After a year filled with stadiums, sold-out rooms, and career-defining opportunities, Finn Forster is taking a moment to briefly reflect. The Middlesbrough singer-songwriter has spent 2024 stepping onto some of the biggest stages in the UK and Europe, supporting giants like Stereophonics and Bastille, playing festivals including Reading & Leeds and Kendal Calling, and releasing some of his strongest material to date. Now, with his biggest UK headline tour announced for May, a new EP on the horizon, and an unshakeable momentum at his back, Finn is gearing up for his most ambitious chapter yet.

Forster’s year has been packed with milestone moments, but one stands apart—and it’s not the one you’d expect.

“It wasn’t even while playing,” he says. “It was actually soundcheck at the Principality Stadium. Hearing myself in a venue that size… it was a real “I can’t believe I’m here” moment.”

The scale of the stages he played this year has been monumental— but no less challenging. Supporting established bands means facing crowds who aren’t necessarily there to see you, a reality Finn approaches with unusual calm.

Growing up playing in folk clubs with his family band, he learnt early how to hold a room where he could hear a pin drop. That grounding, he says, has been everything:

“I really believe in that 10,000-hour rule. I was almost thrown into live performances at a young age. It was a baptism of fire, but it taught me to be comfortable being myself on stage — whether that's 100 people or 74,000.”

This year has also seen Forster reconnect with Stereophonics, joining the Welsh rock legends for both their stadium tour over the summer and their upcoming UK Winter Arena Tour. Cities on the move include Birmingham, Nottingham, Newcastle, Sheffield, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool, and London.

He speaks of the band with deep gratitude and admiration:

“I can’t think of better people to learn from. Seeing how they operate behind the scenes explains exactly why they’ve stayed at the top for 30 years. Everyone wants to get to that level — few stay there.”

Alongside those shows, Finn recently supported Bastille at Nottingham’s Motorpoint Arena and shared a bill with JADE at the BBC Proms in Newcastle, where he earned praise from BBC Radio 1’s Greg James:

“Can we just take a minute to appreciate the unreal vocals of Finn Forster?”

If 2024 was about opportunities, 2025 and 2026 will be about evolution.

The fast pace of this year forced Finn to adapt quickly—including preparing for a European tour with just two weeks’ notice.

“It catapulted me into a sink-or-swim mentality,” he says. “But it was the best thing that could have happened. You learn the most when you’re thrown in.”

Looking ahead, his ambition has sharpened rather than softened.

With an almost entirely sold-out tour just completed, next May brings his biggest headline run yet, with dates across Wrexham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Sheffield, Newcastle, York, Sunderland, Manchester, Bristol and a finale at London’s Colours.

Alongside touring, fans can expect more music — a lot more.

The next project won’t be an album, but another EP, accompanied by a much higher release frequency:

“Time gets away from you as an artist. Next year is about being ahead of the curve—more songs, more consistency, more evolution.”

Finn's latest single, Pablo, released via Interval Records (EMI North), has become both a fan favourite and a radio staple, earning support from BBC Radio 1 Introducing, John Kennedy at Radio X, and more. Written as a tribute to his best friend from college, the track embodies everything that’s propelling Finn forward: authenticity, emotional range and a knack for melody.

“I write from personal experience. Songwriting has always been storytelling for me,” he says. “Pablo ticked all the boxes — it’s raw, it’s uplifting, it’s about friendship, and it ended up being really catchy.”

Produced with long-time collaborator Matt Walsh, the track also represents Finn’s sonic growth:

“I always want to evolve. Every song has to show the next step — for the fans, for the industry, and for myself.”

The single follows the release of his Embers EP, which marked a shift in sound and earned widespread support from BBC Introducing, BBC Radio 2, and Radio X, as well as streaming platforms including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. Finn also recently received the PPL Momentum Fund from the PRS Foundation — a prestigious grant previously awarded to artists like Little Simz and Sam Fender.

As for future collaborations, Finn’s list is long and star-studded.

Paolo Nutini tops the dream-collab chart, alongside Chris Stapleton, Marcus Mumford and Mumford & Sons. His recent trip to South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, where he played six shows, has lit a fresh spark:

“I’ve always felt there’s something in my music—the folk thread—that would translate in America. And it did. So touring with an American artist would be incredible.”

As 2026 approaches, Finn Forster feels both grounded and ascending — a rare combination. His work rate is relentless, his songwriting sharper than ever, and his live presence tested and proven on some of the biggest stages in Britain.

But at the centre of it all is the kid from Middlesbrough who stepped onto a stadium stage during a soundcheck and realised there was no turning back.

“I’m learning not to chase perfection,” he says. “It’s about the pursuit — being present, enjoying every moment. That’s what it is for me.”

And with a new EP, a major UK headline tour, and another year of upward trajectory ahead, those moments are only getting bigger.

Catch Finn live:
Supporting Stereophonics:

3.12.25 - Utilita Arena, Birmingham

4.12.25 - Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham

6.12.25 - Utilita Arena, Newcastle

7.12.25 - Utilita Arena, Sheffield

9.12.25 - P&J Live, Aberdeen

10.12.25 - OVO Hydro, Glasgow

12.12.25 - Co-Op Live, Manchester

13.12.25 - Utilita Arena, Birmingham

16.12.25 - M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool

18.12.25 - The O2 Arena, London


Headline tour:

14.5.26 - The Parish, Wrexham

15.5.26 - Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh

16.5.26 - King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow

19.5.26 - Sidney & Matilda (Basement), Sheffield

20.5.26 - The Grove, Newcastle

21.5.26 - The Crescent, York

23.5.26 - Independent 2, Sunderland

26.5.26 - The Deaf Institute, Manchester

27.5.26 - The Exchange, Bristol

28.5.26 - Colours, London