One of London’s last remaining independent performance venues is calling on the industry and the public to help secure its future.

On Monday 20 April 2026, a major West End Gala will take place at the Phoenix Theatre to raise £100,000 for The Phoenix Arts Club CIC (12774130), ensuring the continuation of one of central London’s most important homes for cabaret, musical theatre, comedy and queer performance.

Founded in 1988 and located beneath the Phoenix Theatre, The Phoenix Arts Club has, for nearly four decades, provided a meeting place and performance platform for theatre workers, creatives and audiences. Since taking over the venue 15 years ago from Soho character Maurice Huggett, Colin Savage and Ken Wright have transformed what was once a modest theatre bar into one of London’s busiest cabaret and variety spaces, presenting over 400 performances a year.

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Special guests have been announced for Wu-Tang Clan’s upcoming farewell tour across the UK/EU. Havoc of Mobb Deep has been announced as a special guest across all UK/EU dates, with DJ Target confirmed to support all UK dates.

The world’s most iconic hip-hop group Wu-Tang Clan have already announced a second show at London’s O2 on 18 March 2026, following unprecedented demand for their farewell tour – Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber.

The Wu Tang Forever: The Final Chamber tour will celebrate the depth and breadth of the iconic group’s deep catalogue. On the tour fans can expect to hear songs that have never been performed live, deep cuts, and, of course, major hits from their debut album “Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)” as well as the group’s Grammy-nominated and highest selling second album “Wu-Tang Forever”, which debuted at #1 on the UK album and Billboard 200 chart and has been certified 4x platinum. To date, the group has released a total of seven gold and platinum studio albums with worldwide sales exceeding a staggering 40 million albums.

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Hot on the heels of releasing surprise title-track single Wildfire, unveiled live for the first time last week at YOYO in Paris, multi-platinum, award-winning artist Loreen today announces a UK & European headline tour spanning seven countries including the UK, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, France, Poland and the Netherlands.

The tour opens in Dublin’s National Stadium on 22nd September 2026, before travelling through Glasgow, Manchester and London, continuing across Europe and culminating at the iconic Paradiso in Amsterdam on 6th October. Tickets go on sale Friday 6th March at 9am GMT / 10am CET at Loreenofficial.com. Fans who pre-order Wildfire will gain early pre-sale access from 4th March at 9am GMT / 10am CET.

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Today, Diaspora Sounds, the boundary-pushing music and culture platform championing artists from the African and global Black diaspora, announces its biggest live show to date, set to take over at HERE at Outernet on Sunday 11 October 2026.

The upcoming London showcase will be headlined by Sona, Mista Silva, Kwamz & Flava, Esdee YFS, and Moelogo,bringing together some of the most exciting names shaping contemporary diaspora sounds. The night will also feature special guest appearances, continuing Diaspora Sounds tradition of surprise collaborations and high-impact moments.

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Chart-topping Canadian rapper, singer-songwriter and producer Nav announces his anticipated first European tour, OMW2 Europe. Presented by Live Nation, the tour kicks off Wednesday, April 29 in London, UK at O2 Academy Brixton before making stops in Paris, Cologne, Amsterdam and Berlin. The tour follows recent dates on the Travis Scott tour, Rolling Loud India, along with shows in  Tokyo, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangkok and Riyadh.

The announcement comes on the heels of a new single with Young Thug – “Trimski”, their first music together in over five years. Produced by Ty Gotem, Elementry, Rel with additional production from Rodrigo Barahona and co-written by Frost the track continues a creative partnership that dates back to the Perfect Timing era, when Thug was one of the first major artists to cosign Nav. Since then, they’ve linked on many records including “Boy Back,” “Spend It,” “No Debate” and most recently “Repercussions” from NAV’s 2020 album Emergency Tsunami. Inspired by Atlanta slang and culture, “Trimski” is Nav’s take on the word “trim” and also nods to Toronto slang, which often adds -ski to the end of various phrases. It can be defined as to be exceptionally well put.

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Following sold-out global runs and continued international acclaim, comedian and satirist Bassem Youssef returns to the UK this summer with his new stand-up show The Belly of the Beast, taking place at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 14 June 2026.

Tickets will be available via O2 Priority from 10am Wednesday 25 February, followed by Royal Albert Hall Members pre-sale from 10am Thursday 26 February, with general on sale opening 10am Friday 27 February via livenation.co.uk.

Widely recognised as the pioneering host of Al Bernameg, the Middle East’s first political satire show, Youssef rose to prominence during the Egyptian revolution when his short YouTube clips evolved into a television phenomenon reaching tens of millions of viewers weekly.

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The Neighbourhood drops (((((ultraSOUND)))))+, the highly anticipated deluxe edition of their recent album (((((ultraSOUND))))), via Warner Records today. The expanded edition deepens the sonic universe of the original album with five new tracks Start, Good Grief, Lulu, Red Flag, and Bed. (((((ultraSOUND)))))+ is available now on digital platforms as well as CD and vinyl, with track order varying by format. See full track list below. Listen to the deluxe album HERE. Order physical vinyl HERE.

The band has also announced additional dates for The Wourld Tour, which launches in March 2026 and spans North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Due to overwhelming demand, more than twenty new dates have been added, after nearly every show from the initial November 7 on-sale sold out within minutes. The expanded run includes stops across Scandinavia, Malaysia, and the United States, featuring iconic venues such as Barclays Center, OVO Arena Wembley, and an additional hometown date at the Kia Forum. The full list of updated tour dates is below.

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London Theatre Direct today announces that renowned theatre journalist Lyn Gardner will join the brand, sharing her expert recommendations and insight to help audiences discover the best of London theatre — from bold new fringe productions to major West End shows.

With decades of experience covering British theatre, from fringe venues to West End productions, Gardner is widely respected for championing new voices, bold storytelling and greater diversity across the theatre landscape. Previously writing for The Guardian and The Independent, and now associate editor of The Stage, she brings an informed perspective shaped by a lifelong passion for live performance.

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Today, global music collective Soulection and its founder Joe Kay have officially announced their 15th anniversary UK show, set to take place this summer at the brand new outdoor location Magazine Open–Air on the Greenwich Peninsula, London, on Sunday, 16 August 2026. The event will feature an immersive lineup of Soulection artists, DJs, and live performances, celebrating the community’s decade-and-a-half legacy of genre-bending sounds and innovative music.

Since its founding by Joe Kay in 2011 as an independent radio show, Soulection has grown into a worldwide creative hub for forward-thinking musicians, crate-digging DJs, and open-minded fans. Over the years, the collective has become synonymous with a borderless musical movement, bringing together a global audience.

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