UB40

On 17 March 2026 UB40 will bring their mix of reggae, pop and rock to the Jahrhunderthalle in Frankfurt. Founded in Birmingham in the late 1970s, the band originally represented socially grounded reggae rooted in British working-class culture—their name derives from the unemployment benefit form. Through pub gigs and political concerts they developed a sound that, on Signing Off (1980) and Present Arms (1981), is marked by dub-inflected edges and clear, direct lyrics. With Labour of Love (1983) UB40 expanded their repertoire to include reinterpretations of reggae tracks from the 1960s and 1970s; later a more melodic, pop-oriented side came to the fore, notably on Promises and Lies (1993). Live, this manifests in prominent brass, mid-tempo grooves and the alternation between original compositions and covers that shapes their concerts. Despite lineup changes in the 2000s, including the departures of Ali Campbell and Astro, the current formation presents the songbook intact on stage—from the early, dub-leaning numbers to the later radio favorites. In Frankfurt this creates a compact panorama of several decades of British reggae, drawn directly from the band’s own history.