Two worlds collide as Midge Ure announces dates for 'immersive' tour

The 71-year-old musician, James "Midge" Ure, who co-wrote Do They Know It's Christmas? for Band Aid, will start his A Man Of Two Worlds Tour in May 2026 .

Ure is best known for being the frontman of electronic pop group Ultravox, whose track Vienna (the title track from their studio album of the same name) is among the most well-known songs of the 80s.

Ure said: "This is my two worlds coming together.

"Almost every album I have made over the last 40-plus years has featured at least one instrumental track. Instrumental music is one of my main loves.

"I realised most of these have never been performed live. So my intention on this tour is to seamlessly insert some of these atmospheric, cinematic instrumentals between a selection of hits and favourite album tracks."

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The tour promises to offer a "rare and deeply personal concert experience" for fans by bringing together album favourites with "cinematic instrumentals".

Speaking about the tour, Ure said he wanted to "take the audience on a journey rather than just play a list of individual songs".

Immersive experience

"This will be an immersive experience for the audience both visually and sonically," he said.

Ure's musical career has spanned decades with his early years performing as part of bands such as Irish rockers Thin Lizzy, new wave groups Visage and Rich Kids before going on to have a successful solo career.

The Ivor Novello winner, who has also been nominated for a Grammy, became an OBE in 2005 for services to music and charity.

The musician went on to celebrate his 70th birthday with a sold-out show at the Royal Albert Hall in 2023.

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The tour will take place in May and June 2026 and is expected to open in Bath with performances in Liverpool , Sheffield and Edinburgh.

The BBC has announced a range of programming along with a new documentary series to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Live Aid.

Live Aid At 40 will reveal the behind-the-scenes story of the charity concerts organised by Geldof and Ure.

The show will also look at the event’s legacy when it airs next week on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.

Viewers will also be able to relive more than six-and-a-half hours of extended highlights on the BBC for the first time since 1985.

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On the 40th anniversary on Saturday, BBC Radio 2 will air Live Aid – The Fans Story, introduced by Radio 2’s Paul Gambaccini, who will speak about his involvement on the day, while listeners will also hear from the likes of Status Quo’s Francis Rossi and Rob Halford of Judas Priest.

Fans who were there on the day will also have their say on the radio special, speaking about how they travelled from different parts of the UK to be at Wembley on that day, recalling the pre-internet world of gigging.

The Making Of Do They Know It’s Christmas, which was broadcast on BBC Four in November 2024, is also now available on BBC iPlayer.

The Live Aid concerts in London and Philadelphia aimed to raise money for the Ethiopian famine, with the likes of David Bowie, Queen and Sir Elton John all performing.