Robert Smith Reveals Livestream Plans And Updated Line-Up For Teenage Cancer Trust Concerts

The hosts for Robert Smith’s Teenage Cancer Trust shows at London’s Royal Albert Hall have now been confirmed, along with the addition of a surprise performer and information about the official livestream broadcasts. You can find everything you need to know below.

This year, Smith is overseeing the famous charity concert run, taking over the role from The Who singer and longtime charity supporter Roger Daltrey. The Cure have a strong history with Teenage Cancer Trust, previously delivering highly praised benefit performances for the organisation in both 2006 and 2014.

The impressive artist roster for the 2026 shows was first shared in December. Artists scheduled to appear include Garbage, Wolf Alice, Manic Street Preachers, Chvrches, My Bloody Valentine, Elbow and Placebo. You can check the complete timetable below and look for any available tickets here.

Organisers confirmed today Friday March 20 that acclaimed Bosnian musician and accordion player Nihad Hrustanbegovic will also perform throughout the venue on each night of the run.

Hrustanbegovic has put out 10 albums during his career and has performed more than 1,000 solo shows across Europe. Among these was Croatia’s Art Janez Days festival, which took place with support from Smith.

The list of presenters has also been revealed. They include BBC Radio’s Shaun Keaveny who will appear at Elbow’s headline performance, 6 Music’s Mary-Anne Hobbs for Mogwai, Radio X’s John Kennedy for Manic Street Preachers, NTS host Flo Dill for My Bloody Valentine, BBC Radio 1’s Jack Saunders for Wolf Alice, Absolute Radio’s Sarah Champion and Ben Burrell for Robert Smith’s Comedy Favourites, and Danielle Perry who will introduce Garbage and Placebo.

Full performances from Elbow and Manic Street Preachers will also be broadcast live through Player+ at a cost of £15.99, with all proceeds supporting Teenage Cancer Trust. “We recommend purchasing access to each live global broadcast before the show,” the event listing states. You can do so here.

As well as that, young people across the UK who are supported by Teenage Cancer Trust services will also get the chance to watch the concerts live at no cost.

“Teenage Cancer Trust does absolutely amazing work, and I am very proud they asked me to be ‘Cureator’ of their March 2026 concerts at the RAH,” Smith explained. “I wanted to make it a truly unforgettable, unmissable week – a run of shows to dream about – and I am so grateful to all the artists who accepted my invitation to perform.

“These will be very special events; every band, both headliners and special guests, and every comedian too, is either legendary or at the top of their game… indeed in most cases, they are both! It is going to be a fabulous seven nights, and I can hardly wait to experience it all. See you there!”

Earlier this year, Manic Street Preachers shared footage of rehearsals showing them preparing a version of The Cure’s ‘Close To Me’ before their appearance at the charity concerts. In other news, Shirley Manson recently told NME about Garbage’s upcoming performance, which will take place after a more intimate set from Placebo.

“I’m obsessed with Placebo, I really love them, and we’re delighted to be paired with them,” she said. “I’m particularly touched because they could be headlining the show on their own terms and they very graciously took the decision to play an opening acoustic set.

“I love them dearly. I think Brian [Molko, frontman] is a very rare kind of frontperson.”

Manson also shared that she has been a fan of The Cure since her early teens. “To get one of those famous emails from someone I admire so much was gobsmacking, really […] We didn’t really need any introduction and all of us were immediately like, ‘Yes, we are going to do this’.”

Some fans had speculated that The Cure themselves might also be added to the Teenage Cancer Trust bill or announce a separate London show as part of their 2026 UK and European summer tour. So far, no London performance has been officially announced.

At the same time, The Cure, The 1975, Geese, Fontaines D.C., Nick Cave and others have provided artwork for the new ‘Good Energy’ exhibition organised by Teenage Cancer Trust.

The Cure also picked up their first Grammy Award recently thanks to their 2024 record ‘Songs Of A Lost World’. Smith has also hinted that he has spent time working in the studio with Olivia Rodrigo.