Richard Ashcroft

Richard Ashcroft steps back into the spotlight on 28 June 2026 at Westonbirt, The National Arboretum in Tetbury. First known as the singer and principal songwriter of The Verve in the early 90s, he helped shape a strand of British rock that blended psychedelic edges, orchestral colours and darker moods across three studio albums, from A Storm in Heaven to Urban Hymns. After the band split, he built a solo path rooted in melodic, reflective rock: Alone with Everybody, Human Conditions, Keys to the World, then a later run with These People, Natural Rebel and Acoustic Hymns Vol. 1, where he revisits parts of his catalogue.

On stage, Ashcroft leans on that elastic voice and a taste for long, unfolding vocal lines, moving between stripped ballads and more driven songs. His sets tend to weave Verve-era material with solo tracks, letting the writing breathe and keeping the focus on tone and feeling rather than fireworks. In the setting of Westonbirt, the evening draws a through-line from the 90s to today, showing a songwriter who keeps evolving while staying true to a clear identity.