First headliner announced for 2026 castle concerts

The Human League is the first band to be announced for the 2026 series

The summer concert series at Ludlow castle in Shropshire is to continue in 2026, as organisers announce the Human League as their first headliner of the season.

The 80s synth-pop band will top the bill on 18 July, supported by Marc Almond, Blancmange and Altered Images.

Tickets will go on sale to people in Ludlow on Wednesday, with general sales from Friday.

This will be the fourth year the castle has teamed up with promoters Futuresound -previous series included artists such as Elbow, Olly Murs, Jess Glynne, Supergrass, Faithless and Texas.

Capacity for the castle gigs is 6,000

The 2025 Live at Ludlow series also featured a comedy festival with headline sets from Katherine Ryan and Russell Howard.

Andy Smith from Futuresound said: "It really is a privilege to be coming back to the castle and we can't wait to reveal what else we have planned for 2026."

The castle's general manager, Gemma Smith, said she was "over the moon" that the Human League had been confirmed, and added that the rest of the line-up was "looking incredible".

Monday's announcement came the day after the conclusion of the Ludlow Food Festival, another major event in the castle's calendar.

Event manager Jess Parker told BBC Radio Shropshire that "thousands" had attended, despite spells of poor weather over the weekend.

She added that the festival had played host to a group from a Norwegian food festival, looking to pick up tips from their 30-year-old British counterpart.

Thousands of people attended the three-day Ludlow Food Festival