Elvis Costello & The Imposters with Charlie Sexton

Elvis Costello brings The Imposters to O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, London, on 20 June 2026, for a set that spans his full arc as a songwriter. From the taut rock and pop of the late 70s to the soul, country and chamber-tinged turns that followed, Costello moves across eras without fuss, mixing punchy singles, deep cuts and slower songs that let the lyrics breathe. Expect a throughline from My Aim Is True and This Year’s Model to the more expansive writing of the 80s and the collaborations that broadened his palette, all carried by a band built for dynamics and quick left turns.

With The Imposters, Costello leans into contrast: wiry riffs and organ jabs against bittersweet melodies, tight rhythms opening into sudden hush. The show lives in that tension between barbed hooks and narrative detail, shifting from raw rockers to reflective ballads with the same dry wit that runs through his catalogue.

Charlie Sexton joins on guitar, adding bite and glide to the arrangements. His lines thread around Costello’s voice, pushing the songs forward and leaving space for interplay, the kind that can tilt a familiar track into something new on stage.