Live at Ludlow Castle: Who is on, how to get there, where to park

Ludlow Castle is gearing up for the latest series of big name concerts - with thousands of visitors set to descend on the historic town.

As the live series returns, Live at Ludlow Castle has shared the support acts for every event, gate times, layout maps and more ahead of the fortnight of music.

Gates will open at 5pm for every Live at Ludlow Castle event this summer and last entry will be at 8.30pm for every event except for Paul Weller on Friday, July 17, when last entry will be at 8pm.

The event curfew across Live at Ludlow Castle 2026 will be 10.30pm.

Organisers have said that as in previous years the events are on track to completely sell out - with only tickets for Rick Astley on July 24 and Scissor Sisters on July 26 stull available.

A spokesman for organisers Futuresound, said: “Having enjoyed a cultural renaissance that has seen him crowned Best Act Ever at the MTV Europe Music Awards, become good friends with Dave Grohl, and take Glastonbury 2023 by storm with a memorable set of songs by The Smiths alongside Manchester indie rock band Blossoms; Rick Astley will be performing his perennial hits after a special guest performance from Liverpool legends, The Lightning Seeds who will no doubt help Ludlow celebrate and/or commiserate the Three Lions and their journey through the World Cup.

“Rick will also be joined by fellow pop music legend Heather Smalls of M People and the local, fast-rising energetic indie quartet Pentire who’ll be making the hour-long trip up to Ludlow from Ross-On-Wye.

“Hot off the heels of their massive 2025 reunion world tour, Scissor Sisters will be bringing Live at Ludlow 2026 to a raucous, riotous close with a party celebrating 20 years of their nine-times platinum, chart-topping, era-defining self-titled debut album. Expect all the anthems from two decades of their signature disco pop like Laura, Take Your Mama, Filthy/Gorgeous and I Don’t Feel Like Dancing although, in this instance, dancing will be heavily encouraged.

“Live at Ludlow have also announced the Artist in Residence for the 2026 concert series, Daniel K LLoyd. Inspired by colour and culture of the event and its unique location, Daniel’s striking print will be available exclusively at the Live at Ludlow merch stand across the series. Ludlow Castle and Ludlow Brewery have once again collaborated on another limited batch of their special edition Live at Ludlow Castle IPA, served locally in the run up to the event and on tap throughout Live at Ludlow 2026 whilst supplies last.”

Organisers have urged concert-goers to allow time to arrive and plan journeys, saying: “Ludlow is a small and beautiful market town with narrow roads and blind corners so some congestion is to be expected. The Live at Ludlow team advise allowing adequate time to travel to and from the event and, where possible, using public transport or travelling on foot.

“Ludlow train station is located just half a mile from Ludlow Castle whilst National Express run coaches into many towns in the surrounding Shropshire with easy connection to Ludlow. Planning your journey through National Rail or National Express is advised.

“If travelling to Ludlow by car, there are two car parks available. Passes can be pre-booked using the links on the Live at Ludlow Events page. If travelling from the south, the Green Rugby Club Car Park is recommended whilst those travelling down from the north should use the Red Cricket Club Car Park. Both car parks will be open from 2pm to 11.30pm on event days. Please note, there is no overnight parking.”

Now in its fourth season, the Live at Ludlow Castle series has already seen performances from the likes of Elbow, Olly Murs, Jess Glynne, Supergrass, Faithless, Texas and more for thousands of fans year on year.

Tickets to all sold-out Live at Ludlow Castle 2026 events can be sold and purchased safely and securely through the event’s official resale partner platform, Tixel.

Andy Smith - head of live at Futuresound Group said: “We’re excited to get stuck into our biggest series yet and can’t wait to show you everything we’ve got lined up on site. None of this would be possible without the support and trust from the team at Ludlow Castle and the Trustees of Powis Estates. It’s a privilege to have such a long-standing relationship with the Castle and its community, and we’re already looking forward to working with them to make next year bigger and better for everyone.”

Gemma England, general manager at Ludlow Castle said: “We cannot wait to welcome everyone to the Castle for another fantastic run of shows. It’s an honour to be working so closely with Futuresound on this series, bringing world-class artists to this truly magnificent setting for a live music experience like no other.”

The full list of performers and support acts for the month is as follows

* Thursday, July 16 - Snow Patrol with support from Corinne Bailey Rae and The Florentinas

* Friday, July 17 - Paul Weller with support from Miles Kane and Fiona Lee

* Saturday, July 18 - The Human League with support from Marc Almond, Blancmange and Altered Images

* Sunday, July 19 - Tom Grennan with support from Brooke Combe and Ellur

* Thursday, July 23 - The Streets with support from Maverick Sabre, ledbyher, and Good Health Good Wealth

* Friday, July 24 - Rick Astley with support from The Lightning Seeds, Heather Small and Pentire

* Saturday, July 25 - Richard Ashcroft with support from CAST, The Kairos and Versaints

* Sunday, July 26 - Scissor Sisters with support from Ladytron, Bimini and MEEK (Live)