Manchester Calling - The 30th annual Mobo Awards will be held in Manchester for the first time in March 2026. The awards – which celebrate black music, culture and excellence from the UK and abroad – will be held on 26 March at Co-Op Live Arena. Stars who have previously been part of the awards include Janet Jackson, Diana Ross, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Sade, Amy Winehouse and Usher.
In the lead-up to the ceremony, organisers will also be hosting a week-long fringe festival in Manchester featuring industry panel discussions, live music showcases and workshops. The awards have helped launch the careers of UK artists such as Little Simz, Stormzy, Central Cee and Raye. Started in London in 1996, the Mobo Awards have since been held all over the UK.
St David’s Days - Academy Music Group has confirmed an agreement with Cardiff Council to take over the running of St David’s Hall. In a statement, the parties said that the agreement would "safeguard the future of the venue, preserving the National Concert Hall of Wales as a centrepiece of Cardiff’s cultural fabric and securing its legacy as a world-class music venue".
It comes despite a petition in 2022, which was signed by more than 8,000 people, against the centre becoming a pop music venue. St David’s Hall is home to the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and it is understood the orchestra will be returning to the venue under the agreement. The council and AMG said the venue would continue to offer an "eclectic" mix of programming. As part of the agreement, at least 60 days in the Hall’s peak event calendar will be available to host key classical events.
AMG chief executive Liam Boylan said: “Cardiff is a vibrant city with a thriving music and arts scene, and we’re delighted to be returning one of its most integral venues to the forefront of its cultural community. Academy Music Group has a long history of investing in culturally important buildings and ensuring that they remain open and flourish for future generations to enjoy. St David’s Hall sets a benchmark for concert halls globally, and we’re thrilled to be able to ensure it continues to deliver outstanding entertainment for many years to come."
Headliner - Lewis Capaldi has been announced as headliner for a show in Devon in 2026. Capaldi is the first headline artist announced for TK Maxx presents Live At Powderham in Exeter on Sunday 28 June, organised by Live Nation promoters Cuffe and Taylor. It comes following the musician's return at Glastonbury festival earlier this year, two years after taking a break to focus on his mental health.
Live Nation promoter Oli Mason said: "We're absolutely delighted to be bringing Lewis to Powderham, and what an incredible artist to launch our 2026 event. His current arena tour sold out in minutes, so we are expecting demand to be extremely high."
Capaldi has also been announced as the first act for Roundhay Festival in Leeds next summer. He will headline the new festival, launched in collaboration with Leeds City Council, and will perform at Roundhay Park on 4 July.
Formal Occasion - Queen were the star guests at the Last Night of the Proms, giving their first ever symphonic performance of their rock operetta, Bohemian Rhapsody. Sir Brian May and Roger Taylor joined the BBC Symphony Orchestra and the BBC Symphony Chorus to bring their scaramouches and fandangos to the Royal Albert Hall, as the song celebrated its 50th anniversary.
Queen singer Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991, "would have loved to be here", Sir Brian told BBC News. "He'd have been on that stage, lapping it up." Asked what the flamboyant star would have worn, his bandmate replied: "I think it would be formal. He wouldn't do the short shorts or the leotard. He'd be in tails, very elegant."
Challenging Shakespeare - The majority of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 1,029 employees are being invited to take voluntary redundancy as the theatre organisation grapples with a "challenging" financial situation. A spokesperson said the employees were being offered voluntary redundancy as part of a programme running until October 5, following which compulsory redundancies will begin.
The redundancy programme is being rolled out as the RSC continues to deal with the increased costs of making theatre, as well as the cost of infrastructure and a decline in money brought in through Matilda in the West End.
In The Saleroom - Auctioneers have sold a guitar formerly owned by Led Zeppelin's Jimmy Page for £100,000. New Musical Express (NME) gave away the instrument in a competition in 1974 after Page posed with it on the cover wearing cricket whites. Musician Phil O'Donoghue, from Chessington, later purchased the guitar from the competition winner, and his family were selling it after he died earlier in 2025. Auctioneer Luke Hobbs from Gardiner Houlgate said the sale "exceeded all expectations". The Wiltshire auctioneers previously predicted the 1957 Gretsch Chet Atkins 6120 electric guitar would fetch up to £50,000.
(Jim Evans)