Richard Ashcroft has been announced as the first headliner for next summer’s Nocturne Live concert series, which returns to the 10,000-capacity UNESCO World Heritage Site of Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire from June 18th – 22nd 2025. He will headline on Thursday 19th June 19th 2025 with support from Lightning Seeds and The Zutons.
As frontman of The Verve, Ashcroft earned a reputation as one of his generation’s most iconic performers. They emerged through the early 1990’s shoegaze scene with singles like ‘Gravity Grave‘ and ‘She’s A Superstar‘ and debut album A Storm In Heaven. The group’s breakthrough album came in 1997 with their third album Urban Hymns, which spawned hit singles including ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony,’ ‘Lucky Man,’ and ‘The Drugs Don’t Work,’ the latter becoming a no.1 single. It remains one of the best-selling albums in UK history. Since The Verve disbanded in 1999, Ashcroft has had a successful solo career with the release of seven UK Top Five albums and a string of hit singles. Ashcroft has received Ivor Novello Awards for Songwriter of the Year and Outstanding Contribution to British Music.
The Zutons recently released The Big Decider, their first new album in 16 years which was produced by Nile Rodgers and the band’s original producer Ian Broudie, and charted in the UK Top 10. Broudie is also the frontman of The Lightning Seeds, who mark 35 years this year since the release of their first hit ‘Pure‘ and who notched up 14 top forty singles, including the English Football anthem ‘Three Lions.’
Nocturne Live 2025 runs from Wednesday June 18th – Sunday June 22nd. Tickets for Richard Ashcroft, Lightning Seeds and The Zutons start at £54 and go on sale at 9am on Friday October 25th. Pre-sale is available to those signed up to the Nocturne Live mailing list and begins at 9am on Tuesday October 22nd. Tickets, along with a limited number of VIP packages – which provide an exclusive opportunity to dine in the State Rooms of Blenheim Palace! – are available from www.nocturnelive.com. More acts for the series will be announced in due course.
