James Blunt

Who is James Blunt?

James Blunt is an English singer-songwriter, best known for "You're Beautiful". Airplane Mode is his eighth studio album, and the Airplane Mode Tour that follows it has 37 shows, starting in Luxembourg on 17 February 2027. Its UK leg opens in Leeds on 26 March, and Brighton on 8 April 2027 closes the whole tour.

His 2004 debut, Back to Bedlam, spent 10 weeks at No.1 on the UK albums chart and topped the Official Charts year-end albums list for 2005.

What is James Blunt's latest news?

Airplane Mode and its tour were announced together on 3 September 2026. The album is out on Friday 6 November 2026 on Atlantic Records, with 12 tracks on the standard edition, opening with "Circles" and closing with "This Is Not Forever". He and his long-standing live band recorded most of it at Pig Music Studios in Banbury.

"Tastes Like Summer" was the album's first single, in August 2026, and "Weight Of It All" followed on the day of the announcement.

What was James Blunt's last tour?

His last completed tour was the Back to Bedlam 20th Anniversary Tour, which ran from 11 February to 30 October 2025 and celebrated his debut album. At the UK arena shows in February 2025 he played Back to Bedlam from start to finish, in its original track order, before moving on to later hits. The 2027 run, the Airplane Mode Tour, goes with the new album.

What are James Blunt's biggest records and awards?

James Blunt has eight UK Top 10 albums on the Official Albums Chart. His seven studio albums before Airplane Mode, with their UK peaks, are Back to Bedlam (2004, No.1), All the Lost Souls (2007, No.1), Some Kind of Trouble (2010, No.4), Moon Landing (2013, No.2), The Afterlove (2017, No.6), Once Upon a Mind (2019, No.3) and Who We Used to Be (2023, No.5).

"You're Beautiful" was a UK No.1 single for five weeks from the chart dated 23 July 2005, and in 2006 it reached No.1 on the US Billboard Hot 100. His other UK Top 10 singles are "Goodbye My Lover" (No.9, 2005), "1973" (No.4, 2007) and "Bonfire Heart" (No.4, 2013).

In 2006 he won two BRIT Awards, including British Male Solo Artist, and two MTV Video Music Awards. He has also won two Ivor Novello Awards.

Was James Blunt in the army?

Yes. James Blunt was a captain in the British Army before music became his career, and he served in Kosovo in 1999.

Each of the four arenas below names and sells its own premium products. Their 2027 UK nights, with the times each venue had published as of 10 October 2026:

• Friday 26 March 2027, Leeds: first direct bank arena (formerly first direct arena). Doors 6pm, show 7pm. A seated show.
• Saturday 27 March 2027, Birmingham: bp pulse LIVE (formerly Resorts World Arena), on the NEC campus. Doors 6pm, show 7.30pm.
• Sunday 28 March 2027, Newcastle: Utilita Arena Newcastle. Show 7pm; the venue listed no doors time.
• Friday 2 April 2027, Glasgow: OVO Hydro. Doors 6.30pm; no show time yet, which the venue says it will add once the promoter confirms it.

Belfast, Manchester, Cardiff and Bournemouth are among the UK leg's other cities.

• Leeds: first direct bank arena lists seven premium options for 26 March. The Suite Experience is a private suite for up to 16 people, and the Shared Suite Experience puts a smaller group in a suite with other guests. The rest are seat, lounge and dining packages, including The Mixer, which is 18+ for this show.
• Newcastle: Utilita Arena Newcastle lists four packages for 28 March: the Hospitality Experience, the Utilita Experience, the Shared Suite Experience and the All Inclusive Suite Experience. That last one is private hire of a 10-seater executive suite, with tickets, a dedicated suite host, all-inclusive drinks and a chef's selection buffet.
• Birmingham: bp pulse LIVE sells lounges and does not name any private suite or box. Its three Premium products for 27 March are Premium Lounge Access, Premium Lounge & Drink and Premium Dine & Drink. Premium Lounge Access gives exclusive lounge access with priority entry, and Premium Dine & Drink includes a meal and one drink with premium parking.
• Glasgow: OVO Hydro offers two Venue Premium options for 2 April, and its event page does not mention executive suites. The Terrace puts guests in a padded high-style seat on Level 2, with a drinks ledge, a welcome drink and in-seat food, drink and merchandise service; further food and drink is charged on the night. On Level 3, The Nest combines reserved seating with the Capital Starsuite and Clubhouse lounges, open to its guests before and after the show. Guests reach both by stairs.

Across these four arenas' suites, lounges and bars, alcohol is for over-18s only, and ID may be requested.

A premium seat is one guest's seat in a premium area, sometimes with lounge entry: at OVO Hydro, The Terrace comes with in-seat service and The Nest with access to two lounges. Lounge products, such as those at bp pulse LIVE, give premium bookers access to a lounge with priority entry, and the higher tiers add catering and parking.

A private suite is a room hired whole by one party. On the 2027 nights above, that means the Suite Experience in Leeds or the All Inclusive Suite Experience in Newcastle. Shared suites sit in between: guests take seats in an executive suite alongside other parties.