One of the most distinctive voices in American music, Christopher Cross will return to the UK for a special nine date tour in May 2026, performing iconic hits from a remarkable career spanning over four decades. Tickets go on general sale Friday 3 October at 9AM BST via https://www.aegpresents.co.uk/event/christopher-cross/, with AEG Presents and venue presales from Thursday 2 October at 9AM BSThttps://www.aegpresents.co.uk/christopher-cross-presale/.
The multi Grammy winning artist, best known for timeless classics like ‘Sailing’, ‘Ride Like the Wind’, and ‘Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do)’ – will be joined by very special guest Chris Difford, co-founder of Squeeze and one of Britain’s most respected and decorated songwriters.
The 2026 UK tour will see Christopher Cross perform at some of the nation’s most loved concert venues. Kicking off at Cliffs Pavilion in Southend on 12thMay, he will then head to celebrated halls and theatres including the world famous London Palladium, Cambridge Corn Exchange, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead, York Barbican, Manchester Bridgewater Hall, before concluding with shows at Birmingham Symphony Hall, The Beacon Bristol, and Edinburgh Usher Hall. Each show promises an unforgettable night of elegance, emotion, and the signature smooth sound that has made Cross a global soft rock icon.
In 1980, Cross made Grammy history by sweeping the “Big Four” categories for the first time ever – Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year, with his self-titled debut album. He went on to win an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for ‘Arthur’s Theme’ and has released over a dozen critically acclaimed albums. In 2020, he marked his 40th anniversary with The Complete Works – a definitive box set celebrating his extraordinary career.
Supporting Christopher Cross on the tour is Chris Difford, the legendary lyricist behind ‘Cool for Cats’, ‘Up the Junction’, and ‘Tempted’. A founding member of Squeeze, Difford’s songs are the soundtrack of a generation, filled with wit, warmth, and raw honesty. His solo performances are equally powerful – part musical journey, part stand-up storytelling.
CHRISTOPHER CROSS UK TOUR 2026
WITH SPECIAL GUEST CHRIS DIFFORD
MAY
MON 12 SOUTHEND CLIFFS PAVILION
TUES 13 LONDON THE LONDON PALLADIUM
WED 14 CAMBRIDGE CORN EXCHANGE
THU 15 GATESHEAD THE GLASSHOUSE INTERNATIONAL CENTRE FOR MUSIC
FRI 16 YORK BARBICAN
SUN 18 MANCHESTER BRIDGEWATER HALL
MON 19 BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY HALL
TUE 20 BRISTOL THE BEACON
THU 22 EDINBURGH USHER HALL
www.christophercross.com
ABOUT CHRISTOPHER CROSS
Christopher Cross burst onto the music scene with his 1980 self-titled debut album, winning five Grammy Awards, including—for the first time in Grammy history—the “Big Four” most prestigious awards: Record of the Year (for the single “Sailing”), Album of the Year, Song of the Year (also “Sailing”), and Best New Artist.
In a career spanning more than four decades, Cross has sold over 10 million albums. His music has garnered five Grammys, an Oscar, a Golden Globe, an Emmy nomination and five Top 10 singles.
Within a year of the first album’s release, Cross joined music royalty Burt Bacharach to write “Arthur’s Theme,” for the movie Arthur, which won an Academy Award for Best Song. With his 1983 release, Another Page, Cross was again in the Top 10 with the singles “All Right” and “Think of Laura.” His song, “Swept Away,” composed for the hit television series, Growing Pains, was nominated for an Emmy.
Cross started his own label and, since 2007, has released 8 albums of new material, including A Christopher Cross Christmas and The Café Carlyle Sessions, jazz treatments of hits and favorites born out of a residency at the famous Hotel Carlyle in New York City. Take Me as I Am, released in 2018, features richly-crafted melodies and elegant guitar work. The latest project for Christopher Cross Records is aptly titled The Complete Works. Released in 2020, it celebrates his 40th anniversary as a recording artist and is a collection of all 12 previously-released CDs, one CD of singles and bonus tracks, and a pink vinyl containing one track from each album chosen by Christopher.
Even though the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the 40th Anniversary tour, he is once again performing the carefully-crafted songs and music his fans enjoy, starting with “Sailing” and “Ride Like the Wind” from his Grammy-winning debut album and continuing through the decades of his ever-changing but always excellent material. Concert dates can be found on the tour section of his website, www.christophercross.com.
All in all, it’s been quite a ride, one that has taken Cross from his early days in Texas where he once served as a drum tech for Ginger Baker, bought gear from Jimmy Page, and played lead guitar for Deep Purple on a night when Ritchie Blackmore fell ill, to this place as a respected singer-songwriter-guitar player who continues to share his original music with the world.
ABOUT CHRIS DIFFORD
Chris Difford is a Grammy nominated and double Ivor Novello Award winning lyricist who has brought us characters and sketches from everyday life, and has successfully turned the mundane into the beautiful, the urbane into the exquisite, for over 40 years. Chris has co-written some of the most enduring and best-loved songs of our time such as ‘Up The Junction’, ‘Cool For Cats’ and ‘Labelled With Love’, ‘Tempted’ and many others. Squeeze returned with two new albums in recent years ‘Cradle to the Grave’ in 2015 and ‘The Knowledge’ in 2017, followed by extensive world-wide touring supporting Hall and Oates in the US and Madness in the UK. The band has never sounded better.
Chris hosts songwriting retreats and has done so for over 30 years, some in Prisons, some in Rehabs, but mostly in Somerset with the Buddy Holly Foundation and The Cutting Edge Group at Pennard House Somerset. He is one of the country’s most respected songwriters and has co-written with a host of musicians and performers that reads like a veritable who’s who of the music industry.
His autobiography ‘Some Fantastic Place’ was released in 2017 and found some wonderful praise in the UK press and with fans around the World who recognised his journey into recovery while touring with his friends in Squeeze. The book continues to be part of his solo touring story and became the focus of his sell out two week run at the Edinburgh Festival. A stand up show with a bit of sit down.
In 2024 Squeeze have been writing and recording new songs and have completed a successful tour of the USA with Boy George, followed by a sell out 7 week tour in the UK as part of a celebration of 50 years on stage. In total 80 shows including the opening of the Glastonbury Festival on the Pyramid stage, a treasured memory. Chris is an ambassador for Help Musicians and Music Minds Mater, two charities close to his heart. He also works along side Broadway Lodge a rehab in the West Country and often plays shows there for his recovering friends.
Planned for 2025 series 5 of his ‘I Never Thought it Would Happen Podcast for Help Musicians plus a musical Podcast of his own telling the story of his South London upbringing. Then there is the release of ‘Trixies’ in 2026 a record of songs written in 1974 and produced by Owen Biddle. A Squeeze album that will surprise and delight. More writing and more stand up, but will he sit still? I hope not.
ABOUT AEG PRESENTS
Combining the power of the live event with a focus on true artist development, AEG Presents is a world leader in the music and entertainment industries. Operating across five continents, the company has an unparalleled commitment to artistry, creativity, and community. Its tentpole festivals and multi-day music events — which include the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and the legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival alongside British Summer Time at Hyde Park, Stagecoach, Hangout Festival, Electric Forest, Rock En Seine and All Points East — continue to set the bar for the live music experience. AEG Presents promotes global tours for artists such as Justin Bieber, Zach Bryan, Sabrina Carpenter, Kenny Chesney, Luke Combs, Celine Dion, Elton John, Carin León, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Taylor Swift, and Tyler, The Creator, in addition to — through its network of clubs, theatres, arenas, stadiums and renowned partner brands such as The Bowery Presents, Cárdenas Marketing Network, Concerts West, Frontier Touring, Goldenvoice, Marshall Arts, MCT Agentur, Messina Touring Group, PromoWest Productions, and Zero Mile Presents — creating and developing an unmatched infrastructure for artist development and audience reach. More information can be found at www.aegpresents.com.
