UB40

On 21 March 2026 UB40 will play at Rotterdam Ahoy. The Birmingham band formed in the late 1970s between pubs and benefit shows, and took its name from the British unemployment form. With their debut Signing Off (1980) and Present Arms (1981), UB40 established a reggae sound marked by dub echoes and socially charged lyrics. From Labour of Love (1983) onward the focus shifted to reinterpretations of classics from the 1960s and 1970s, a direction continued through Promises and Lies (1993), producing a sound where reggae, pop and a touch of rock converge. Distinctive features include warm horn lines, mid‑tempo grooves and room for covers alongside original compositions.

Over the years the lineup changed — Ali Campbell left in 2008 and Astro departed later — but the group continued to perform and record in various configurations around core members and new voices. Live, the emphasis is on the smooth pulse, the call‑and‑response of horns and backing vocals and that recognisable, melodic swing. In Ahoy that hybrid sound will come into its own.