Queen and Adam Lambert complete TRNSMT's line-up of festival headliners fit for royalty

Glasgow's TRNSMT Festival has announced the last of its headliners for 2018, Queen and Adam Lambert, and they complete one of the strongest line-ups on offer in the UK this summer.
Queen's Adam Lambert and Brian May at Glasgow's SSE Hydro in 2015. Photo: Lisa Ferguson.Queen's Adam Lambert and Brian May at Glasgow's SSE Hydro in 2015. Photo: Lisa Ferguson.
Queen's Adam Lambert and Brian May at Glasgow's SSE Hydro in 2015. Photo: Lisa Ferguson.

Somerset’s Glastonbury Festival being out of the equation this year, only the Isle of Wight Festival can rival its array of A-listers, and that’s partly because the two events share a brace of headliners, US alternative rock act the Killers and former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher.

TRNSMT’s other headliners are Welsh rockers the Stereophonics, indie pop act the Arctic Monkeys and reconfigured rock veterans Queen, now fronted by Lambert, replacing the late Freddie Mercury and, more recently, Paul Rodgers.

Killers frontman Brandon Flowers at the SSE Hydro in November. Photo: Rob Loud.Killers frontman Brandon Flowers at the SSE Hydro in November. Photo: Rob Loud.
Killers frontman Brandon Flowers at the SSE Hydro in November. Photo: Rob Loud.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Stereophonics , formed in Mid Glamorgan in 1992, are first up at the Glasgow Green event, now in its second year, taking to the stage on Glasgow Green on Friday, June 29.

Manchester-born Gallagher, 45, follows the night after, and the Arctic Monkeys, formed in Sheffield in 2002, can be seen on Sunday, July 1.

The following weekend brings Queen and Lambert, together since 2011 though the band were formed in London in 1970, a dozen years before the birth of their current frontman, on Friday, July 6, and the Killers, founded in Nevada in 2001, round proceedings off on Sunday, July 8.

This year’s TRNSMT is two days longer than last year’s inaugural event, headlined by Radiohead, Kasabian and Biffy Clyro.

Liam Gallagher at last year's Leeds Festival. Photo: Tom Maddick.Liam Gallagher at last year's Leeds Festival. Photo: Tom Maddick.
Liam Gallagher at last year's Leeds Festival. Photo: Tom Maddick.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Stereophonics’ supporting bill includes Jessie J, the Script, James Bay and Kodaline.

Warming the crowd up for Gallagher will be acts including the Courteeners, Wolf Alice and Shed Seven.

Supporting the Arctic Monkeys are Miles Kane, Blossoms, Interpol and Nothing But Thieves.

Taking to the stage ahead of Queen are Texas, the Darkness and the Temperance Movement.

Killers frontman Brandon Flowers at the SSE Hydro in November. Photo: Rob Loud.Killers frontman Brandon Flowers at the SSE Hydro in November. Photo: Rob Loud.
Killers frontman Brandon Flowers at the SSE Hydro in November. Photo: Rob Loud.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

And playing on the same day as the Killers will be Jessie Ware, Franz Ferdinand, Friendly Fires and – offering every bit as much of a vowel aversion-prompted pronunciation conundrum as the festival itself, the answer being, in the event’s case, like transmit – Chvrches.

The alternative King Tut’s Stage adds the likes of Marmozets, Tom Walker, the Sherlocks, Pale Waves, Sigrid, Walking on Cars and Nina Nesbitt to the array of talent to be seen, with further acts for both stages yet to be announced.

Tickets are on sale now, costing £260 or £409 for all five days, £155 or £240 for the first weekend only, £115 or £190 for two days or from £59.50 for day passes. For further details, go to trnsmtfest.com

The Stereophonics’ appearance will be one of only three in Scotland thus far announced for this year, following dates in Aberdeen and at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro last month to promote their 10th album, Scream Above the Sounds, a No 2 hit released in October last year.

Liam Gallagher at last year's Leeds Festival. Photo: Tom Maddick.Liam Gallagher at last year's Leeds Festival. Photo: Tom Maddick.
Liam Gallagher at last year's Leeds Festival. Photo: Tom Maddick.
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Gallagher’s show is the only one he has lined up in Scotland this year as yet and his first since dates in Edinburgh and at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro in December to plug his chart-topping debut solo album, As You Were, released in October.

The Arctic Monkeys will be making their first visit to Scotland since a set at 2014’s T in the Park festival at Balado, Kinross.

A follow-up to their fifth album, 2013’s AM, a No 1 , like all its predecessors, is expected later this year.

Queen and Lambert, 36, are more recent visitors, having played at Glasgow’s SSE Hydro in December, as did the Killers the month before, along with a date in Aberdeen, to promote LP No 5, Wonderful Wonderful, their fifth No 1 in a row upon its release in September.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Queen have no new material to promote, their last album being The Cosmos Rocks, with former Free and Bad Company frontman Rodgers, 68, on vocals, a No 5 hit in 2008, so they’ll instead be playing hits from a back catalogue stretching back almost half a century.

Geoff Ellis, head of DF Concerts, the firm organising the festival, said: “We are absolutely delighted to announce the addition of Queen and Adam Lambert to the TRNSMT line-up as the final headliner across the two weekends.

“As bona fide music legends, Queen and Adam Lambert’s TRNSMT show promises to be a spectacular highlight in Scotland’s music calendar this summer.

“I’m sure the atmosphere will be electric when they step on stage.

“That completes the headliners for all five days of TRNSMT festival, with the rest of the bill being finalised over the coming weeks.”