The much-loved ska band will be bringing classics like Our House and One Step Beyond to a forest near you
Madness have been announced as the first headliners of the next Forest Live concert series
Madness are bringing their ska classics to a forest near us!
The Camden band is the first headliner announced for Forest Live’s 2027 series, playing across all four sites in Forestry England’s summer concert series presented with Cuffe & Taylor.
Best loved for global hits such as Our House, Baggy Trousers and One Step Beyond, the group has played everywhere from Pops to the roof of Buckingham Palace.
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Now they are coming to Cannock Chase and Westonbirt Arboretum.
Formed in North London, Madness has sold millions of records worldwide in the past four decades, achieving 15 UK Top 10 singles.
These forest gigs are coming over two decades after they first headlined the concert series back in 2005.
Where and when are Madness playing with Forest Live?
Madness will be taking to the stages across all four Forest Live venues next June.
This includes:
Saturday 19 June – Forestry England Delamere
Sunday 20 June – Forestry England High Lodge, Thetford
Saturday 26 June – Forestry England Cannock Chase
Sunday 27 June – Forestry England Westonbirt Arboretum
This summer, Fatboy Slim played at Cannock Chase – read our review here
Fatboy Slim at Forest Live Cannock Chase in 2026(Image: Adam Fradgley)
Who is supporting Madness at Forest Live?
The ska band will be supported by Scouting for Girls.
Best known for their songs She’s So Lovely, Elvis Ain’t Dead and This Ain’t a Love Song, the group formed in London in 2005.
Last year, Madness released ‘Hit Parade’, celebrating their remarkable legacy, and a career-spanning anthology.
The band chose 45 singles from 45 years from 1979 through to 2024, capturing every era of their story. The collection features 27 Top 40 hits, including the timeless It Must Be Love, the cheeky chaos of Baggy Trousers, the anthemic Lovestruck, and their chart-topping No.1 House of Fun.
How to get tickets to see Madness at Forest Live
Tickets for all four sites will go on general sale at 10am on Friday 25 September and fans can sign up for information, announcements, and exclusive pre-sale access via the Forest Live website
Forestry England manages and cares for the nation’s 1,500 woods and forests.
They use the money Forest Live raises to maintain these beautiful natural areas for everyone to enjoy, run important conservation projects and keep growing trees.
Each year, they plant over 7 million trees, and welcomed 326 million visits in 2025/26.
Everyone in England lives within a one-hour drive of one of the nation’s forests.
Over 2.5 million people have enjoyed the Forest Live gigs over the last quarter of a century, with the concert series celebrating its 25th anniversary in the summer of 2026.
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