Plan B & James Blunt to headline Newmarket Nights at Newmarket Racecourses

The Jockey Club Live and Newmarket Racecourses are proud to announce PLAN B and JAMES BLUNT as the next headliners for the 2018 Newmarket Nights season.

BRIT Award winner, critically acclaimed director, actor, and musical maverick Ben Drew aka Plan B’s show will be part of some of his first UK summer shows in 4 years. Newmarket Nights favourite James Blunt returns after giving thousands of fans an unforgettable performance in 2014.

Plan B’s sophomore album, The Defamation Of Strickland Banks, achieved quadruple-platinum status, selling over 1.4 million copies in the UK alone, and hit the #1 album spot on release. It saw him win both a BRIT and three Ivor Novello Awards and includes the smash hit She Said. Following this, his 2012 directorial debut (and accompanying album) iLLManors saw him breaking boundaries with his creative style of overlapping stories and interweaving rap-narrative and saw Ben nominated for his fifth BRIT Award, nominated for his first Mercury Music prize, and once again hitting #1 in the UK album chart.  He will be releasing his eagerly anticipated fourth album Heaven Before All Hell Breaks Loose on 14th April via Atlantic Records.

Plan B said;
‘Excited to announce I’m headlining Newmarket Nights at Newmarket Racecourses this summer. Looking forward to playing songs from the new album’ 

James Blunt is one of the most prolific British artists of recent times. His 2004 debut, the phenomenally successful ‘Back to Bedlam’, became one of the best selling albums in UK chart history, producing break-out hits ‘You’re Beautiful’, ‘Wisemen’ and ‘Goodbye My Lover’. He has since sold over 20 million albums worldwide and 12.8 million singles, with most recent album ‘The Afterlove’ becoming his fifth top 10 charting album. The album cycle saw him sell out arenas across Europe and join Ed Sheeran on tour in the United States and Australia.

James Blunt said;

‘I’m really looking forward to returning to Newmarket Racecourses on my tour. It will definitely be a highlight for me this summer.’

Plan B and James Blunt join the previously announced Craig David (20th July) and The Vamps who will be headlining the family-friendly Summer Saturday Live, 25th August 2018.

Amy Starkey, Regional Director East of Jockey Club Racecourses, said;

‘We are delighted to announce Plan B and James Blunt as our next Newmarket Nights headliners. We’re excited to welcome James back as we know first hand how exceptional his live shows are. Plan B is also a great addition to our line up, it will be his first time at the racecourse but I am sure he will be very popular. 2018 is shaping up to be our biggest year yet, so keep an eye out for further announcements in the coming weeks.’

The Jockey Club Live are leading promoters on the UK live scene, delivering spectacular line-ups of some of the hottest chart talent and legendary household names to some of the world’s most famous racecourses. Summer Saturday Live and Newmarket Nights are a staple in the regions social calendar and last year hosted tens of thousands fans of live music, with performances from artists including Olly Murs, Jess Glynne, Culture Club and The Jacksons.

The events are renowned for combining a fun filled evening at the races with a spectacular evening concert in the informal and relaxed open-air setting of the hallowed turf.

The Jockey Club racecourses have world-class customer facilities, featuring an array of award winning restaurants that cater for all tastes, be it Fine Dining through to delicious bistro food. The Jockey Club venues welcome over 2million people a year for some of the UKs biggest racing events so you can be sure a fantastic evening.

Tickets will be on sale at 8am on Friday 26th January via http://www.thejockeyclublive.co.uk, with a presale available to customers at 8am on Wednesday 24th January. Tickets are priced ranging from £26-£42. All T&C’s are available on http://newmarket.thejockeyclub.co.uk. There will be hospitality packages available to suit all budgets.

In addition to Newmarket, The Jockey Club Live will be hosting live concerts across Sandown Park, Market Rasen, Aintree, Haydock Park and Carlisle racecourses next summer.