Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi has teamed up with Carers Trust and disability awareness charity Able2UK to stage a fully accessible, special concert on July 28 at North London’s O2 Forum Kentish Town. The announcement came with the release of the official music video for Capaldi’s latest single ‘Stay Love‘, a special addition to the deluxe edition of his Survive EP.

Nick Cave returned to Brighton for his Homecoming Show at Preston Park on July 31st, playing the band’s only UK headline show of the year to 50,000 fans. Cave has lived in Brighton for more than two decades, so his return for such a landmark UK show felt especially fitting. The night also held some surprises, including a reunion with Kylie Minogue on stage for their 1995 murder ballad 'Where The Wild Roses Grow', performed live together for the first time since 2018. The lineup also featured Warmduscher, Cate Le Bon, English Teacher and The Flaming Lips.

There is a specific kind of magic that occurs when a foundational 2000s post-grunge powerhouse collides with a classic British summer heatwave. Inside the O2 Academy Brixton the atmosphere was electric, the air conditioning was seemingly non-existent, and the energy was delightfully old-school. For the final stop of their EU/UK tour, Breaking Benjamin brought a masterclass in nostalgic intensity, a touch of family business, and a whole lot of sweat.

One balmy 30° Wednesday in July, several thousand determined and excited fans descended on Upcote farm in Cheltenham to get the Beeros in and trade sweat in the mosh pits of 2000 trees. The midweek kick-off didn't deter the enthusiasm with a duo of stages supplying the soundtrack to tent pitching and friend reunions, The Word stage playing host to half the acts and The Forest providing much needed shelter for the other half. The nineteenth annual edition of the Cotswold alt-rock party returned for 2026 with almost identical weather as the previous year, which could only be described as, bloody hot.

Some albums become part of your DNA. For me, Jagged Little Pill wasn't bought with pocket money or unwrapped on Christmas morning. It lived in my older brother's prized cassette collection, tucked between Nirvana and Pearl Jam, and I distinctly remember waiting until he'd gone out before sneaking it into my Walkman. At twelve years old I barely understood what Alanis Morissette was singing about, but I knew it felt different. Dangerous, honest and thrillingly angry. Thirty-one years later, standing in Crystal Palace Park among thousands of people who looked like they'd grown up alongside those songs, it was impossible not to feel that same rush.

There are some bands that don't just soundtrack your youth, they help define it. For women who came of age in the 1990s, Garbage and Skunk Anansie were never simply alternative rock bands. They were permission slips. Permission to be loud, complicated, political, vulnerable, angry, glamorous and unapologetically ourselves. Standing beneath the open skies at Dreamland on a warm June evening, surrounded by thousands of women who looked suspiciously like they'd once raided Camden Market in the late '90s, it felt less like a nostalgia trip and more like a reunion with old friends who'd never stopped fighting.

Indie-rock band Two Door Cinema Club brought their 'Tourist History' tour to London’s Crystal Palace Park to celebrate 15 years of the album. Formed in 2007 by schoolmates Alex Trimble (vocals), Sam Halliday (lead guitar) and Kevin Baird (bass), the band became widely known for its danceable indie-pop sound after 'Tourist History' was released in 2010. The album went on to win the Choice Music Prize for Irish Album of the Year in 2011 and is also the focus of the band’s current tour, as they performed it in full at the South London park on June 26th.

If you wandered into central London expecting a quiet Sunday stroll, the sheer volume of glowing lightsticks and pirate-themed energy probably gave you whiplash. History was officially made in the sunshine as South Korean powerhouse ATEEZ took over the iconic Great Oak Stage, becoming only the third K-pop act to headline British Summer Time. Following stellar warm-up sets from SHINee’s Taemin, pop sensation Bazzi, R&B trio FLO and breakout pop-rock four-piece Midnight Til Morning, the eight-member powerhouse certainly turned the Royal Park into a roaring sea of lightsticks, pyrotechnics, and pure, unadulterated theatricality in true K-Pop fashion.

When it comes to catering for all the flavours of rock fan, Download Festival certainly has it down. Returning to Donington race track for the 2026 edition of the legendary music festival, the event felt even more diverse, even more exciting and just as special as ever. With a bit of an arena rejig, now featuring a food stage and an increase in size of the main stage ‘Apex’, which is now one of the biggest rock stages in the UK.

'‘This is a full-circle moment. I played this venue two years ago when I opened for Tom Odell'‘ Sofia Isella said during her headline show at the Roundhouse on June 4th. The 21-year-old singer from Los Angeles concluded her 'Her Desire, The Nemesis' Tour that night. Isella’s music is often described as dark, as she explores themes of horror and womanhood. Her debut EP 'I’m Not Yours' was released when she was just 15 years old, but it was her 2023 single 'Hot Gum' that brought her wider attention, generating over 10 million streams, helping her build a loyal fanbase.

American indie rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise (RKS) brought their 'bones' tour to a close at London’s O2 Brixton Academy on June 9th. Formed in 2013 at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, the band has built a distinctive sound that blends folk rock with hip-hop influences. The lineup consists of Ela Melo (lead vocals), Darrick "Bozzy" Keller (rhythm guitar), Ethan Goodpaster (lead guitar), Jess Haney (drums) and Charlie Holt (bass). Their 2024 release 'Love Hate Music Box' marked their first album in six years and was followed by their fifth studio album 'bones' in 2025, the record behind the current tour.

For the first time ever, Los Angeles-based Holywatr brought their unique hard-hitting blend of metal, emo and hardcore to the UK. With a sold-out show at the legendary Underworld in London they delivered an explosive, unapologetic and memorable performance, cementing their rising status in the alt rock/metal scene.