Entertainment News

Accomplished record label Acid Jazz & Other Illicit Grooves celebrate 35 magnificent years of trailblazing music with a series of residencies touring locations across the UK where Acid Jazz was arguably the strongest influence in Birmingham, Leeds, London, Bristol and Luton.

The Music, Arts, Dance & Culture Exhibition will host exclusive Q&As with Acid Jazz stalwarts of the scene, Eddie Piller (Acid Jazz Records/DJ), Dean Rudland (Acid Jazz Records/DJ), Omar (Singer), Snowboy (DJ), John Stapleton (DJ), Perry Louis (Jazzcotech dancer and DJ), Adam Regan (DJ), The Dig Family (DJs and promoters), Adrian Gibson (AGMP), with live performances plus many more guest artists, DJs and dancers TBA.

With just under four weeks to Dominica’s carnival celebrations, the excitement for ‘Mas an Lawi’ continues to rise. Three years have passed since the Caribbean’s most ‘original’ carnival last hit the streets of Dominica, so carnival lovers are ecstatic following the carnival’s official opening on January 14th.

One of the best family get-togethers of the year, Derby’s Sausage and Cider Festival, has today announced its final line-up of tribute’s best. Headliners Björn Again, Fleetwood Bac and Johnny 2 Bad will join Rob Lamberti as George Michael for a weekend of family-friendly mayhem. 

For the 8th edition of Derbyshire’s Sausage and Cider festival, James Dean Events proudly presents the globe’s finest tribute acts for a sizzling summer of sausage, cider and more.

Rick Astley is suing rapper Yung Gravy for using an alleged impersonation of his voice on a recent single.

The singer's 1987 worldwide hit Never Gonna Give You Up is interpolated in Yung Gravy's song Betty (Get Money). The song features an alleged imitation of Astley's vocals, something the singer said had not been agreed.

Babatunde Aléshé is one of the fastest rising stars in British Comedy. After recently warming the hearts of the nation with his incredible stint in the jungle as part of I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, he today announces an third Autumn leg of his massive Babatunde Aléshé: Babahood debut UK headline tour due to phenomenal demand. The tour kicked off last night in Brighton.

Spanning classic jazz to world beats, the 2023 Saint Lucia Jazz & Arts Festival will again attract visitors from around the world as the lineup includes international, local and Caribbean music. Genres include Afro beats, jazz, gospel, Soca, reggae, Zouk, pop and an array of cultural beats and exciting rhythms. The iconic and historic Pigeon Island National Park is the waterside backdrop for the open air performances.

The world’s longest-running play, The Mousetrap, will play at The Belgrade from Monday 13 – Saturday 18 February, with a press performance on Monday 13 February. The genre-defining murder mystery from Agatha Christie, the world’s best-selling novelist of all time, is visiting Coventry as part of a UK tour celebrating the 70th anniversary of its premiere in 1952 and is visiting all the cities in which it originally played 70 years ago, including Birmingham, plus many more.

Back for the 7th year running, the UK’s most nostalgic festival, Back 2 Festival, is proud to announce the final lineup for this year’s throwback extravaganza. Superstar DJ Example and pop rock band The Hoosiers among others will join headline acts Boyzlife and Basshunter on Thursday 30th June – Sunday 3rd July 2023 for a riotous celebration of 00s finest. 

Earlier this week, stars of Birmingham Hippodrome’s Dick Whittington took a break from their final week on stage to visit children and their families at Birmingham Children’s Hospital.

TV Doctor and presenter Dr Ranj who plays Spirit of the Bells, Birmingham favourite Doreen Tipton who stars as Dick Whittington’s companion Doreen the Cat and Andrew Ryan who plays Felicity Fitzwarren helped bring some of the magic of panto to the hospital’s patients and staff.

This weekend, families in Birmingham are invited to visit The Entertainer for the exclusive chance to meet YouTube’s CoComelon star, JJ. On Saturday 28th January, fans will have the opportunity to meet and snap a photo with YouTube sensation, JJ, CoComelon’s fun-filled, musical lead.

The singing superstar, JJ, will be at The Entertainer in Birmingham Bullring store for one day only before he returns to his friends and family for another toe-tapping adventure.

GRAMMY Award-winning and multi-Platinum-selling Nigerian global superstar, Wizkid, has announced a London tour date for 2023 in support of his fifth studio album, More Love, Less Ego.
 
Wizkid, will be performing for the first time live at the incredible state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, July 29th, 2023. This marks Wizkid's return to London after his historic three-date sold-out run at the O2 Arena in 2021, which was described as “a triumph for African music’s increasingly globalized reach" – Evening Standard. “The Afrobeat superstar had the O2 Arena in the palm of his hand” – The Telegraph

Financial experts have backed City of Wolverhampton Council’s management of the Civic Halls refurbishment project.

A ‘value for money’ report by independent auditors found there was no risk of ‘significant weakness’ in the council’s management of the project. The much-loved entertainment venue, now known as The Halls Wolverhampton, will reopen its doors in June following a complete overhaul.

Due to phenomenal demand, multi-platinum-selling artist Chris Brown has announced an extended run of dates in March 2023 for his upcoming European Under The Influence tour.
The tour, which kicks off in February 2023, will see Brown performing hits from his extensive catalogue and latest album.

A top Birmingham bar has scooped a hat-trick of coveted trophies in a glitzy, stage show-style awards ceremony in the city. Velvet Music Rooms won ‘Best Bar’ of the year, its general manager Steve Emmison won ‘Best Bar Manager’ of the year, and stafff member Hili Fletcher won ‘Employee of the Year’ at the Wonders of Westside Awards – otherwise known as the WOWs.

Cadbury World has announced that it will reopen from Wednesday 25th January for heaps of chocolatey-fun, including the return of its popular Cinderella pantomime. Following a month-long closure, the Bournville-based attraction is excited to welcome guests through the doors again and has revealed that its enchanting Cinderella pantomime will return for visitors to enjoy.

The interest is hardly surprising - Khan is among India's biggest and most-loved stars. Charming, funny and with millions of fans at home and abroad, the actor is often described as Bollywood's "most important cultural export", whose popularity travels beyond his films.

His fans endearingly refer to him as King Khan or the King of Bollywood. And Pathaan is his first film after a four-year hiatus.