The Forest Live team has announced Paul Heaton - with support from Billy Bragg - as the latest headliner for its 2025 edition.
Billy Bragg
Forest Live, Forestry England’s summer concert series presented with Cuffe & Taylor, will welcome Paul Heaton with special guest singer Rianne Downey as the latest headliner for its 2025 edition.
Renowned by many as one of the best British songwriters ever, Paul will perform a headline show (with Rianne joining him on vocals) at Westonbirt Arboretum on 20 June 2025. Joining Paul will be ‘The Bard Of Barking’, Billy Bragg.
A spokesperson for Heaton said: "Paul started his dominance of the pop charts with his early 80s group The Housemartins. This was followed by a chart-topping career with The Beautiful South, and then an impressive solo career. Paul is still thrilling audiences with his energetic live shows and albums containing stories of everyday people and the complexities of modern life. His latest album, The Mighty Several has just been released to his usual critical acclaim.
"With a back catalogue of genuine classics including ‘Flag Day’, ‘Old Red Eyes Is Back’, ‘Perfect Ten’, ‘Song For Whoever’, ‘Happy Hour’ and ‘Caravan of Love’, Paul Heaton fans will have one hell of a night to look forward to."
A spokesperson for Billy Bragg, also on the bill, said: "Punk rocker, soldier, Essex boy, folk singer, Skiffle aficionado, protest singers’ protest singer, patriot, optimist, lefty polemicist, author, soul miner, musicologist, champion of the underclasses, Cockney vocalist and all-round decent bloke Billy Bragg will be providing support for the show.
"His politically-charged songs including ‘A New England’, ‘Sexuality’ and ‘Levi Stubbs’ Tears’, will provide the perfect companion to those of Paul Heaton, all set against the backdrop of the stunning Gloucestershire arboretum."
Forest Live 2025 will take place at four forest venues across the UK: Forestry England's Cannock Chase, Delamere, High Lodge, Thetford and Westonbirt.
Paul Heaton with special guest singer Rianne Downey join a selection of renowned global artists announced to perform at the event’s 2025 edition, including:
- Sting (Cannock Chase and Westonbirt Arboretum)
- The Script (Westonbirt Arboretum and High Lodge, Thetford)
- Elbow (Westonbirt Arboretum)
- Blossoms (Delamere)
- Rag’n’Bone Man (High Lodge, Thetford)
- James (High Lodge, Thetford and Cannock Chase)
- Snow Patrol (Delamere and Westonbirt Arboretum)
- Gary Barlow (Delamere Forest, Thetford Forest)
Forestry England manage and care for the nation’s 1,500 woods and forests. They use the money Forest Live raises to maintain these natural areas of beauty for everyone to enjoy, run important conservation projects and keep growing trees.
Last year the team reports that Foresty England planted some 7.4 million trees and welcomed 285 million visits in 2023/24. Everyone in England lives within a one-hour drive of one of the nation’s forests. Over two million people are said to have enjoyed the Forest Live gigs over the last 23 years.
This year sees Forestry England present the concert series in partnership with Live Nation’s Cuffe & Taylor for the second year running.
Tickets for Paul Heaton's headline date at Westonbirt will go on sale at 9am on Friday 29 November 2025.
Fans can sign up for information, announcements, and exclusive pre-sale access at forestlive.com.
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