Setting The Stage: 70 Years Of The Eurovision Song Contest Opens At The National Science And Media Museum

The National Science and Media Museum hasunveiled new temporary exhibition Setting the Stage: 70 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest, going behind the scenes of the world’s largest live televised music event. The exhibition invites visitors to explore the technological history and innovation at the heart of the competition, contributing to its enduring legacy today.

In Conversation Everyone Says Hi

Riding the momentum of their acclaimed self-titled debut album, indie-pop supergroup Everyone Says Hi return with their first release of 2026, the shimmering new single Just Like That. Lifted from the band’s forthcoming sophomore album, due later this year, the track leans into a warm, psychedelic indie sound packed with groove, texture and undeniable hooks.

Festival Expansion Celebrated At Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival 2026

Harrogate International Festivals has announced the launch of the Swift Half Stage at the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the world’s largest celebration of criVme fiction, taking place in Harrogate, 23-26 July.

Blackpool Dance Festival Celebrates 100 Glorious Years

The Blackpool Dance Festival 2026 has seen competitor entries almost double to 9,197, as the centenary year draws dancers from more than 50 countries to the iconic Empress Ballroom. The Winter Gardens is preparing for the world’s largest and longest-running dance competition, which takes place from 16th–29th May 2026 in the Empress Ballroom.

Whitby Lit Fest Start New Charity Chapter As More Authors Announced

Whitby Lit Fest marks a new exciting chapter as it’s been granted charitable status. The festival, which launched last year, was created to celebrate Whitby’s literary heritage, as well as connect readers to contemporary writers and inspire readers and visitors alike. The second Whitby Lit Fest takes place 19 to 22 November.

Haircut 100 - No Short Cuts In York

In the early eighties the face of Nick Heyward, singer and guitarist with Haircut 100, was a regular feature on the front cover of pop magazine Smash Hits, not to mention on the bedroom walls of their female fans. Fast forward over forty years on, and Heyward, along with the rest of the band, appeared to have aged well as they took to the stage at the York Barbican.

Legally Blonde: Guilty As Charged For High-Energy, Feelgood Factor

I must have had my own blonde moment when the highly acclaimed Legally Blonde film with Reese Witherspoon hit our screens in 2021, grossing 142 million dollars worldwide and shaping fashion trends. Determined not to let the 2026 stage production pass me by, I was at the front of the queue for the upbeat romantic comedy and its timeless appeal.

Single White Female Behind You All The Time

You know that a play has hit the spot when you’re so engrossed that you find your inner voice screaming, ‘Can’t you see what she’s doing!’ Single White Female hits that spot and more as we are transported into the world of flat sharing, full of suspense, deception, and barefaced lies.

Eurovision Semi Final 2

Semi-Final 2 feels like the more unpredictable of the two Eurovision semi-finals this year. While there are a handful of songs that look like near-certain qualifiers, much of the line-up sits in that dangerous grey area where staging, live vocals, and running order could make or break a country's chances.

James Morrison Rediscovered On Tour

Twenty years ago James Morrison released his debut album, Undiscovered - a collection that was packed full of memorable and melodic songs, all delivered in his trademark raspy and soulful voice. The record was a huge commercial success around the world, being the launchpad for a career that has flourished vividly since.

Spectacular ‘Luminarium’ Brings Magical Experience To Harrogate

Luminarium – a giant walk-through art installation – will bring colour, calm and sensory bliss to The Stray in Harrogate this summer. Created by the world-renowned Architects of Air and designed by Artistic Director Alan Parkinson, this monumental inflatable structure, designed to be gentle, inclusive and open to everyone, will transform The Stray from 11 to 14 June.

In Conversation: Charmian Devi

Canadian/British artist Charmian Devi is entering a bold new chapter following the release of her debut solo album Diamond Hour in May 2026. After living in Montreal, New York City and London, she has now relocated to Brighton, UK, where she is continuing work on her second album, Till Eternity Breaks.

In Conversation: Midge Ure

Few artists have CVs that read as impressively and variedly as Midge Ure's. From his emergence from the Glasgow music scene in the mid-seventies via the group Slik, whose debut single Forever and Ever reached Number One on the singles charts, to then becoming a member of the punk group The Rich Kids, and then a few years later, he diversified musically with Ultravox.

Pioneering Yorkshire Theatre Companies Join Forces For Exciting New Collaboration

Red Ladder Theatre Company and Silent Uproar – two boundary-pushing theatre companies – are delighted to announce an exciting new partnership, showcasing the North of England’s rich seam of playwriting talent.

Grassroots Music Venues Unite For Everywhere At Once Weekend

More than 400 grassroots music venues across the UK will unite from June 26 to 28, 2026, for Everywhere At Once — a three-day celebration staged on what would have been the Glastonbury Festival weekend. From Falmouth to Aberdeen, over 2,000 artists will perform across hundreds of live music events, spanning genres and showcasing the diversity of Britain's music scene.

Kynren Reveals Latest Details Of Spectacular Viking Live Show Ahead Of Summer Opening

A large-scale Viking battle show featuring fire, combat, stunts and a community torn apart by internal conflict will be one of the headline attractions when Kynren – The Storied Lands opens on 18th July.

Stephen Sanchez - Old School Soul In Manchester

When support act Tors called the Manchester Academy crowd one of the politest they've played to in the city, it spoke volumes about the fanbase Stephen Sanchez attracts. His music — old-school soul wrapped in a modern delivery, somewhere between Mika without the innuendo and James Blunt without the self-mockery — pulls in a thoroughly mainstream audience.

Sixteen Bands, Two Stages, One Perfect Day

Goldsounds is undoubtedly one of my favourite music days of the year. One day, one venue, 2 stages, 16 bands ! A joyous celebration of new music and bands. I knew very little about most of the bands playing and had done no pre-listening, so it was just a question of oscillating between the rooms to catch as many bands as possible across the day.

Eurovision 2026: Semi-Final One Predictions

The road to the Grand Final begins with what looks set to be one of the most competitive and eclectic semi-finals in recent Eurovision memory. Semi-Final One offers everything Eurovision fans could ask for: riotous party anthems, dramatic ballads, polished radio pop, bold staging concepts, and even a closing burst of metal.

Sporty Spirit Soars As Melanie C Electrifies Manchester

Back in the day Victoria Beckham was involved in a famous chart tryst with Sophie Ellis-Bextor as she launched her solo career with the Dane Bowers/True Steppers collaboration Out Of Your Mind. Fast forward 26 years, and Melanie C is currently locked into a big chart battle with KNEECAP as both acts attempt to achieve their first-ever #1 charting album in the UK.

Conan Gray Casts A Spell On Manchester's Devoted Coneheads

Conan Gray has only once graced the UK official Top 20 singles, back in 2020 with the anthemic Heather. However, while the album that spawned his biggest commercially successful UK single, Kid Krow, reached number 30 in the official album charts, each subsequent release has charted higher than the previous.

Genius, Construction, Or Carefully Managed Myth?

I remember watching a television documentary in which George Martin, speaking quite matter-of-factly, referred to Yesterday as something he had ‘written’ - while a caption on the screen attributed the song to John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

From Living Room To Arena: The Gladiators Live Experience Brings The Iconic Show To Life

Back in 1992, ITV launched their equivalent of the hit US series, American Gladiators. While the show had done well Stateside, there was little anticipation that the UK equivalent, Gladiators, would become the 8-series phenomenon that ended in 2000 with a diminishing viewership of around 6 million.

In conversation: Leo Sayer

After more than five decades on the road, beloved British music icon Leo Sayer is preparing to return to the UK in autumn 2026 for what will be his final full nationwide tour. While he insists he is not retiring completely, Leo says the tour marks the end of an era as he begins to slow the pace of live performances after 54 years on stage.

'Yes, M’lady': A Thorn in the Rose By Samantha Lee Howe

When the book arrived, I flicked through it initially and spotted the phrase, ‘Mel…the motorbike’ and thought this may just be for me. The prologue is set in London in 1941 and we’re introduced to Mel Greenway, on her nineteenth birthday, the day ‘the letter’ dropped through the letterbox, the letter inviting her to enlist.

Classical Music: Brahms & Contemporaries, Volume 3

This release is another triumph in what has been a marvellous three-volume traversal, and the news that Kaleidoscope's exploration of Brahms alongside his lesser-played contemporaries is to continue beyond the piano quartets — pairing the master with further unjustly neglected voices — is very welcome indeed. On this evidence, one can hardly wait.

Classical Music: Lionel Rogg Organ Works

Born in Geneva in 1936 and Professor of Organ at the city's Conservatory until 2002, Rogg has also been a composer of quietly persistent originality, and it is to this side of his work that Anne Page now turns in a thoughtfully chosen recital for Regent. The programme she has assembled covers a wide range. At one end sit the modest Neuf pièces brèves; at the other, the substantial Hommage à Takemitsu, the radiant Yorokobi-Pièce Joyeuse, and two virtuoso toccatas, which frame the disc with an appropriate flourish

Albums: Eurovision Song Contest 2026

The 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest is now literally just around the corner. The bookies have been favouring Finland ever since Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkonnen romped to victory with Liekinheiten at this year's edition of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu. However, with 35 entrants competing to take the crown from Austria's JJ on May 16, there is plenty of new music to discover at this year's contest.

In Conversation: Tara Maclean

Singer-songwriter Tara MacLean is bringing something special to the UK this May with her Songs & Stories Tour—a series of intimate performances that promise more than just music. Known for her soulful voice and deeply personal songwriting, Tara blends melody with storytelling, inviting audiences into the heart of her creative journey.

In conversation: Deco

Deco return with Dreamhouse, the serotonin-soaked title track and first single from their forthcoming second album: a confident, uplifting statement that introduces a bold new chapter for the Nottingham-born five-piece.

MORE