Richard Ashcroft

On 27 June 2026, Scarborough Open Air Theatre welcomes Richard Ashcroft for a concert built around the songs that have marked his path. Born in Wigan in 1971, he first came to prominence in the early 1990s as singer and principal songwriter of The Verve, a British rock band tied to the britpop era where psych rock, orchestral pop and darker shades met. From A Storm in Heaven (1993) to Urban Hymns (1997), his introspective lyrics and elongated vocal lines shaped the group’s identity.

After The Verve split, Ashcroft pursued a solo course anchored in melodic alternative rock. He opened with Alone with Everybody (2000), followed by Human Conditions (2002) and Keys to the World (2006), then returned with These People (2016) and Natural Rebel (2018). In 2021, Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1 revisited parts of his catalogue in stripped-back form. Along the way he has stepped into the UK electronic and trip-hop sphere with collaborations alongside UNKLE and The Chemical Brothers, while keeping a steady live presence in both full-band and acoustic formats. Expect a set drawing across these chapters at Scarborough, between The Verve years and his solo records.