Iconic British act The Streets have been announced as the latest headline act for the ‘Live at Ludlow Castle’ concert series in 2026, promising a performance that will delight fans of UK garage and hip-hop.
Mike Skinner and his band will take to the stage within the historic castle grounds on Thursday, 23rd July 2026, for a unique show: the first-ever full live performance of their multi-platinum, era-defining second album, A Grand Don’t Come for Free.
Released in 2004, the record cemented Skinner’s reputation as one of the UK’s most important and influential voices, capturing the humour, heartbreak, and raw emotion of day-to-day life. It shot to No. 1 in the UK charts and delivered smash-hit singles, including ‘Fit But You Know It’, ‘Blinded By The Lights’, and the Ivor Novello-winning ‘Dry Your Eyes’.
Performing the Album in its Entirety
Performing the album in its entirety offers fans a chance to experience the full narrative arc of the record—a cinematic journey through love, loss, chaos, and hope, delivered with Skinner’s trademark poetic clarity and wit.
Speaking about the upcoming show, Mike Skinner said: “A Grand Don’t Come For Free was a moment in time – for me, and for everyone who grew up with it. I wrote it as a story from beginning to end, even studying screenwriting to shape it and without the faintest idea how people would react.”
Skinner added that the band is relishing the challenge: “We’ve been looking for something bold to do with the live show, and we landed here: some tracks have never been played live, others haven’t surfaced in years. It’s a new challenge to bring the whole journey to life on stage, but I have an incredible band and we always give everything every night. So I’m certain we’ll make finding out what happened to that thousand quid a party.”
Castle Setting and Ticket Details
The show is expected to draw a huge crowd, especially given its location just an hour and a half from The Streets’ hometown of Birmingham.
Andy Smith, Director at Futuresound Group, which organises the event, expressed his excitement: “We’re thrilled to be announcing The Streets as the latest headliner for Live at Ludlow Castle next summer. With The Streets joining The Human League, Snow Patrol, and Richard Ashcroft, we want next year’s concert series to be even bigger and even better…”
Gemma England, General Manager at Ludlow Castle, echoed the sentiment: “Another amazing announcement for the Live at Ludlow Castle Series with The Streets performing such a monumental album in full within our castle walls.”
The Streets follow a stellar list of acts to perform at the venue, which is now in its fourth season, including Elbow, Faithless, and Texas.
Tickets for the event go on postcode pre-sale for local residents (SY7, SY8, HR6, DY14, WR15) at 10 am on Wednesday, 15th October. General sale opens at 10 am on Friday, 17th October.