Muse have been confirmed to replace Kings Of Leon at NOS Alive 2025.
The 17th edition of the Lisbon festival will be held between July 10 and July 12, with Olivia Rodrigo set to headline. Other huge names revealed in the first wave of announcements were Girl In Red, Noah Kahan, Benson Boone, Amyl And The Sniffers and CMAT.
Later, Barry Can’t Swim, Finneas, Dead Poet Society and Foster The People were also confirmed, and in January, Sam Fender and Bright Eyes joined the line-up.
Initially, Kings Of Leon were scheduled to be the headliners for Saturday (July 12), booked in following the release of their ninth studio album, ‘Can We Please Have Fun’, which was shared last May. However, Wednesday (May 28) saw frontman Caleb Followill make the announcement that the band would be pulling out of the slot – as well as many others – due to injury.
This, he explained, was a recent “freak accident” that saw him break his foot and be forced to undergo emergency surgery. As well as the slot at NOS Alive, other scrapped gigs included Mad Cool Festival in Madrid (where they’ll also be replaced by Muse), two huge UK shows and other stops at festivals around Europe.
Now, Muse have joined the bill, marking an additional date in a string of huge summer shows later this year. Alongside Linkin Park, KoRn, and Scorpions, they’ll also play at French metal festival Hellfest, which takes place between June 19-22.
Then, they’ll lead Norway’s Tons Of Rock festival alongside Green Day and Avenged Sevenfold across June 25 and 28, before headlining the Polish festival Open’er on July 4.
The dates come amid speculation of new music from the band, with bassist Chris Wolstenholme teasing that they are preparing to make a new album soon. On The Leona Graham Podcast, Wolstenholme said fans could expect a new record in 2026 – however, there is a slight obstacle in the way as the band currently aren’t signed to a label.
“We will [sign to a label], obviously. I think we’re gonna start work on the next record fairly soon,” he shared. “I think for the last few albums we’ve been with Warner and we’ve extended after each album. We may do the same again; we may go with a new label, who knows.”
The last album they shared was 2022’s ‘Will Of The People’, which NME rated four stars when it dropped.
“He may have been broad in his previous political swipes, but Bellamy’s ire here locks in step with a growing public mood, bubbling with a very relatable anger toward those who stand in the way of us tackling humanity’s overwhelming crises. ‘The chances are turning, the future is ours’ he proclaims. Just show us where to enlist.”
NOS Alive 2024 saw performances from Pearl Jam, Dua Lipa, The Smashing Pumpkins, Sum 41, Arlo Parks and more.
Sharleen Spiteri joined BBC Radio 2’s The Sara Cox Breakfast Show ahead of Texas taking the stage to launch the main live music programme at Radio 2 in the Park in Stirling.
Checking in from rehearsals, the Texas frontwoman spoke about getting ready for the band’s opening performance at City Park. Radio 2’s annual flagship festival takes place there from 11 to 13 September 2026. "I’m match fit because I’ve had a couple of days’ rehearsals," Spiteri said. "We’re kicking the whole weekend off, which we’re very much looking forward to, so everybody’s got to get ready to party."
Before the live acts take over, Friday’s DJ Pre-Party gets the weekend started with Radio 2 favourites Sara Cox, DJ Spoony, Gary Davies, Michelle Visage, and Rylan behind the decks.
Jo Whiley helped set the mood with a special programme from Stirling’s Tolbooth venue. Working with BBC Introducing Scotland, the broadcast put the spotlight on Scotland’s emerging music scene through performances and conversations with Fright Years, Alice Faye, and James Emmanuel.
Fright Years, a four member band from Edinburgh, played "Never Been Wrong" and offered their take on Simple Minds’ "Waterfront." Glasgow singer and songwriter Alice Faye, the BBC Introducing in Scotland 2026 winner, paired "Some Brief Encounter" with a rendition of Lulu’s arrangement of "I Started a Joke." James Emmanuel, who was born in Nigeria and now lives in Edinburgh, sang "Brothers & Sisters" before taking on Chaka Khan’s "I’m Every Woman."
"We’re all about celebrating BBC Introducing and all the music that’s come out of Scotland," Whiley told listeners. "It's about celebrating the local music scene and the incredibly important work that BBC Introducing does to support independent, up-and-coming artists."
Joining the conversation were Stephanie Cheape, presenter of BBC Introducing in Scotland, Tara McLoughlin, venue manager for Stirling Council, and student radio presenters representing the University of Stirling’s Air3 Radio.
Listeners can catch the complete interviews and live performances from the weekend’s programmes on BBC Sounds.
