Kylie’s Back - Kylie Minogue has announced her biggest world tour in more than a decade, and a sequel to her comeback album Tension. The 13 tracks on Tension II will be released on 18 October, with the global tour kicking off in her home country Australia in February, before swinging through Asia and the UK.
In a statement, the singer said she is "beyond excited" to be "celebrating the Tension era and more" with fans. "There will be a whole lot of Padaming," she said, a reference to her viral, Grammy-winning 2023 single Padam Padam. 20 dates have been announced so far, but Minogue said more are coming.
Viva La Vida - Coldplay have confirmed they will play two concerts in Hull before heading to Wembley in August next year. The band will appear at Craven Park on 18 and 19 August before performing six dates at Wembley Stadium. A statement confirmed Hull and London will be the only UK and European cities where Coldplay will perform next summer. The statement said half of the tickets for the Hull shows would go to local fans, dependent on them having a local postcode, to mark their first concert in the city.
Maida Vale Revamp - A group backed by Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer has revealed its plans to revamp Maida Vale Studios in west London. The former BBC site was purchased by the partnership last year from the broadcaster after it was valued at around £10m. The consultation states that the group will take a retro-fitting approach, which means the works will prioritise energy-efficient and technological improvements while maintaining the existing building.
MVS Partnership LLP has not yet submitted a formal planning application to Westminster City Council. Three new "state-of-the-art" studios are among the plans, with more composer suites and music rooms.
"The renovated studios will provide circa 42,000sq.ft of creative workspace within the existing building, with flexible and adaptable technology," the consultation website states. A range of high-tech editing facilities are envisioned, with food and drink spaces available on-site for both staff and visitors. According to the consultation, the refurbishment would deliver a venue of "national importance to UK and creative industries".
Blitz Revisited - An exhibition is set to examine London's Blitz club – the 1980s haunt of the likes of Boy George and David Bowie. The Blitz club in Covent Garden was a key hub for the new romantic movement in the 1980s helping to shape fashion, music and wider pop culture in the UK.
The London Design Museum has said their exhibit next year will be a "sensory extravaganza" and an exploration of London's early 1980s club scene. It has been developed in collaboration with some of the leading members of Blitz Kids – those who frequented the club most.
The museum's description of the exhibit states: "Behind a door in a Covent Garden side street, the Blitz club was the place where 1980s style began. It’ll be an opportunity to revisit London’s clubland at the beginning of the decade, as the furious idealism of the 1970s gave way to the glossy individualism of the 1980s." It will also feature art, design, architecture and technology and showcase a "new generation" of international designers.
(Jim Evans)
