Blur’s Alex James announces Britpop Classical tour
Blur bassist Alex James has confirmed details of the inaugural Britpop Classical tour of the UK.
For the run of shows, James will be reinterpreting a series of classic songs from Britpop during the 1990s with the help of the London Concert Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra.
He will also be joined by a cast of notable figures connected to the Britpop scene including Phil Daniels, Republica’s Saffron of Republica, and Reef’s Gary Stringer. More guests will be announced in due course.
James previously premiered the Britpop Classical at his own festival, Feastival, this past summer, which gave him the confidence to take it on the road in 2026.
The Blur member said of the upcoming tour, “Somehow all of these songs mean more to people now than they did when they were first released. They really resonate with my kids’ generation too.”
He continued, “Bringing them back to life with a symphony orchestra, a kick ass band, some old friends and very special guests totally blew the roof off at Feastival and I absolutely cannot wait to get this show on the road.”
The tour will begin at London’s Royal Albert Hall on March 11th, ahead of dates in Birmingham, Manchester, Brighton, Nottingham, Newcastle, Glasgow and Sheffield.
Then, in the summer, James will be taking the Britpop Classical outside for a number of summer shows in Southampton, Lincoln, Llangollen, Scarborough, Halifax, Margate and Latitude Festival.
Thanks to the Oasis tour, Britpop has returned to fashion. James’ Blur bandmate, Damon Albarn, recently told the Mexican outlet, Sopitas, “Oasis have done a very good job of making Britpop feel like it’s the biggest thing on Earth. I don’t know how they do it myself, how they keep doing it. They just hold on to that thing, but they do it very well.”
General sale for the Britpop Classical will take place on October 31st at 12pm following a pre-sale.
Britpop Classical tour dates 2026:
March
- 11 – London, Royal Albert Hall
- 12 – Birmingham, Symphony Hall
- 14 – Manchester, O2 Apollo
- 15 – Brighton Centre
- 17 – Nottingham, Royal Concert Hall
- 18 – Newcastle, O2 City Hall
- 19 – Glasgow, Royal Concert Hall
- 21 – Sheffield, City Hall
June
- 13 – Southampton, Guildhall Square
- 18 – Lincoln Castle
- 28 – Llangollen Pavilion
July
- 17 – Scarborough, Open Air Theatre
- 19 – Halifax, Piece Hall
- 24 – Margate, Dreamland
- 26 – Latitude Festival
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