On his 77th birthday today, keyboard player extraordinaire Rick Wakeman CBE is delighted to announce that he and the English Rock Ensemble will be touring the UK in February and March 2027 with his The Wizard Of Prog – Ultimate Highlights Concert Tour.
Ever since Rick reformed the English Rock Ensemble in 2022, the band’s tours have become bigger and better every time they embark on a new schedule of live shows, graduating from two sold-out nights at the London’s iconic Palladium to The Return Of The Caped Crusader Parts 1 & 2 UK tours.
2027 will see the band complete its longest tour of the UK to date. It will start on 17 February in Brighton and then visit Poole, Bristol, Cardiff, Ipswich, Manchester, Edinburgh, Gateshead, Sheffield, Liverpool, Folkestone, Oxford, Southend, London, Birmingham and York before concluding on 12 March in Leicester.
However, while past shows have focused on a complete album, the setlist this time will feature a broad sweep across Rick’s classic back catalogue, featuring live tracks that are fan favourites the world over. Audiences can expect to hear extracts from his epic concept albums like Journey To The Centre Of The Earth and The Myths & Legends of King Arthur & The Knights Of The Round Table and other solo work, as well as music he recorded with YES – and of course, a few surprises along the way!
The band line-up will be the same as 2025’s Return Of The Caped Crusader Part 2 tour, with Rick leading from the keyboards, brilliantly supported by Jesse Smith (lead vocals), Adam Wakeman (keyboard, guitars and backing vocals), Dave Colquhoun (guitars and backing vocals), Lee Pomeroy (bass and backing vocals), Adam Falkner (drums) and backing vocalists Sara Davey, Jo Goldsmith-Eteson and Jo Marshall.
Fans are promised a magical night of music spanning over 50 years of the Wizard Of Prog’s stellar career, brought bang-up-to-date by a group of spell-binding musicians whose alchemy on stage is irresistible. “All tours are special, but this one is really very special,” Rick promises. “I can’t exactly tell you why, but trust me… it is!”
As if that wasn’t enough, Rick will be releasing his wild and witty definitive autobiography The Wizard of Prog this year. Full of dramatic spirals, spectacular comebacks and legendary rock ‘n’ roll excess, this is the book Rick has always wanted to write. It will be published on 29 October 2026 and is available for pre-order now at lnk.to/WizardOfProg.
TOUR DATES:-
RICK WAKEMAN – THE WIZARD OF PROG – ULTIMATE HIGHLIGHTS CONCERT TOUR, FEATURING THE ENGLISH ROCK ENSEMBLE
On Sale Friday 29 May 10am via www.myticket.co.uk
February 2027
Wed 17 Brighton Dome
Thu 18 Poole Lighthouse
Fri 19 Bristol Beacon
Sun 21 Cardiff New Theatre
Mon 22 Ipswich Regent Theatre
Wed 24 Manchester Opera House
Thu 25 Edinburgh Usher Hall
Fri 26 Gateshead Glasshouse
Sun 28 Sheffield City Hall
March 2027
Mon 01 Liverpool Philharmonic
Wed 03 Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall
Thu 04 Oxford New Theatre
Fri 05 Southend Cliffs Pavilion
Sun 07 London Coliseum
Mon 08 Birmingham Symphony Hall
Thu 11 York Barbican
Fri 12 Leicester De Montfort Hall
