25/11/2024
Forest Live confirm Gary Barlow and Paul Heaton as latest headliners for 2025
Forest Live, Forestry England’s summer concert series presented with Cuffe & Taylor, has announced Gary Barlow and Paul Heaton with special guest singer Rianne Downey as the latest headliners for its 2025 edition.
A celebration of his illustrious, four decade-spanning career, Gary Barlow will light up Cheshire’s Forestry England Delamere on Saturday 14 June and Forestry England High Lodge, Thetford on Saturday 21 June as part of his solo Songbook Tour.
The Songbook Tour will celebrate Gary Barlow’s status as one of Britain’s most successful songwriters and record producers. As part of the group Take That, he has won eight BRIT Awards and sold over 45 million records. One of the band’s biggest hits, ‘Back For Good’, will turn 30 in March 2025. The track is still ranked as one of the UK’s favorite-ever pop songs having reached No.1 on its release in March 1995 and remaining top of the charts for four consecutive weeks, going on to become the band’s biggest-selling song of the ‘90s.
Aside from his achievements with Take That, he has also co-written and produced music for other renowned artists including Dame Shirley Bassey, Sir Elton John and Robbie Williams, and most recently, he wrote the song ‘Running Wild’ for JIN from Korean super group, BTS.
Renowned as one of the best British songwriters ever, Paul Heaton will perform a headline show (with Rianne Downey joining him on vocals) amongst the stunning surroundings of Westonbirt Arboretum on 20 June 2025. He will also be supported by ‘The Bard Of Barking’, Billy Bragg.
Paul Heaton started his dominance of the pop charts with his early 80s group The Housemartins. This was followed by a chart-topping career with The Beautiful South, and then an impressive solo career. Paul is still thrilling audiences with his energetic live shows and albums containing stories of everyday people and the complexities of modern life. His latest album, The Mighty Several has just been released to his usual critical acclaim.
With a back catalogue of genuine classics including ‘Flag Day’, ‘Old Red Eyes Is Back’, ‘Perfect Ten’, ‘Song For Whoever’, ‘Happy Hour’ and ‘Caravan of Love’, Paul Heaton fans will have one hell of a night to look forward to.
Punk rocker, soldier, Essex boy, folk singer, Skiffle aficionado, protest singers’ protest
singer, patriot, optimist, lefty polemicist, author, soul miner, musicologist, champion of the underclasses, Cockney vocalist and all-round decent bloke Billy Bragg will be providing support for the show. His politically-charged songs including A New England, Sexuality and Levi Stubbs’ Tears, will provide the perfect companion to those of Paul Heaton, all set against the backdrop of the stunning Gloucestershire arboretum.
Merging stellar performances from world-class acts with beautiful outdoor locations to create an atmosphere like no other, Forest Live 2025 will take place at four forest venues: Forestry England Cannock Chase, Delamere, High Lodge, Thetford and Westonbirt.
Paul Heaton with special guest singer Rianne Downey join a selection of renowned global artists announced to perform at the event’s 2025 edition, including Sting (Cannock Chase and Westonbirt Arboretum), The Script (Westonbirt Arboretum and High Lodge, Thetford), Elbow (Westonbirt Arboretum) and Blossoms (Delamere) Rag’n’Bone Man (High Lodge, Thetford) James (High Lodge, Thetford and Cannock Chase) and Snow Patrol (Delamere and Westonbirt Arboretum).
Forestry England manage and care for the nation’s 1,500 woods and forests. They use the money Forest Live raises to maintain these beautiful natural areas for everyone to enjoy, run important conservation projects and keep growing trees.
Last year they planted some 7.4 million trees and welcomed 285 million visits in 2023/24. Everyone in England lives within a one-hour drive of one of the nation’s forests. Over two million people have enjoyed the Forest Live gigs over the last 23 years.
This year sees Forestry England present the concert series in partnership with Live Nation’s Cuffe & Taylor for the second year running.
Gary Barlow
Saturday 14 June 2025, Forestry England Delamere
Saturday 21 June, Forestry England High Lodge, Thetford
Paul Heaton with special guest singer Rianne Downey
Friday 20 June 2025, Westonbirt Arboretum
Tickets will go on sale on Friday 29 November 2024.
Fans can sign up for information, announcements, and exclusive pre-sale access at forestlive.com.
Notes to Editors
About Forestry England
Forestry England manages and cares for the nation’s 1,500 woods and forests and welcomed 285 million visits in 2023/24. They are creating amazing places and experiences for people to enjoy, providing vital homes for wildlife, making our air cleaner to breathe and producing sustainable timber.
Forestry England is growing the future and by 2026 they will:
create at least 6,000 more hectares where we integrate wilding activities in our productive forests.
increase the diversity of visitors to the nation’s forests and have one million hours of high-quality volunteer time given to the nation’s forests.
plant at least 2,000 hectares of new, high quality, predominantly broadleaf woodlands
About Cuffe & Taylor
Cuffe & Taylor is one of the UK’s top live music, theatre and event promoters. Established for more than 10 years and part of the Live Nation family, they present breath-taking tours, festivals and shows across the UK filling football stadiums, arenas, theatres and major historical sites.
Cuffe & Taylor’s roster of artists is extensive and varied including Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, Britney Spears, Rod Stewart, Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey, Lewis Capaldi, Sir Tom Jones, Bryan Adams, Kylie, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Stereophonics, George Ezra, The Strokes, Sam Fender and Def Leppard. They also operate a hugely successful theatre touring department across the UK and internationally programming thousands of nights of entertainment ranging from live podcasts, screen-to-stage TV adaptations and musical theatre. In 2023 they were recipients of an Olivier Award, for Best Family Show, for their original production of ‘Hey Duggee - The Live Theatre Show’.
About Live Nation
Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts and Live Nation Media & Sponsorship. For additional information, visit www.livenationentertainment.com
Media enquiries:
David Cox, LD Communications, david.cox@ldcommspr.uk
Charlotte Marston, LD Communications, charlotte.marston@ldcommspr.uk