment of Paavo Järvi as its next chief conductor, effective with the 2028–2029 season.
  • Rapper Ghetts is sentenced to 12 years in prison for killing a student in a hit-and-run in north east London.
• 6 March – Launch of the first UK Christian & Gospel Singles Chart. Nottingham singer Jerub is the inaugural chart topper with a version of "Kumbaya".
• 8 March – The Monarchs Blues Band, a band with members from North Wales and Cheshire, are announced as the winners of One More Dream, a competition run by Boom Radio to give a band, group or artist another chance at being famous.
• 11 March – The UK government loses its appeal over a judgement of a terror charge against a member of the Irish language rap trio Kneecap.
• 12 March – The Royal Philharmonic Society announces the recipients of its 2026 RPS Awards:
  • Chamber-Scale Composition: Claudia Molitor – Fever
  • Conductor: John Wilson
  • Ensemble: Royal Scottish National Orchestra
  • Gamechanger: Jacob Collier
  • Impact: Orchestras for All
  • Inspiration: Kirkcaldy Orchestral Society
  • Instrumentalist: Peter Moore (trombone)
  • Large-Scale Composition: Mark-Anthony Turnage – Festen (libretto by Lee Hall)
  • Opera and Music Theatre: Uprising – Glyndebourne
  • Series and Events: "Multitudes" – Southbank Centre
  • Singer: Louise Alder (soprano)
  • Storytelling: "Everything We Do Is Music" – Elizabeth Alker
  • Young Artist: Matilda Lloyd (trumpet)
• 13 March
  • Opening of Sheffield's Electric Studio, which replaced the Leadmill, a music venue that closed in 2025.
  • Harry Styles' third album Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally reaches the top of the UK Albums Chart following sales of 183,000 in its first week, making it the biggest selling physical album of the year.
• 13–15 March – The 2026 C2C: Country to Country festival are held at The O2 Arena in London, OVO Hydro in Glasgow, and SSE Arena in Belfast, headlined by Zach Top, Keith Urban, and Brooks & Dunn.
• 26 March – The 2026 MOBO Awards are held in Manchester.

April

• 5 April – Pepsi withdraws as the main sponsor of the Wireless Festival following the announcement of Kanye West as headliner for the three-day event.
• 6 April – The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace by Karl Jenkins is voted the most popular work in the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2026.
• 7 April – The 2026 Wireless Festival is cancelled after the UK government blocks Kanye West's entrance into the UK.
• 16 April –
  • The 2026 Jazz FM Awards are held at Koko in London.
  • Organisers of Paisley Alive, a one-day festival combining music with fitness sessions, scheduled for 4 July, cancels the event due to low ticket sales.
• 20 April – Launch of the Official Radio 1 Dance Chart, presented by Arielle Free on BBC Radio 1 Dance, and part of a rescheduling for the station.
• 21 April –
  • The schedule for the 2026 season of The Proms is announced, with concerts including one dedicated to James Bond music and Progressive rock.
  • Organisers of GlasGael, an Irish music festival planned for Glasgow Green on 2–3 May, postpone the event to 2027, citing rising costs triggered by world events that made it financially unviable.
• 25 April – BBC Radio 1Xtra hosts its first club night with the 1Xtra Takeover at EartH Hall in Hackney.
• 29 April – The BBC confirms that Radio 2 in the Park, scheduled to occur at City Park, Stirling from 7–9 August, would be rescheduled to September to avoid interfering with local events.

May

• 1 May – Zayn Malik cancels the US leg of his Konnakol Tour, and reduces his UK tour dates after being admitted to hospital.
• 5 May – British singer-songwriter M.I.A. is removed from American rapper Kid Cudi's "Rebel Rangers" tour over offensive comments made during a concert.
• 12 May – The Royal Scottish National Orchestra announces simultaneously the scheduled conclusion of the tenure of Thomas Søndergård as its music director at the close of the 2025–2026 season, and the appointment of Giedrė Šlekytė as its next music director, the first female conductor ever named to the post, effective with the 2027–2028 season.
• 22 May – UK chart history is made when rapper Drake debuts three albums, Iceman, Habibti and Maid of Honour, in the top ten.
• 22–24 May – BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend is held in Herrington Country Park, Sunderland. Performers include Fatboy Slim and Sonny Fodera (22 May), Zara Larsson, Louis Tomlinson and Lola Young (23 May), and Olivia Dean, Niall Horan and Kehlani (24 May).
• 29 May – Release of Paul McCartney's album The Boys of Dungeon Lane, his first release for six years, and inspired by his childhood in post-war Liverpool.

June

• 2 June – UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy announces the appointment of Dawn Airey as the new chair of Arts Council England, effective 1 August 2026, with an initial term of 4 years.
• 7 June – Mick Jagger makes a surprise appearance at a folk night in an Oxford pub and plays an impromptu gig with students.
• 12 June
  • The London Philharmonic Orchestra announces that David Burke is to stand down as its chief executive at the close of 2026.
  • Harry Styles plays the first of twelve dates at Wembley Stadium as part of his Together, Together tour, and sets a new record for the number of concerts played at the venue when he completes the Wembley leg of his tour on 4 July.
• 15 June – A spokesperson for Bonnie Tyler says that the singer is out of a coma she suffered the previous month, but remained ill in intensive care.
• 19 June – Richard Ashcroft headlines the opening night of the 2026 TRNSMT festival in Glasgow, with his set finishing early due to Scotland's 2026 FIFA World Cup match against Morocco at 11pm.
• 22 June – The throne used by Ozzy Osbourne for his final concert goes on display in Birmingham to mark the first anniversary of his death.
• 23 June – The BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra simultaneously announces the scheduled conclusion of the tenure of Ryan Wigglesworth as its chief conductor at the close of the 2026–2027 season, and the appointment of Antony Hermus as its next chief conductor, effective in September 2027.
• 27 June–1 July – A new music festival, the Blenheim Palace Festival, is held in Oxfordshire.
• 29 June –
  • New Order announce that Stephen Morris and Gillian Gilbert would no longer be touring with the band due to "personal health reasons", although former member Peter Hook stated that he heard rumors that Morris and Gilbert were leaving the band.
  • Blur drummer Dave Rowntree loses his legal battle against PRS For Music over the distribution of "black box" royalties.

July

• 4 July – A walk of fame is launched in Harlesden, north west London, celebrating the area's reggae heritage.
• 5 July – Harry Styles is awarded a Guinness World Record for the longest run of concerts at Wembley Stadium after completing 12 shows at the venue.
• 11 July – Organisers of the Reading Festival have applied for a change to their licence that would allow performances on their main stage for a fourth day.
• 21 July – The BBC Introducing stage, which played host to emerging talent like Ed Sheeran and Florence and the Machine, is axed from the Reading Festival as part of an overhaul.
• 22 July – The Official Charts Company publishes a list of the UK's top selling albums of all time, with Queen's 1981 Greatest Hits album topping the list.
• 23 July – Prime Minister Andy Burnham announces a 20% reduction in business rates for pubs, social clubs and live music venues from April 2027.
• 23–26 July – The WOMAD Festival returns after a year-long hiatus with the festival now based at Neston Park Estate near Corsham, Wiltshire.
• 30 July – Sir Paul McCartney is among the shortlist of nominees for the 2026 Mercury Prize for his album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, the first time he has been nominated for the prize.
• 31 July – "Rein Me In", a duet by Sam Fender and Olivia Dean, breaks the record for spending the most number of weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart after 19 non-consecutive weeks at number one.

August

• 1–8 August – The National Eisteddfod of Wales will be held in Llantwd, Pembrokeshire.
• 10 August – It is confirmed that Andrea Bocelli will perform at the Principality Stadium as part of the inaugural Land of Song Festival in May 2027.
• 12–16 August – The 2026 Boomtown Festival is scheduled to take place in Hampshire. Performers include Kneecap, Madness, Scissor Sisters, Faithless, Vengaboys and Groove Armada.
• 17 August –
  • A service celebrating the life of Bonnie Tyler is held in Swansea, and livestreamed to fans worldwide via her website.
  • Organisers of the Green Man Festival confirm they will not burn a large wooden likeness of the Green Man as part of the closing ceremony because of the risk of wildfires.
• 28 August –
  • Paul Heaton's sixth solo album, Jenius, reaches number one in the UK Albums Chart, the first time one of his albums has reached the top of the charts.
  • Six people are injured by a falling sign at the Big Church Festival in West Sussex.
• 30 August – Lola Young plays a surprise set at the 2026 Reading Festival.

September

• 11–13 September – Radio 2 in the Park will be held at City Park, Stirling, having been rescheduled from August.

October

• 4 October – BBC Radio 6 Music will air a newly revised version of the Pet Shop Boys' A Man From the Future, a work concerning Alan Turing, as part of Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone.

Bands reformed

• Love Affair
• Mis-Teeq

Bands disbanded

• The Hollies

Charts and sales

Number-one singles

The singles chart includes a proportion for streaming.

Chart date (week ending)	Song	Artist(s)	Chart sales	References
1 January	"Last Christmas"	Wham!	92,580
8 January	"Where Is My Husband!"	Raye	43,910
15 January	"End of Beginning"	Djo	47,898
22 January			53,743
29 January	"Raindance"	Dave and Tems	50,474
5 February	"Aperture"	Harry Styles	70,498
12 February	"Raindance"	Dave and Tems	43,829
19 February	"Opalite"	Taylor Swift	47,509
26 February	"Rein Me In"	Sam Fender and Olivia Dean	43,425
5 March			46,272
12 March			62,104
19 March	"American Girls"	Harry Styles	64,056
26 March	"Rein Me In"	Sam Fender and Olivia Dean	61,422
2 April			62,384
9 April			60,713
16 April			60,510
23 April			55,822
30 April	"Drop Dead"	Olivia Rodrigo	65,435
7 May	"Rein Me In"	Sam Fender and Olivia Dean	58,189
14 May			56,538
21 May			50,182
28 May			47,622
4 June			56,132
11 June	"Hate That I Made You Love Me"	Ariana Grande	50,048
18 June	"I Knew It, I Knew You"	Taylor Swift	52,434
25 June			71,404
2 July	"Rein Me In"	Sam Fender and Olivia Dean	43,461
9 July			41,708
16 July			41,014
23 July			48,901
30 July			43,450
6 August			44,474
13 August			46,486
20 August			43,509
27 August			41,475
3 September			40,241

Number-one albums

The albums chart includes a proportion for streaming.

Chart date (week ending)	Album	Artist(s)	Chart sales	References
1 January	Christmas	Michael Bublé	20,818
8 January	The Art of Loving	Olivia Dean	16,903
15 January			17,141
22 January			16,836
29 January	Britpop	Robbie Williams	34,157
5 February	How Did I Get Here?	Louis Tomlinson	28,416
12 February	The Art of Loving	Olivia Dean	18,557
19 February			18,490
26 February	Wuthering Heights	Charli XCX	21,071
5 March	Prizefighter	Mumford & Sons	35,505
12 March	The Mountain	Gorillaz	29,982
19 March	Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally	Harry Styles	183,045
26 March			26,524
2 April	Arirang	BTS	41,551
9 April	This Music May Contain Hope	Raye	46,976
16 April	The Weight of the Woods	Dermot Kennedy	22,155
23 April	The Art of Loving	Olivia Dean	12,585
30 April	You Got This	Skindred	20,414
7 May	The Great Divide	Noah Kahan	55,826
14 May	The Essential Michael Jackson	Michael Jackson	29,453
21 May			31,628
28 May	Iceman	Drake	44,129
4 June	Florescence	Maisie Peters	29,826
11 June	The Boys of Dungeon Lane	Paul McCartney	33,642
18 June	Dinner Party	Niall Horan	28,121
25 June	You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love	Olivia Rodrigo	102,814
2 July			28,002
9 July	The Wow! Signal	Muse	34,933
16 July	Confessions II	Madonna	48,502
23 July	Foreign Tongues	The Rolling Stones	38,016
30 July	Daughter from Hell	Gracie Abrams	30,897
6 August	Music, Fashion, Film	Charli XCX	22,322
13 August	Petal	Ariana Grande	47,889
20 August	A Love Letter to a Broken Town	The Reytons	15,031
27 August	Lost Weekend	Phoebe Bridgers	34,239
3 September	Jenius	Paul Heaton	23,654

Number-one compilation albums

The compilation albums chart includes a proportion for streaming.

Chart date (week ending)	Album	Chart sales	References
1 January	KPop Demon Hunters	10,673
8 January		11,111
15 January		9,229
22 January		8,993
29 January		8,620
5 February		8,224
12 February		7,966
19 February		7,608
26 February		7,926
5 March		7,007
12 March		6,932
19 March	Help(2)	18,491
26 March	KPop Demon Hunters	6,385
2 April		6,184
9 April		6,421
16 April		6,338
23 April		5,629
30 April	Now 123	6,088
7 May	KPop Demon Hunters	5,023
14 May		4,657
21 May	Now Yearbook 1972	4,923
28 May	Eurovision Song Contest: Vienna 2026	6,672
4 June	Paddington: The Musical	6,634
11 June	KPop Demon Hunters	4,011
18 June		3,868
25 June		3,785
2 July		3,780
9 July		3,720
16 July		3,640
23 July		3,583
30 July		3,793
6 August		3,788
13 August	Now 124	5,954
20 August	KPop Demon Hunters	3,559
27 August		3,530
3 September		3,401

Deaths

• 2 January – Tony Carr, 98, Maltese session drummer and percussionist (CCS, Hot Chocolate).
• 5 January
  • Andrew Bodnar, 71, English bass guitarist (The Rumour) and songwriter ("I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass"). (death announced on this date)
  • Andrew Carter, 86, classical choral composer and pedagogue
• 11 January
  • Sheila Bernette, 94, English singer (The Good Old Days, The Black and White Minstrel Show) and actress (The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins).
  • Andrew Clements, 75, classical music critic
  • Matt Kwasniewski-Kelvin, 26, British guitarist (Black Midi). (death announced on this date)
  • John Wallace, 76, Scottish trumpeter, composer and arts educator.
• 15 January – Kenny Morris, 68, English drummer (Siouxsie and the Banshees). (death announced on this date)
• 26 January – Danny Coughlan, British singer and guitarist.
• 10 February –
  • Des de Moor, 64, English writer and musician. (death announced on this date)
  • Andrew Ranken, 72, English drummer (The Pogues).
• 21 February – John Bertalot, 94, English organist.
• 2 March –
  • Len Garry, 84, English musician (The Quarrymen), pneumonia.
  • Mike Vernon, 81, English record producer ("Albatross", "Hocus Pocus"), music executive and recording studio owner (Chipping Norton Recording Studios).
• 9 March – Zeph Ellis, 37, British rapper. (death announced on this date)
• 13 March – Phil Campbell, 64, Welsh guitarist (Motörhead, Persian Risk, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons).
• 20 March – Richard Phillips, 85, British music promoter. (death announced on this date)
• 25 March – Mick Roberts, 57, English singer (The Bridewell Taxis).
• 31 March – Tony Rivers, 85, English singer (Harmony Grass).
• 5 April – David Wiffen, 84, English–Canadian folk singer-songwriter (Driving Wheel).
• 11 April – Mike Westbrook, 90, English jazz pianist and composer.
• 16 April – Andy Kershaw, 66, English broadcaster and radio DJ (BBC Radio 1), cancer.
• 19 April –
  • Ben Bartlett, 61, British composer, lung cancer.
  • Dave Mason, 79, English Hall of Fame musician (Traffic) and songwriter ("Hole in My Shoe", "Feelin' Alright?").
• 22 April – Kathy Dooley, 70, British singer (The Dooleys), dementia.
• 27 April – Beverley Martyn, 79, British singer-songwriter.
• 29 April – Donald MacRae, 84, Scottish folk singer.
• 30 April – Alex Ligertwood, 79, Scottish musician and singer (Santana).
• 6 May – Jesse Hector, 78, English musician (The Gorillas).
• 15 May – Dame Felicity Lott, 79, English soprano, cancer.
• 22 May – Dick Parry, 83, English saxophonist (Pink Floyd).
• 23 May – Brian Large, 87, English opera director.
• 24 May – Betty Roe, 95, English composer, singer and vocal coach. (death announced on this date)
• 26 May – Arnold Whittall, 90, English classical musicologist.
• 29 May –
  • Lauren Bennett, 36, English singer (G.R.L., "Party Rock Anthem").
  • Geoff Keating, 88, British musician (The Master Singers). (death announced on this date)
  • Doug Shaw, 42, British musician (Gang Gang Dance, White Magic). (death announced on this date)
• 3 June – Kanya King, 57, British businesswoman, founder of the MOBO Awards, colon cancer.
• 4 June – Ian Hampton, 79, Scottish bassist (Sparks).
• 5 June – Talay Riley, 35, British singer ("Make You Mine") and songwriter ("Young Dumb & Broke", "Bounce"), stabbed.
• 6 June – Harrison Cole, 25, classical organist.
• 9 June – Bruno Turner, 95, British musicologist.
• 11 June – Philip Adrian Booth, 66, British-Canadian guitarist and keyboardist ("Ulterior Motives"). (death announced on this date)
• 13 June – Dee Palmer, 88, English musician (Jethro Tull), arranger, and composer.
• 14 June – Dave Greenslade, 83, English composer and keyboardist (Colosseum, Greenslade, If). (death announced on this date)
• 24 June – David Clayton-Thomas, 84, British-Canadian singer (Blood, Sweat & Tears) and songwriter ("Spinning Wheel").
• 30 June – Brian Potter, 86–87, British-born American songwriter and record producer.
• 5 July –
  • Beaky, 81, English musician (Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich). (death announced on this date)
  • Christian Moran, 42, English-Korean drummer.
• 8 July – Bonnie Tyler, 75, Welsh singer ("Total Eclipse of the Heart", "Holding Out for a Hero", "It's a Heartache"), complications from intestinal surgery.
• 9 July – Calvin Hayes, 63, British musician (Johnny Hates Jazz).
• 18 July – Tony Thorpe, 80, English guitarist and singer (The Rubettes). (death announced on this date)
• 23 July –
  • Asteryth Sloane, 26, British composer and poet. (death announced on this date)
  • William Orbit, 69, British musician, producer (Barber's Adagio For Strings, Feel Good Time)
• 3 August – John Douglas, 63, Scottish musician (Trashcan Sinatras) and songwriter ("Obscurity Knocks", "Only Tongue Can Tell").
• 9 August – Gary Dwyer, British drummer (The Teardrop Explodes, The Colourfield), leukaemia.
• 11 August
  • Jill Gomez (Jill Carnegy, Countess of Northesk), 83, Trinidadian-British soprano.
  • Sheila Mathews, 99, English actress, singer and dancer.
• 13 August – Derry Brownson, 55, English musician (EMF), brain tumour.
• 23 August – Harry Bramma, 89, British organist and composer.
• 25 August – Tim Curry, 80, English actor and singer.

See also

• 2026 in British radio
• 2026 in British television
• 2026 in the United Kingdom
• List of British films of 2026