Will Young and James Morrison announce co-headline Forest Live summer gigs

Will Young and James Morrison have announced co-headlining dates as part of Forest Live, the summer concert series presented by Forestry England.

Will Young has spent much of the last two decades at the forefront of pop, having won the inaugural series of Pop Idol which shot him to national fame. A chart-storming career followed including seven top 5 albums (four reaching the top spot) and four number 1 singles such as ‘Leave Right Now’ and ‘Jealousy’ ensuring his standing as an iconic part of noughties UK pop culture.

With the release of his debut album, ‘Undiscovered’, singer-songwriter, James Morrison was catapulted into the limelight. The album went on to sell over a million copies with fans being enraptured by the beauty of his once-in-a-generation voice. His five Top 10 singles all rank among the biggest of their era, including the breakthrough smashes ‘You Give Me Something’ and ‘Wonderful World’, plus the huge Nelly Furtado collaboration ‘Broken Strings’.

The special concerts will see both BRIT Award winning artists perform individual sets that include greatest hits and material from their latest albums: Will’s ‘Lexicon’ and James’s ‘You’re Stronger Than You Know’.

Forest Live is a major outdoor live music series held every year by Forestry England. It introduces forests to new audiences in unique, natural woodland arenas around the country. Over 1.9 million people have attended a Forest Live concert in the last nineteen years. With everything needed for a great night out, including good food and drink, the concerts are well-known for their informal and relaxed atmosphere set to a spectacular forest backdrop. Going to a Forest Live concert helps look after the nation’s forests sustainably, with income from ticket sales helping to create beautiful places for people to enjoy, wildlife to flourish and trees to grow.

Commenting on the tour, Will Young said, “Both James and I have fond memories of appearing as part of Forest Live as solo artists in the past. We love the work Forestry England does, so we are glad to be back again in what promises to be a fantastic double-header of a show.”

James Morrison commented, “For the last 20 years Will has been at the forefront of British Popular Culture. That’s a massive achievement. I think our sets will complement each other in a special way and I’m really looking forward to our shows together. It’ll be a great night out!”

Will Young and James Morrison

Friday 12th June: Westonbirt Arboretum, near Tetbury, Glos.

Sunday 14th June: Bedgebury Pinetum, near Tunbridge Wells, Kent.

Friday 19 June: Thetford Forest, near Brandon, Suffolk.

Sunday 21st June: Cannock Chase Forest, near Rugeley, Staffs.

Saturday 27th June: Dalby Forest, near Pickering, North Yorkshire.

Sunday 28th June: Sherwood Pines Forest, near Mansfield, Notts.

Tickets £49.50 (plus £5.95 booking fee) go on sale at 9am Friday 22 November from Forestry England box office tel 03000 680400 or buy online: www.forestryengland.uk/music