James Blake « Trying Times Tour »

James Blake brings his Trying Times Tour to New Century in Manchester on 26 October 2026. The English singer, producer and pianist has spent the past decade folding electronic minimalism into soul, R&B and pop, pairing sub-bass and sparse drums with a clear, weightless falsetto. From early club-rooted EPs and his self-titled debut to the Mercury Prize–winning Overgrown, his catalogue slides between skeletal beats and piano-led confessionals, shaped along the way by collaborations with Bon Iver and Kanye West.

On stage, Blake tends to strip songs to their frame and rebuild them in real time with keys, samplers and stacked harmonies. The set often folds new material into reimagined cuts from across his albums, moving from hush to pressure without losing that intimate core. Glitches and gospel-tinged chords share space; a single loop can swell into something tense, then soften back to a voice and a piano. At New Century, Manchester is the stop and 26 October 2026 the date, a chance to catch his shifting, understated live craft up close.