Later this month, BBC One will bring audiences a uniquely intimate London music experience with a global talent - Sam Smith: Live at the London Coliseum (w/t) - a special concert, recorded on Wednesday 9th September at the historic London Coliseum, as part of Sam’s UK leg of their To Be Free residency.
Jo Whiley will also broadcast highlights from the performance during her BBC Radio 2 show on Thursday 24th September (7-9pm), alongside a new interview with Sam. Both the TV and radio programmes will be available on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds after transmission.
In addition, as part of the residency, BBC Introducing and Sam Smith have joined forces to provide a major platform for emerging UK talent, with 10 artists selected to open the residency dates across Manchester and London. The selected artists span a broad range of genres and styles, including pop, folk-rock, R&B and neo-soul. The 10 artists, selected by Sam Smith are (in order of show performance):
Nyah Grace (Thursday 3 September) – BBC Introducing in Manchester
Will Parker (Friday 4 September) – BBC Introducing in York and Humberside
Bradley Jago (Tuesday 8 September) – BBC Introducing in Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight
Becky Sikasa (Wednesday 9 September) – BBC Introducing in Scotland
Sebastian Schub (Friday 11 September) – BBC Introducing in London
Tia Gordon (Saturday 12 September) – BBC Introducing in Kent
Taylor Bleu (Tuesday 15 September) – BBC Introducing in London
Josie Oliver (Wednesday 16 September) – BBC Introducing in Shropshire, Stoke, Hereford and Worcester
Tamzene (Friday 18 September) – BBC Introducing in Scotland
Tyler Lewis (Saturday 19 September) – BBC Introducing in London
The initiative attracted more than 1,500 submissions from across the UK. Artists were shortlisted by a BBC Introducing panel before Sam Smith personally selected the final 10 acts to perform at the residency. Alongside performing to audiences at the residency, the selected artists will receive support and exposure across the BBC Introducing network, helping showcase some of the UK’s most exciting new music talent to wider audiences.
Sam Smith says: “My ‘To Be Free’ residencies across the world have been such incredible live experiences. I’m delighted to invite some wonderful new artists onto the stage for these shows and share in the moment with them.”
Jonathan Rothery, Head of BBC Popular Music TV says: “Sam Smith is one of the UK’s most distinctive musical voices, and someone who we’ve championed on the BBC for many years. I’m delighted that we’ll be able to bring what I know will be a powerful and uplifting night of music to audiences.”
Kelly Betts, Editor of BBC Introducing says: “BBC Introducing exists to champion and elevate emerging artists, so we’re thrilled to bring together one of the world’s biggest stars with ten brilliant Introducing acts. Each artist has demonstrated exceptional talent and potential, and we’re proud to have supported them on their journey so far. We hope this opportunity opens doors to new audiences and helps take their careers to the next level.”
Sam Smith is one of the most celebrated musical artists to emerge in recent history. A five-time GRAMMY® winner, Sam holds two Guinness World Records — one for the most consecutive weeks in the U.K. Top 10 Album Chart (with their 2014 debut In the Lonely Hour), and one for having the first James Bond theme to reach No.1 on the U.K. charts (the Oscar and Golden Globe-winning “Writing’s on the Wall”). Sam has amassed over 64 million equivalent album sales, 396 million single sales, and over 57 billion career streams across their catalogue of critically acclaimed albums. Sam’s Manchester and London residencies follow the release of their latest album, Hazel Eyes, in August. They will perform two nights at Manchester’s Albert Hall before heading to the London Coliseum for eight residency performances.
Sam Smith: Live at the London Coliseum (w/t) and Sam’s partnership with BBC Introducing form part of the BBC’s Summer of Music 2026, bringing audiences an unmissable season of live performances, exclusive music content, landmark documentaries, festival coverage and special programming across BBC television, radio and digital platforms. Highlights have included exclusive performances from Charli xcx and Calvin Harris, alongside new documentaries celebrating music icons including Madonna and WHAM! Audiences can also enjoy coverage from some of the UK’s most-loved festivals and live music events, including Radio 1 at Reading & Leeds, 1Xtra Salutes Carnival, Radio 2 in the Park, the BBC Proms, Boomtown, Radio 1 in Ibiza and Radio 1 in Malta.
Claim a 30 day free trial at Prime Video
Claim your 30 day free trial at Prime Video and stream entertainment like The Grand Tour, Masters of the Universe and brand new Reacher.
Get a 7 day free trial and access all of our content
For just £3.50 a month (approx $4.75 USD), a subscription to theversion.co.uk unlocks total access.
It costs less than a single high-street coffee to upgrade and access every article on the website.
Subscribe today and get a 7 day free trial.
Visit https://theversion.co.uk now for more entertainment, lifestyle, culture & travel.