Mogwai played the legendary Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall in the presence of founder Sir Roger Daltrey and guest curator Robert Smith.
From March 23-29, the headliners selected by The Cure legend also include elbow, Manic Street Preachers, my bloody valentine, Garbage and Wolf Alice, as well as a night of Robert Smith’s Comedy Favourites. The headline set by the Manic Street Preachers on Thursday 26 March will be the 150th show.
Sir Roger Daltrey, The Who legend and founder of the concert series, made a surprise appearance on stage to introduce some of the young people helped by the charity. He also met Robert Smith backstage to hand him a trophy in recognition of his work guest-curating this year’s events.
Sir Roger said: “Robert’s done a fantastic job – absolutely fantastic – and he’s played concerts before for us in the past. Bands give up an awful lot to do this. When we started this 26 years ago, touring was just a small part of their income. That has changed. We’re so grateful.“
Mogwai immediately captivated the room with ‘Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home’ before it burst into a roar, filling the Royal Albert Hall with distortion. Classics including ‘Friend of the Night,’ ‘Cody’ and ‘Helicon 1’ followed.
The keyboards of ‘I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead’ descended into a bass roar, the likes of which may never have been heard at the Royal Albert Hall.
“We want to dedicate this song to Robert (Smith) for inviting us to play. Thanks so much,” said Stuart Braithwaite before a bombastic ‘Killing All The Flies’.
Earlier in the evening the band met some of the young people supported by Teenage Cancer Trust. On stage, Stuart said: “I want to thank you all for coming down and helping us support this wonderful charity. We met some of the kids that are involved in this charity today. It was really special so we’ll dedicate this to them. Thank you all so much.“
‘Remurdered’ followed, its organ refrain blasting through the venue, before a mighty ‘Lion Rumpus’.
An encore came in the form of ‘May Nothing But Happiness Come Through Your Door’ and an inevitable, epic ‘Mogwai Fear Satan’.
Craven Faults was second on the bill. Standing at a station of analogue synths, leads and sockets, he delivered a stunning three-song set: ‘Stoneyman’, ‘Long Stoop’ and ‘Hurrocstanes’.
The night was opened by Irish songwriter Annika Kilkenny, whose elegant tunes on acoustic guitar danced through the hall, from the opening ‘It’s shaped you’ to a closing singalong for ‘Winter on the west coast’.
Celebrated accordionist Nihad Hrustanbegovic is playing at the venue each night as audiences arrive.
elbow’s performance on Monday was streamed via Player+ and is available for 24 hours, with the performance by Manic Street Preachers also set to be available for £15.99, with all profits going to the charity. Fans can visit www.WatchTeenageCancerTrust.com now to book to watch the performances by these iconic bands.
Cancer kills more teenagers and young adults in the UK than any other disease, yet cancer care wasn’t made for young people. Teenage Cancer Trust is the only UK charity dedicated to providing specialised nursing care and support for young people with cancer, funding specialist nurses, youth workers and 28 hospital units within the NHS.
Its Royal Albert Hall fundraising concert series was launched and curated by Teenage Cancer Trust Honorary Patron Sir Roger Daltrey, who was knighted for services to charity and music earlier this year, from 2000 to 2025.
This year’s curator Robert Smith is the first in a series of guest curators who will take on the mantle of raising money for this vital cause in future.
Robert Smith said: “I was 17 when I started the band that turned into The Cure. There was so much I wanted to do. It is hard to imagine the impact it would have had on my life if at that age had heard the words you have cancer. The money you help raise tonight will mean that Teenage Cancer Trust can be there for young people right from that first devastating moment of diagnosis, through every step of their treatment and beyond, to help them recover and hopefully live life to the full.”
He said that as well as raising vital funds, the gigs are a celebration of what it means to be young – “and of young people’s determination not to let cancer take that away from them”.
He said: “I wanted to make this a truly unforgettable week, and am enormously grateful to all the artists who accepted my invitation to perform. Each of them is either legendary or at the top of their game – indeed, in most cases, they are both! I am sure it is going to be a fabulous week.”
This year Teenage Cancer Trust has launched ‘Good Energy’, an art exhibition and print series at the Royal Albert Hall, running from March 18th to April 9th. The collection captures the visceral, shared experience of live music between artist and fan, positioning the “mosh pit” not as a place of chaos, but as a sanctuary of safety and community. The exhibition features 21 limited-edition silk screen prints, chosen by iconic acts including The 1975, Geese, Fontaines DC, Wolf Alice, Yungblud, Nick Cave, Nia Archives, Keane, Sex Pistols feat Frank Carter, The Big Moon, The Snuts, Courteeners, Bring Me The Horizon, Enter Shikari, Elbow and more. Buy online HERE.
James Ainscough OBE, Chief Executive of the Royal Albert Hall, said: “We’re incredibly proud to have hosted Teenage Cancer Trust’s annual shows for a quarter of a century, supporting this vital and groundbreaking work that improves the lives of young people with cancer every day.”
Jules Worrall, Interim Chief Executive of Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “The Royal Albert Hall gigs are pivotal in helping Teenage Cancer Trust change the lives of young people with cancer.
“For more than 20 years, our Honorary Patron Sir Roger Daltrey curated star-studded lineups year after year. For 2026, that baton has passed to Robert Smith, and wow, what a job he has done.
“Once again, some of the biggest names from across the music and entertainment industry will be making us sing, dance and laugh – but more importantly they will be raising essential funds and shining the brightest spotlight on the needs of young people with cancer. We are so grateful for Robert’s support, to every artist performing and everyone who buys a ticket.
“Here’s to an astonishing week of legendary gigs, and getting young people with cancer the specialised care and support they need.”
Rob Ballantine, Director of S.J.M Concerts, said: “SJM concerts have for over two decades been privileged to pull together the week of fund raising shows for Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall.
“This year working with Cureator Robert Smith has been a real pleasure and we have seen first hand how hard and how diligently he has worked to bring together such a high calibre line up of artists. The respect he commands in the industry is obvious and we would like to add our name to that long list and thank him for such an amazing job. We know the fans will support these shows as they do every year and we hope to raise much needed funds for this amazing charity. Thank you to all the artists and their representatives who have made this happen, we look forward to an incredible week of shows at the Royal Albert Hall next March.”
Jane Ashton, Head of Music and Entertainment at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “Once again, the music and entertainment industry has come together for a fantastic cause. Money raised from the Royal Albert Hall shows changes lives by funding specialist care and support for young people with cancer. We can’t thank the legend that is Robert Smith enough for all the time and energy he has given to curating this epic line-up.
“The 2025 series raised a wonderful record-breaking £2.05 million, but we’d love to beat it! The urgent need to support young people when they hear the devastating words ‘its cancer’ remains. Thanks to the unwavering support of artists, managers, agents, promoters, crew, and our generous audiences, Teenage Cancer Trust can help them get through cancer, rebuild their life and shape their own future.”
Mogwai setlist
- Yes! I Am A Long Way From Home
- Hi Chaos
- Friend Of The Night
- Cody
- Ritchie Sacramento
- Helicon 1
- I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead
- Killing All The Flies
- Auto Rock
- Remurdered
- Lion Rumpus
- May Nothing But Happiness Come Through Your Door
- Mogwai Fear Satan
Craven faults setlist
- Stoneyman
- Long Stoop
- Hurrocstanes
Annika Kilkenny setlist
- It’s shaped you
- Sentences
- Look Mom I made It
- No man’s land
- Welcome to the neighbourhood
- Winter on the west coast
Player Plus
Watch the Manic Street Preachers headline set, live on Player Plus
URL: www.WatchTeenageCancerTrust.com
Platform: Player Plus (stage.playerplus.com)
Player Plus is a premium TV streaming platform bringing live events straight to audiences around the world, working with world-renowned bands including Duran Duran, Jamie Cullum, KALEO, and many more. Delighted to support Teenage Cancer Trust as the platform of choice as they bring select shows from a week of programming to audiences at home around the world.
Pricing: £15.99 / USD $19.99. All profits go to Teenage Cancer Trust.
Live stream links
