Albums: Bachelor Girl Waiting For The Day: Artist Sessions
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Far too often, anniversary albums feel like contractual obligations or exercises in nostalgia. Waiting for the Day: Artist Sessions is neither. It breathes new life into an already exceptional collection of songs while introducing them to a new generation through some of Australia's finest artists. More importantly, it serves as a reminder that Bachelor Girl's songwriting has always deserved to be spoken about alongside the very best pop of its era.
Crossover Albums: Revival: The New Album by Reductio
The textures throughout are stunning, and the resonance and reverberation are captured with real skill—this is a beautifully engineered record, not just a gimmick with a good story. What next—a bishop or dean DJing the gospel reading to a four-on-the-floor beat? Whatever it takes to draw new audiences into our cathedrals and abbeys, let's try it.
I love its difference. I love its challenging nature. I love the disco beat. And for a critic over 60, I thoroughly enjoyed every irreverent, reverberating minute of it. Try it—and dare yourself to like it.
Albums: Now That’s What I Call Soft Rock & Power Pop Anthems
This new compilation brings together some of the biggest commercial rock songs of the last fifty years over a set of four CDs or three blue vinyl albums.
The Power Of One Voice: Camino Ghosts By John Grisham
When in any doubt or perhaps when facing too much choice, it’s a safe bet to reach for an old faithful, so I did just that when I picked this Grisham from the TBR pile by the bed. For the uninitiated, TBR means To Be Read or should that be BTBR – Begging To Be Read.
“I’ve Had To Step Back From Social Media For My Mental Health"
Hot Flash cast members Elios Douglas, Roz Gemma and Matt Jameson on acting, identity, and barriers to success. Elios: The biggest difficulty I’ve faced as a trans actor is simply that there aren’t many trans roles. They’re not being written, and when they are, loads of us go up for them, so the chances are tiny. Without an agent or a first credit, breaking in is even harder.
Albums: Ariana Grande Petal
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If Eternal Sunshine hinted at a more reflective Ariana, Petal fully embraces that direction. These songs unfold gently, rewarding patience rather than demanding attention. The production is smooth and understated, blending soft pop with contemporary R&B textures that give the record a dreamy, almost weightless feel.
The CBSO Launches 'First Listen' – A Three-Part Concert Series For New Audiences, With Tickets Just £5 Each
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The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) has announced ‘First Listen’, a new three-part concert series at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall which has been created to introduce orchestral music to a new audience. At one hour each, and with tickets costing just £5, each concert in the series is designed to be the ideal introduction to seeing a symphony orchestra live.
From Alpine Roots To Global Stages: How Oesch’s Die Dritten Keep Tradition Alive
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In the rolling green valleys of Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland, where yodelling once carried messages from mountain to mountain, a family ensemble has spent nearly three decades proving that tradition need not stand still to survive.
Classical Music: Contemporary Uzbek Music for Clarinet and Piano
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Contemporary Uzbek Music for Clarinet and Piano is the first commercial recording given over wholly to this repertoire, and it arrives with several works written for and dedicated to its soloist.
Sayyod Mirzomurodov, an international soloist, chamber musician, and educator, is about as well placed as any clarinettist could be to bring this music to disc: several of the pieces exist because he does.
Classical Music: Vienna Philharmonic Sommernachtskonzert Schönbrunn 2026
The world's largest annual open-air classical concert needs no introduction, but Schönbrunn's Baroque park still supplies one every June: torchlit gardens standing in for a concert hall and a Viennese audience with the best seats in Europe. This year's instalment, recorded on 19 June, brought two Summer Night Concert debuts of consequence — Lorenzo Viotti on the podium and Sir Bryn Terfel as soloist, despite decades of prior collaboration with the orchestra. It hardly sounds like a first date.
Aardman In Concert Arrives At York Barbican
Families across York and North Yorkshire are invited to enjoy an unforgettable afternoon of film and live music over the August Bank Holiday weekend, as Carrot Productions brings Aardman in Concert to York Barbican. On Saturday 29 August 2026, audiences can celebrate 50 years of the iconic animation studio with a spectacular live experience built around some of Britain's best-loved characters.
HENGE Prepare To Beam Down Across 17 Countries On Biggest Mission Yet
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After a decade of steadily expanding their reach across the UK and Europe, Manchester's self-proclaimed intergalactic travellers HENGE are preparing for their biggest Earth mission to date. The band have announced a 75-date world tour spanning 17 countries – with more still to come – marking not only their most ambitious run yet but also their long-awaited first shows across North America.
Rock Heavyweights To Play Piece Hall In Halifax
Global titans Opeth will top the bill at The Piece Hall in Halifax on Saturday 1st August, joined by local heroes Paradise Lost — returning to their hometown for a rare homecoming show — and Katatonia, back in Yorkshire for the first time in over nine years. It marks the first time these three influential figures of progressive and gothic metal have shared a stage.
La Voix Announces Biggest Ever UK Theatre Tour
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Fresh from waltzing into the nation's hearts on Strictly Come Dancing, La Voix is taking her glamour, wit and unmistakable red hair back on the road with her biggest live tour to date. La Voix Live opens at BEAM: Hertford on 5 March 2027, before touring UK theatres through March and April.
The Bodyguard: A High Energy, Musical Powerhouse
I spilt my drink and screamed in horror when a deafening shotgun blast reverberated from a screen with silhouettes immersed in smoke and engaged in conflict. An explosive opening set the pace for a high-octane musical - a fusion of genres creatively integrating gripping cinematic effects with a pop concert bursting with pizazz.
Dream Performance: Primary Schools Smash Shakespearean Comedy
Hundreds of primary school pupils from nine North East schools have come together to re-enact Shakespeare’s illustrious comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Led by Theatre Royal associate artists, the feast of creativity from almost four hundred nine and ten year olds comprised a series of classroom workshops across Newcastle’s West End.
Mighty Wurlitzer To Roar Back To Life At Saltaire Open Day
Saltaire's Victoria Hall throws open its doors on Thursday 6th August for a day dedicated to one of the great survivors of the silent-cinema age: the Mighty Wurlitzer. Between 11am and 4pm, visitors can get up close to the theatre pipe organ and hear it played not once but repeatedly, as a rotating cast of organists takes the console throughout the day.
Albums: Little Miss Twain Shania Twain
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Perhaps the biggest surprise arrives with Faded Blue Jeans, featuring Josh Homme. It's an unlikely pairing that somehow makes complete sense, with Homme's gravelly vocals adding a rugged edge to a song that blurs the boundaries between country, blues and rock. Their chemistry is effortless, and the result is one of the album's most memorable collaborations
Albums: Amy Shark Soft Pop
Amy Shark has always excelled at turning life's awkward, painful and complicated moments into memorable songs, but soft pop feels different. Stripped back and refreshingly uncomplicated, this is an album that places her voice and innermost thoughts front and centre, allowing the emotion to do the heavy lifting. The production rarely gets in the way, creating the feeling that you're sitting with Shark as she quietly unpacks her experiences without fear, shame or pretence.
Follow Your Gut, Don't Rush, Don't Compromise: Shawn Colvin On 30 Years Of A Few Small Repairs
Over the course of more than three decades, Shawn Colvin has established herself as one of America's most captivating performers and revered storytellers.
A Year At Portsmouth
Thirty years is no small tenure, and Regent Records' latest instalment in its cathedral series chooses to mark David Price's three decades at the helm of music at Portsmouth Cathedral with a disc that feels less like a retrospective and more like a tide turning full circle. As is the way with this series, the selection draws from the choir's repertoire across the liturgical year, and the result is a recording of genuine freshness — one that rewards repeated listening rather than exhausting itself on a single pass.
Rich Pickings And Rueful Choices: Lisa Jewell On Building Harrogate's Biggest Festival Yet
Fresh from a morning of interviews and still buzzing between events, this year's Festival Programming Chair, Lisa Jewell, talks to Andrew Palmer at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival about omissions, instinct, and the coercive-control novel taking shape for 2027. The deckchairs are out on the lawn of the Old Swan Hotel, the sun is doing exactly wha…
Classical Music: Martha Argerich: A- Z Schumann - Tchaikovsky
Martha Argerich is nothing less than the High Priestess of the Piano, and this release marks a fitting way to celebrate her 85th birthday: a complete digital collection of her recordings for Deutsche Grammophon and Philips, spanning 65 years, from 1961 to the present day. Her solo recordings, though relatively few, are each a gem — from Chopin to Ravel, Bach to Schumann — but it is her partnerships with the great artists of her generation that have defined her legacy: Claudio Abbado, Nelson Freire, Gidon Kremer, Mischa Maisky and Daniel Barenboim are among them.
A Stunning Conclusion: Romeo and Juliet Brings The Curtain Down On Ripon Theatre Festival 2026
Andrew Palmer, Group Editor, on how The Duke's Theatre Company concluded this year's festival at Ripon Racecourse with a Romeo and Juliet that showcased wit, precision, and considerable heart – a fitting finale!
National Lottery Funding Boost For Bradford Heritage
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Over £400,000 of National Lottery Heritage Fund investment has been made to empower the communities of Bradford to celebrate their heritage following the year as UK City of Culture 2025, and ensure that its cultural legacy will continue to thrive We are thrilled to continue our commitment to Bradford as a City of Culture.
Robbie Williams To Headline Lytham Festival 2027
ternational pop megastar Robbie Williams is heading to the North West in 2027 to headline the region’s largest live music festival. The 18 time BRIT Award winning pop giant will headline Lancashire’s Lytham Festival on Saturday July 3 – his only headlining show in mainland UK next summer.
Yorkshire Music Charity To Merge With National Young Talent Fund
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A North Yorkshire-based music charity is joining forces with national charity Future Talent to provide increased support for young musicians in Yorkshire and the North East.
Elly Griffiths Crowned Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel Of The Year For The Frozen People
Sussex novelist Elly Griffiths has won the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2026 — the most coveted prize in British and Irish crime writing — for The Frozen People, a genre-bending mystery that sends a modern-day cold case detective back to the ice-bound streets of Victorian London.
Opera North To Perform At Bradford’s Darley Street Market
Opera North’s bitesize version of Mozart’s The Magic Flute comes to Bradford’s Darley Street Market this August, offering a fairy tale opera for all the family. Mini Magic Flute packs fun, fantasy and enchanting music into a 40-minute story, making it perfect for all ages to experience their first taste of opera. A prince is in search of a princess, but will they ever find each other?
Marching To A New Drum: What Do People Want For The Arts Under The New-Look Government?
As the UK welcomes a new Prime Minister, the country’s culture sector prepares for a period of change. In the eyes of the public, support for the arts continues to remain a top priority, with the number of people who think the arts deserve more government support reaching an all-time high, two years on from the General Election.