Each January promises another 12 months of amazing and unexpected musical fun. 2023 will be full of fun. Like every year, we’ve had an intricate ritual asking the chart gods to bless Rihanna for her new album.
In the meantime, from mega stadium tours and big star comebacks to smaller festivals worth traveling to, we’ve rounded up the gigs, books and albums you can’t wait to see. In difficult times, the bright moments we look forward to can return lovingly.
Pulp and Blur are back
2023 will be a big year for live music. 1996 is a triumphant year, with Pulp playing at many outdoor venues across the country and Blur at Wembley and several European festivals.
Paramore’s first record since 2017
Hayley Williams and co. have already blessed us with a handful of truly inspiring singles for their new album that have more than satisfied our cravings. this is the reasonscheduled for February 2023.
Another Lana Del Rey album
Lana is currently in a very fruitful and creative era. In 2021 she will release her two full albums, a collection of poems and a book, and her ninth record will bear a characteristically redundant title. Did you know there’s a tunnel under Ocean Boulevard? comes out in March.
Wide Awake Festival
This South London festival has a great line-up to get you excited, including the highly confusing Jockstrap, the bone-melting Gilla Band and the ever-excellent Daniel Avery.
Big names expecting a tour
Will Taylor Swift announce dates in the UK? If so, can we even get tickets?Beyoncé should hold us tight and give her a great performance renaissance for us too. We may not be able to fly across the Atlantic to see it in person, but Rihanna’s comeback halftime show at the Super Bowl in February is sure to be a great show.
Elton John’s big farewell
He had to put off the breakup for several years, but this time Elton John is really off. His farewell tour dates culminate in a headline spot at Glastonbury in June, and it’s sure to be a glorious celebration of all things Elton.
Reading and Leeds actually looks pretty good
I hate to say it, but Reading and Leeds have completely smashed bookings this year, with Sam Fender, Billie Eilish and The Killers topping the list. Super fun.
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Anyone going on a trip to Porto?
The little brother of Barcelona’s excellent Primavera Sound Festival is a manageable size with great music in 2023. Ridiculously brilliant Eve Tumor.
The release we dream of is…
It’s time we needed a follow-up to Olivia Rodrigo’s stunning 2021 moodiness sourFrank Ocean is headlining Coachella so it seems wise to expect him to drop an album before that. Rihanna finally yields to our demands and drops R9 Would you? Probably not, but you can dream it. But if you ask us, a Billie Eilish album is not out of the question…