Bob Harris has spent 50+ years giving unknown artists their first big break – this December, those artists are returning the favour.
Recently added Colin Blunstone (The Zombies) and Still Frames will now join Roger Daltrey, Robert Plant, Paul Weller, Carly Pearce, Rick Wakeman, Seth Lakeman, Elles Bailey and many more, playing two nights at the Royal Albert Hall (2 and 3 December) for ‘Stand By Me: Bob Harris – A Celebration of Life in Music’. Night one sold out in minutes, a second night was added, and it’s almost gone too!
Bob himself will be watching from the audience. He’s said he’s “overwhelmed by the response”, and the show is a chance to celebrate his career and the friendships behind it.
Following phenomenal demand and a complete sell-out of the first show, a second night has now been added to ‘Stand By Me: Bob Harris – A Celebration of Life in Music’, taking place on Thursday 3 December 2026 at the Royal Albert Hall, the night after the first concert. With only a handful of tickets still available, the second night is now almost sold out.
The first night, Wednesday 2 December, which sold out within minutes, features performances from Roger Daltrey, Paul Weller, Robert Plant with Saving Grace and Suzi Dian, Rick Wakeman, Carly Pearce, Chris Difford, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Judie Tzuke, Kate Rusby, The Shires, Kezia Gill and Toby Lee.
Already announced for the 3rd December are returning artists Roger Daltrey, Robert Plant with Saving Grace, Carly Pearce and Beth Nielsen Chapman plus Albert Lee, Joe Brown, Bears Den, Seth Lakeman, Martyn Joseph and Elles Bailey. And now two further names complete the line up; Colin Blunstone, the unmistakable voice of The Zombies and the new duo Still Frames.
Bob Harris, known affectionately as “Whispering Bob,” has spent more than five decades at the heart of British music broadcasting, from presenting the original Sounds of the 70s, and the iconic BBC TV show The Old Grey Whistle Test, to championing new Country and Americana talent through Bob Harris Country on BBC Radio 2. Awarded an OBE in 2011 for services to music broadcasting, he has built lifelong friendships with many of the artists he first supported in the earliest days of their careers – relationships that lie at the very heart of this once-in-a-lifetime celebration.
Bob Harris: “I’m overwhelmed by the response to this concert. To sell out the Royal Albert Hall once was beyond anything I could have imagined, so to be adding a second night, with yet another incredible group of artists is just extraordinary. I can’t wait to be there for both very special evenings.”
As with the first night, the evening will feature celebrated broadcasting and music figures on stage to present the show and share their memories of Bob, alongside archive footage from his career shown on the big screen. Bob himself will be in the audience to enjoy the celebration.
About Bob Harris:
Bob Harris OBE is one of British broadcasting’s most enduring and best-loved voices. Born in Northampton in 1946, he co-founded the listings magazine Time Out in 1968 before joining the BBC in 1970, where he presented the original Sounds of the 70s on BBC Radio 1 and went on to front the influential music show The Old Grey Whistle Test on BBC Two. His distinctive, gentle delivery gave him his famous nickname and made him a champion of new artists at pivotal early moments in their careers.
Harris has spent more than five decades on air, including a long tenure at BBC Radio 2 fronting Bob Harris Country and the revived Sounds of the 70s, and has been a driving force behind the UK’s Country and Americana music scene, hosting C2C: Country to Country Festival every year since its launch in 2013. He was appointed OBE in 2011 for services to music broadcasting, the same year he received the Americana Music Association’s Trailblazer Award, and he has also been honoured with a UK Radio Hall of Fame induction, a MOJO Medal and multiple Sony Awards. He is the author of two memoirs, The Whispering Years and Still Whispering After All These Years.
Bob has been open about his ongoing battle with prostate cancer, and earlier this year he had to step back from his weekly Radio 2 shows while dealing with a health setback. While his treatment is still very much ongoing, he continues to work on various programmes and projects whenever he can. He’s said “Radio 2 have been supportive beyond words.”
Event Details:
Show: Stand By Me: Bob Harris – A Celebration of Life In Music
Venue: Royal Albert Hall, London
Night One: Wednesday 2 December 2026 — SOLD OUT
Line-up: Roger Daltrey, Paul Weller, Robert Plant with Saving Grace and Suzi Dian, Rick Wakeman, Carly Pearce, Chris Difford, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Judie Tzuke, Kate Rusby, The Shires, Kezia Gill and Toby Lee Doors
Start time: 7.30pm
Night Two: Thursday 3 December 2026 — ONLY A HANDFUL OF TICKETS REMAINING
Line-up: Roger Daltrey, Robert Plant, Carly Pearce, Albert Lee, Joe Brown, Colin Blunstone, Bears Den, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Seth Lakeman, Martyn Joseph, Elles Bailey and Still Frames
Tickets: https://gigst.rs/BHLIM3Dec
Start time: 7.30pm
MD: Ethan Johns
Producer: Trudie Myerscough-Harris
House band: Jeremy Stacey (Drums), Neil Cowley (Bass Guitar), Nick Pini (Keys), Mollie Marriott (BVs), Siobhan Maher Kennedy (BVs)
