Lana Del Rey: Stove
The American singer’s 10th studio album has had three working titles – Lasso, The Right Person Will Stay and, briefly, Classic – not to mention a sliding scale of release dates. All this is totally on-brand for Del Rey, who has previously kept her fans guessing. What’s more certain is the star’s likely country lean, introduced by a well-received pair of tracks and more beguiling, southern-themed songs – Stars Fell on Alabama, Quiet in the South and 57.5 – performed live on her summer tour.
Expected this month on Interscope/Polydor
Ms Banks: South LDN Lover Girl
A decade in the game, and with numerous guest spots, tour supports and a boisterous 2022 mixtape, Bank Statement, behind her, the south London rapper has yet to release a debut album proper. A paean to the streets that made her, the LP finally arrives in February, channelling Afrobeats and vulnerability.
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Released on 13 February via Believe UK
Cardinals: Masquerade
The seemingly inexhaustible wellspring of great new Irish groups has once again delivered in the form of Cork five-piece Cardinals. This accordion-toting guitar band have only released one EP so far, but Grian Chatten of Fontaines DC has been singing their praises, adding them to his band’s 2025 Finsbury Park festival lineup. The Cork rockers’ debut LP arrives in February, sequenced as an A-side and a B-side, with stated influences that span Townes Van Zandt and Iceage.
Released on 13 February on So Young; the band also tour in March
Gorillaz will release their ninth studio album The Mountain. Main image: Rapper Ms Banks’s long-awaited debut is out next month
Gorillaz: The Mountain
So far, Massive Attack are keeping tight-lipped about their mooted 2026 release. But fellow 1990s titan Damon Albarn’s hyper-productive late period continues apace. Previewed last year at a no-phone, no-press gig in east London, the cartoon band’s ninth studio album takes death as its theme and features posthumous appearances from old friends such as Bobby Womack, Mark E Smith and Tony Allen, as well as newer collaborators Idles and Omar Souleyman.
The Mountain is released on 27 February on Kong
Lily Allen tour
There may not have been a sadder phrase sung in 2025 than: “I always thought it was a dojo.” The breakup album of our time, Allen’s West End Girl, hits the road in 2026. A run of 14 nights in medium-sized theatre venues in March saw demand far outstrip supply; a number of summer arena dates are now on offer.
Tour starts on 2 March, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall; ends 7 July, London O2
Dave: The Boy Who Played the Harp tour
Not only was this latest album the rapper’s third LP to debut at No 1; it bolstered his reputation as a deep-thinking everyman, surveying other people’s suffering and wondering how to remain true to his purpose. But can the multi-instrumentalist actually play the harp? This tour may provide the answer.
Tour starts 4 March, Glasgow Ovo Hydro; ends 17 March, Manchester Co-op Live
Dave tours his album The Boy Who Played the Harp
Olivia Dean tour
The London-born pop singer became massive in 2025 when her second album, The Art of Loving, broke records, with four singles in the UK top 10 simultaneously and multiple award nominations. Dean goes on the road in 2026; her UK tour is, of course, sold out (please use secondary sites responsibly), but there are tickets remaining for some European dates in May.
UK tour stars 22 April, Glasgow Ovo and ends 2 May, London O2; two more London O2 shows have been added on 11 & 12 June
Elvis Costello and the Imposters tour
Many veteran acts are expected to be active in 2026; Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones are just two. But the cognoscenti will be eyeing Radio Soul! The Early Songs of Elvis Costello, where one of Britain’s most incisive musical minds will be airing the songs that made his reputation. There’s a mixture of dates – some headline shows, while others are supporting Neil Young; Charlie Sexton, formerly of Bob Dylan’s band, guests.
Tour starts 13 June, Birmingham Symphony Hall and ends 6 July, City Hall, Newcastle upon Tyne
Photographs by Gabriel Moses