Thursday, May 14, 2026
Summer Festival Guide 2026
The sun is here and the festival line-ups are filling up fast. Catch our guide to some of the top events showcasing global artists in the UK and around the world this summer
Features
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Essential 10: Drinking Songs
Erin Cobby distils some classic odes to imbibing and inebriation from around the world
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Ben Wheatley's My World interview: “It’s as close as you can get as an adult to the thrill of Christmas”
The acclaimed English auteur tells Patrick Clarke how his love of music drove him to overcome a creative mental block and score his own soundtrack
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Songbook: ‘Duncan and Brady’
Paul Slade hears how a humorous murder ballad based on a darker true story grew into a potent theme for civil rights
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Fireside Stories: Bakithi Kumalo on Paul Simon's Graceland
Bakithi Kumalo looks back at the unexpected moment Paul Simon asked him to play on Graceland – and the many paths it opened up for him
Thursday, May 14, 2026
England’s Favourite Folk Heroes, According to the National Folklore Survey
Sophie Parkes reports on the latest findings of the National Folklore Survey for England project and uncovers a realm bewitched by legend
Thursday, May 14, 2026
Top of the World (June 2026)
On this issue’s compilation – our curated selection of new music and bonus tracks from across the globe
Thursday, May 7, 2026
Q&A: Caroline Shaw and Andrew Yee
From Messiaen in a crypt to a queer Moby-Dick, Caroline Shaw and Andrew Yee discuss creativity, friendship and their adventurous new duo album ahead of a London launch party
Friday, April 24, 2026
Live Session with Sam Lee at the House of Music Hungary
British Folk singer Sam Lee performs ‘Meeting is a Pleasant Place’ at the House of Music Hungary in collaboration with Songlines
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
UPBEAT Best New Talent Award 2026 – Vote Now!
ADVERTORIAL: UPBEAT Platform’s Best New Talent Award showcases some of Europe’s best upcoming artists imbuing tradition with fresh energy, celebrating scenes beyond the mainstream. Vote for your favourite among this year’s 10 shortlisted nominees
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
La Brega: The Podcast Capturing Puerto Rico’s Culture
Russ Slater Johnson speaks to the host of Puerto Rican podcast, La Brega, about dignity, Bad Bunny and the art of the hustle
Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Eliza Carthy: “Dad’s shock Alzheimer’s Disease diagnosis hit this family extremely hard”
After Martin Carthy’s sudden Alzhemier’s diagnosis, Eliza, his daughter, reflects on the hastily rearranged UK tour put together as the headline act quietly steps down
Thursday, April 9, 2026
A Conversation with Jorge Drexler: “I wanted to reconnect with the new music scene in Uruguay”
Russ Slater Johnson talks with the Uruguayan singer-songwriter about Latin American music’s recent global renaissance, cultural gains in his home country and new collaborative candombe-charged album, Taracá
Thursday, April 9, 2026
Silvana Estrada: A Ray of Light
Charis McGowan speaks to Silvana Estrada in the house of Mexican ranchera icon, Chavela Vargas. It’s where Estrada learned how to channel grief into song, laying the foundations for her latest album
Thursday, April 9, 2026
Buena Vista Social Club at 30: Chan Chan Changed Everything
Jane Cornwell unpicks the sepia mythology of Buena Vista Social Club to reveal a story of chance, politics and marketing, turning a Havana recording session into a cultural phenomenon
