The countdown is on for Ripon's fabulous Theatre Festival, which opens its milestone fifth season this coming weekend and runs until July 12 — and this year's programme promises something for everyone, from folklore on the riverbank to a thought-provoking journey into the past.

With his upcoming single Space Invaders, Velazquez looks poised to make the leap from rising talent to mainstream contender. Blending infectious hooks, bold creativity and a sound that feels both contemporary and distinctive, he has been steadily building momentum and attracting attention beyond his core fanbase.

Amateur musicians of all ages will get the chance to rehearse and perform with award-winning saxophonist and CBSO Collaborative Artist Jess Gillam as part of ‘CBSO in the City’ which will bring free performances to iconic spaces across Birmingham this summer (27-31 August) for the third year.

That opening 'O Fortuna' is electrifying — dynamics are observed with real precision rather than mere brute force. Anyone of a certain age will recall its rather unlikely second life soundtracking a men's aftershave advert in the 1970s and '80s, which says something about how a single thrilling fragment can eclipse a far richer whole in the popular imagination. It's a pattern that feels uncomfortably familiar in other walks of life too – not least, dare I say, in the way British politics now rewards the soundbite over substance. Orff's wheel of fortune deserves more than fifteen seconds of fame.

Next month, the transept of Ripon Cathedral will come to life with a 1723 plea for freedom, written by an anonymous enslaved Virginian and almost certainly addressed to the Archbishop of Canterbury himself. The story behind its rediscovery is, in its own way, as remarkable as the play it inspired.

Few writers are able to nail the retrospective surreality of a place and time in history with the elegant efficiency of Bill Broady. Set against the backdrop of a seedy, institutionally misogynistic and terminally necrotic Leeds of the 1970s, the unnamed narrator of There’s No ‘F’ In Wonderful is a knowing flâneur, a recorder of the sociocultural zeitgeist.

Across an extensive catalogue, Andrews has explored themes of longing, vulnerability, faith, grief, and human connection through songs that often feel more like carefully crafted narratives than conventional indie compositions. Their latest release, Fragile World, continues that tradition while presenting a collection that feels remarkably immediate, intimate, and unguarded.

The London-based rock project Thirsty Quireboys returns with God Bless America – Best Of Thirsty, a striking collection that serves as both a heartfelt tribute to the late Guy Bailey and a bold reimagining of the music he created with lyricist Irina D.

Bursting with English eccentricity, the plot of Operation Mincemeat comprises all the ingredients of a theatrical farce peppered with a dash of Bond.

It was a balmy evening in St Leonards and word hadn't got out that this Manchester singer and his bandmates were, for one night only, charming the locals with their catchy, classy and clever spur of reflective indie. But Later Youth weren't thrown. No doubt used to bigger crowds they still delivered a fantastic, clean and as polished a set as you’d expect from seasoned pros.

A new exhibition exploring the life and legacy of Genghis Khan will open at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds this summer, bringing 248 rare Mongolian artefacts to the UK for the first time.

This is a beautiful novel which evokes all sorts of emotions. Set in Trinidad and partly in New York City, it is written in a patois which has a musical lilt to it and which quickly becomes familiar. Likewise, although the dialogue is not punctuated, it is laid out in such a way as to make it easily readable.

She opens with the lyrical and rather lovely Handel Violin Sonata in D major — rhythmical and expressive, with delightful accompaniment from Bai. The playing throughout is perfectly balanced and crisply articulated, the dynamics judged with care, each movement elegantly shaped.

Two young creators from Sheffield have given Yorkshire something to cheer about at this year's BAFTA Young Game Designers competition, taking home half of the four awards on offer.

Fresh from a raucous performance at The Great Escape Festival and ahead of the release of their powerful new single Epitaph (Not There), The Entitled Sons are showing no signs of slowing down. The independent five-piece have just announced an intimate record store tour, giving fans the chance to hear new music and get up close with the band.

The Russian-born German pianist Igor Levit, one of the most politically outspoken and intellectually restless musicians of his generation, is to launch his own record label — NO SILENCE — with three debut releases due on 23 October 2026 in partnership with Sony Classical.

Following a string of acclaimed singles exploring everything from illicit affairs to the realities of 'proper jobs', Micko & The Mellotronics return with their ambitious third album, The Trinity. Released on 12th June, the record blends sharp songwriting, personal reflection and eclectic musical influences, spanning everything from ’70s new wave to contemporary sounds.

Abra-Cadabra My mother had more magic in her thumb than the length and breadth of any magician Weaving incredible stories around the dark-green senna brew just to make us slake the ritual Sunday purgative Knowing how to place a cochineal poultice on a fevered forehead Knowing how to measure a belly's symmetry kneading the narah pains away Once my baby sister stuffed a split-pea up her no…