Flying high over Warwick

Organisers of Warwick Castle series featuring Noel Gallagher offer glimpse of what to expect.

In an exceptional music event set against the backdrop of Warwick Castle’s ancient walls, three legendary guitarists and their bands present a historic line up for one night only, an exciting finale to this 4-day live music series. Organisers have today pledged a weekend to remember for music fans and have had their say for the first time.

On Sunday 21 July, the illustrious Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds take centre stage at the medieval castle, joined by special guests Johnny Marr and The WAEVE featuring Blur’s Graham Coxon & ex-Pipettes singer-songwriter Rose Elinor Dougall.

Noel will be performing classic hits from his back catalogue and international best-selling albums. His 2023 studio album, Council Skies, was released in June 2023 and has been met with global critical acclaim citing it as his strongest body of work to date.

Special guest, the legendary former Smiths man Johnny Marr will also be heading to Warwickshire and has been receiving waves of acclaim from his current live shows, often featuring guest performers.

An official spokesperson for RG Live said today: “We can’t wait to host three of the UK’s true guitar icons. Unlike other festival sites, Warwick Castle Live benefits from the infrastructure of it being a working tourist attraction.

“There will be all the classic festival retailers including much loved street food vendors and the all-important watering holes to choose from! The beauty of this event setup means you won’t be tripping over muddy tents!

“The location offers hotel accommodation on site and surrounding areas and those all-important travel links run late into the evening, allowing customers a leisurely 15-minute walk to their connecting train from site. Just over an hour on the train from London, this really is an easy evening out, in the most beautiful setting, seeing world class acts.”

The Waeve are an English duo made up of Graham Coxon – of the iconic band Blur – and Rose Elinor Dougall. Their eponymous debut album, released in 2023, has captivated audiences with influences ranging from Sandy Denny to Van der Graaf Generator.

The duo, who open the show, dropped their first track City Lights last week, which is taken from their sophomore debut album. The track is written by the duo and produced by James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Foals). It also sees both members taking on singing duties, as well as keyboards, guitar, bass guitar, drums and saxophone.

Johnny Marr, rising to fame as the guitarist of acclaimed rock band The Smiths before becoming an incredible artist in his own right, certainly knows how to put on a show. One of the most respected artists of his generation, he formed the Smiths in 1982, achieving critical and commercial success with his trademark jangly guitar defining both the sound of the band and the era.

After The Smiths, Marr went on to become a member of outfits including The Pretenders, The The, Electronic, Modest Mouse and The Cribs, and also collaborated with stars including Pet Shop Boys, Bryan Ferry, Talking Heads and Hans Zimmer; all before emerging with his debut solo album, The Messenger, in 2013. He has since released four more albums, most recently 2022’s ‘Fever Dreams Pts 1-4’, with all of his solo releases reaching the Top 10 in the UK Album Chart.

RG Live added: “We have seen a wave of excitement for each of the events we have coming to Warwick Castle Live this summer but none more so than to see three absolute guitar icons; Noel Gallagher, Johnny Marr and Graham Coxon, who take to the stage for one night only. No other festival bill this summer will offer three guitar kings playing on Castle grounds.”

Tickets and more information can be found here.