Forest Live has added another big name to its 2026 shows: Richard Ashcroft will close the week at Westonbirt Arboretum on Sunday 28 June, joined by Tom Meighan and Apollo Junction.
It comes at a busy moment for Ashcroft. His latest album Lovin’ You has built fresh excitement around his solo catalogue, while his run of arena dates has seen several venues sell out months in advance — including a full O2 Arena — after a summer spent playing to huge crowds as special guest to Oasis. Westonbirt’s show caps off that run with a woodland setting that has become one of Forest Live’s annual highlights.
Ashcroft’s set will pull from across his career, from his time fronting The Verve through to newer work that has sparked a wave of rediscovery around a catalogue that has shaped UK indie for nearly three decades.
Tom Meighan joins the bill following his move into solo work, touring material from his debut album The Reckoning alongside the hits he’s known for from his years fronting Kasabian. Opening the show, Leeds band Apollo Junction return to Forest Live after joining Ashcroft at Dalby Forest in 2024, bringing tracks from their recent album What In The World.
The show sits within Forest Live’s 25th Anniversary series, which brings outdoor gigs to four Forestry England sites. Other 2026 headliners across the programme include Nile Rodgers & Chic, Garbage & Skunk Anansie, Snow Patrol, Becky Hill, Rick Astley, Deacon Blue & Lightning Seeds, UB40 ft Ali Campbell, and more to come.
Forest Live is run by Forestry England, with income helping to fund woodland management, conservation projects and tree planting nationwide. Over two million people have attended Forest Live shows over the last 25 years, and the events directly contribute to maintaining the forests they take place in.
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