David Gray to bring Past & Present world tour to Lincoln with special guests The Divine Comedy
The first headline show for TK Maxx presents Live at Lincoln Castle is announced today as it is revealed David Gray will bring his Past & Present World Tour to the city in 2026.
Following his headline Legends set at Electric Picnic this weekend, Gray has announced a brand-new summer run of UK & Ireland dates for 2026 including a date at Lincoln Castle on Sunday June 28 when he will be joined by special guests The Divine Comedy.
Tickets go on sale at 10am Friday via lincolncastle.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk
The Past & Present World Tour has already seen David sell out 68 shows across the USA, Australia, UK and Ireland in 2025, including landmark nights at London’s Royal Albert Hall, Glasgow’s SEC Armadillo, Manchester’s O2 Apollo and Dublin’s 3Arena. His Electric Picnic set marked another milestone in support of his widely praised new album Dear Life (out now via Laugh A Minute Records/Secretly Distribution).
Davidsaid: “We’ve had the most amazing tour this year, from the opening night in Boston to the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, and then on to the Royal Albert Hall in London and the 3Arena in Dublin.
“These have been some of the most memorable and magical shows of my entire career. We’ve pushed ourselves as a band but it’s been richly rewarding and SO MUCH FUN! When everyone is in such fine form it would seem wrong to stop the ball from rolling - so with that in mind I’m delighted to announce a string of further dates for the summer of 2026. Exciting times!”
David Gray’s story is unlike any other. He spent almost a decade striving to make a breakthrough, and when it happened it did so in the biggest way imaginable as White Ladder became one of the best-selling British albums of recent decades and established him as an arena-filling artist.
As the years have passed, his songcraft has only deepened — his natural ability to convey specific emotions, atmospheres, or, as heard on his acclaimed 2021 album Skellig, a sense of place, has positioned him firmly in the lineage of classic poetic singer-songwriters. While the likes of Ed Sheeran, Adele and Hozier have acknowledged his influence, Gray has continued to follow his own artistic path.
The response to Gray’s 13th album Dear Life has been extraordinary. Produced by Ben de Vries, critics have hailed it as “a brooding triumph” (Telegraph), “his most confessional and emotive work to date” (Clash), and “a slow-burner that catches fire” (Mojo). The album has also drawn comparisons to Gray’s multi-platinum White Ladder — “the sonic DNA of White Ladder is present here” (Rolling Stone) and “his poppiest and most successful album since White Ladder” (Music OMH). His artistry as a songwriter has also been singled out — “this 13th album confirms Gray’s not lost his touch” (Guardian) and “a soulful collection of richly poetic songs about love, change and mortality” (Independent).
The headline concert is presented as part of TK Maxx presents Live at Lincoln Castle and is part of an ongoing partnership with Lincolnshire County Council and Live Nation promoters Cuffe and Taylor to bring world class artists to perform in this outstanding historic location.
Cuffe & Taylor promoter Mark Harrison said: “We are very excited to be making our first announcement for summer 2026 and the fact that the artist we are revealing is David Gray only makes this even better.
“The success of his world tour to date tells us this is going to be an incredible show and coupled with the sounds of The Divine Comedy, our Lincoln audience is set to have a fantastic night.”
Cllr Natalie Oliver, executive member for culture at Lincolnshire County Council, said: “Fresh off the back of the success of this year’s Live at Lincoln Castle, I can’t believe we’re already announcing our first act for the 2026 concert series.
“I really can’t emphasise enough how much bringing these big names to the castle means for the city, and the wider county – helping us boost local businesses and tourism by showing off our incredible castle at its absolute best.
“I for one cannot wait to welcome David Gray next year, and we know from other artists who have performed at Lincoln Castle over the last two years that it’ll be a really spectacular evening for the artist and fans alike.”