David Essex

David Essex returns to The London Palladium, London, on 29 September 2026 with a set that traces a path through British pop, glam and theatre. Born in Plaistow and raised in Canning Town, he moved from local bands and drum kits to the London stage with Godspell in 1971, then That’ll Be the Day and his self‑penned Rock On in 1973, the track that set his supple, narrative voice in motion. The 70s carried into albums like Rock On, David Essex, All the Fun of the Fair, Out on the Street and Imperial Wizard, steering toward a more melodic pop rock while he stayed close to musicals: Tommy, Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds, and creating Che in Evita.

Across the following decades he balanced records, tours and screens: Be-Bop the Future, Cover Shot, and a Saint Etienne detour on Tales from Turnpike House. On stage, he brings that blend of pop craft and theatrical presence, songs that shift from swagger to intimacy, and a writer-performer revisiting the milestones that shaped his sound.