Post-punk musician and The Cure frontman, Robert Smith, has curated the 2026 Teenage Cancer Trust lineup.
On Monday, 23rd March, British rock band Elbow kicked off the Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) festival with a performance at The Royal Albert Hall.
This year’s lineup was created by none other than post-punk legend Robert Smith of The Cure. The concert series features a credible lineup of music industry powerhouses. Including Placebo, My Bloody Valentine and Wolf Alice, to name a few. This year, the festival runs until Sunday, 29th March, and sees a headline set by The Manic Street Preachers on Thursday, 26th.
Opening on Monday evening, Elbow’s frontman, Guy Garvey, blared into the audience:
“So this is Elbow’s first time playing the Albert Hall. There’s been a few through the doors over the years… The Stones, the Beatles, Hendrix, and Muhammad Ali was here! Churchill made a few speeches. Your Wagner, your Elgar…and it’s a real honour.
Teenage Cancer Trust has been inviting us to come for years, and this is the first time we could make it work, schedule-wise. And what an honour to be invited by the great Robert Smith.”
What is Teenage Cancer Trust?
Although it’s titled as ‘Teenage,’ TCT specialises in developing and distributing resources on cancer diagnoses for those aged between 13 – 24. It’s the UK’s only charity focused on cancer diagnosis in young adults. In the UK, cancer is the most prevalent medical disease, taking the lives of many young people. TCT has dedicated years of research towards finding a cure and spreading awareness. Over the years, it’s funded specialist nurses, youth workers and over 20 hospital units in the NHS.
