Rick Wakeman and the English Rock Ensemble bring their Wizard of Prog concert tour to the York Barbican, covering over 50 years of his career.
Rick Wakeman brings his Wizard of Prog tour to the York Barbican on Thursday 11 March 2027, with the show starting at 7:30 pm. He's touring with the English Rock Ensemble, the band he put back together in 2022. Since then, the live shows have grown in scale, moving from sold-out nights at the London Palladium to the Return Of The Caped Crusader tours, and this 2027 run is set to be the longest they've done so far.
Rather than focusing on one album, the set pulls from over 50 years of his career. You'll hear excerpts from his big conceptual pieces, like Journey To The Centre Of The Earth and The Myths & Legends of King Arthur & The Knights Of The Round Table, alongside his work with YES, his solo material, and a few surprises. It's a broad look across his output rather than a deep dive into a single record.
On stage with him is a full band: Jesse Smith on lead vocals, Adam Wakeman on keyboards and guitars, Dave Colquhoun on guitars, Lee Pomeroy on bass, and Adam Falkner on drums. Three backing singers — Sara Davey, Jo Goldsmith-Eteson, and Jo Marshall — round out the line-up. Wakeman himself, who's known as 'The Wizard of Prog', announced the tour on his 77th birthday.
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Outside the music, there's a book to go with it: his definitive autobiography, The Wizard Of Prog, comes out in October 2026, so you'll have a few months to read it before the tour kicks off. The York date is 11 March 2027, 7:30 pm at the York Barbican.
