NEWS
Shirley Manson is set to take over curating duties for the Teenage Cancer Trust 2027 concert series, stepping into the role for next year’s Royal Albert Hall shows after Robert Smith led the 2026 edition.
The charity shared the update on Tuesday 28 April 2026, introducing the Garbage frontwoman as just the second guest curator the event has ever had.
To celebrate the reveal, Teenage Cancer Trust also dropped a video capturing Garbage’s standout performance of Lovesong by The Cure, taken from their set at this year’s shows.
Manson is following a legacy shaped by Roger Daltrey, who created and oversaw the week long fundraising concerts from 2000 through 2025, and Smith, who curated the 2026 line up.
Smith’s run featured performances from Wolf Alice, Elbow, Manic Street Preachers, My Bloody Valentine, Mogwai and Garbage, along with a sold out comedy night, helping generate £1.4 million so far in support of young people facing cancer across the UK.
Speaking about the opportunity, Manson said: “To follow in the footsteps of the great Sir Roger Daltrey and most beloved Robert Smith by being invited to curate next year’s run of shows is one of the greatest honours that has ever been bestowed upon me.
"I consider it an immense privilege to continue helping raise funds and awareness for our all too often forgotten teenagers in the UK who are living with cancer and the struggle that this entails.
"I hope to curate a fine week of entertainment, calling upon some of my favourite artists to join the cause.
"I am so looking forward to seeing it all come together at the Royal Albert Hall next year and I hope to see you there.”
Smith also spoke highly of Manson while reflecting on the success of this year’s concerts, saying: “Having played a few Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall shows with The Cure, it was a real honour to curate the series in 2026, bringing together so many of my favourite artists to perform for such a great cause.
"The response and support from the audience, in the hall itself and all around the world, was really incredible.
"Garbage were one of the highlights of a stellar week, and I am very sure Shirley, with her great energy, commitment and values, will do a fantastic job in 2027.”
Daltrey also reacted to the announcement, saying: “To have a female musician with a great reputation for quality work is something that's been at the top of my wishlist going forward.
"I will always be there for her if she needs any help with anything.”
The 2027 Teenage Cancer Trust concerts are scheduled to take place from March 15 through 21 at the Royal Albert Hall, with the full line up expected to be announced soon.
NEWS
Oliver Tree’s team has provided a new update following the singer’s death in a helicopter crash on June 14, confirming that a new artist grant will soon be established in his memory to help creatives secure funding, a plan he had detailed in his will before his passing.
Accompanying a collection of photos highlighting Tree’s performances, travels and creative work through the years, a post shared Sunday (June 21) on his Instagram account revealed that the musician’s remains have been brought back to California, the state he called home and where he will be laid to rest. “His legacy will live on through his foundation/endowment named ‘Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Grant For Baby Geniuses’ coming soon,” the caption reads. “This is something that Oliver had put together before his passing.”
“We will make sure his wish comes to fruition so that more joy, love and art can be spread into the world, that was his final wish,” the statement continued, adding that “the constant love, support and positivity” shown by fans throughout the past week has helped his “family, friends and collaborators make it through these extremely difficult times.”
Tree was among six people who lost their lives in a helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro. The musician was in Brazil for his The World’s First Tour run and had performed what would ultimately be his final concert on June 6 in São Paulo. The other victims of the crash were identified as passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim and Lucas Brito Chaves, along with pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.
Just months before his death, Tree discussed his plans to direct his fortune and future earnings from his music toward a grant program for artists during an appearance on the Zach Sang Show. “I take no credit for anything I’ve ever done,” he said during the April interview. “Furthermore, I don’t believe that any of the wealth or things that get made from it is mine. So when I die … my will is set up so that when I pass, my family, nobody is going to get a penny.”
“If I have a wife or kids or anything, they’re not getting a penny,” he added at the time, explaining that the initiative would focus on helping artists create work rather than funding education. “I’ll get my kids through college, that’s the agreement, but there’s not gonna be a silver spoon. All the money is going to go back to artists.”
