Rock City Issues Statement Following Fire Incident In Nottingham

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Nottingham’s Rock City has provided an update after a fire broke out at the venue earlier today.

The well known 2,000 capacity venue in Nottingham city centre was affected by a fire on the morning of May 28. Emergency services responded to the incident around 9:30am, with police closing off parts of Clarendon Street and Talbot Street while fire crews worked at the scene.

Rock City owner George Akins later confirmed to the Nottingham Post that everyone inside the building had been safely evacuated and that the fire had been successfully dealt with.

This evening, the venue shared a statement confirming that it had been inspected and approved to reopen. While tonight’s club event will still take place, the scheduled performance from Bristol folk group The Longest Johns has been cancelled.

 

“Unfortunately, due to the disruption earlier today, there has not been enough time for tonight’s gig to load in and soundcheck properly,” they said. “We never want to compromise the quality of a show, so tonight’s gig will not be going ahead as planned.”

“We’re working with the artist’s team to reschedule the show and will update ticket holders as soon as possible with further details,” they added.

Explaining the cause of the incident, the venue said: “During planned maintenance works at Rock City this morning, as part of a major upgrade to our air handling system, a small fire occurred within part of a ventilation unit, causing smoke in the ceiling space.”

“Everyone onsite was safely evacuated, the situation was quickly brought under control, and checks have now been completed. We’re pleased to say the impact was limited and the venue is safe to reopen.”

“A huge thank you to our onsite teams and Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue for their swift response and support. Thanks for bearing with us,” they concluded.

Rock City is operated by promoters DHP Family, who also run Nottingham venues Rescue Rooms and Bodega. Since opening its doors in December 1980, with The Undertones becoming the first band to perform there, the venue has gone on to host legendary artists including David Bowie, Nirvana and Oasis.

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Ed Sheeran Tops UK Airplay Chart Again Ahead of Taylor Swift

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Ed Sheeran has officially been named the UK’s most played artist of 2025, marking the eighth time he has earned the title in just over a decade.

The 35 year old superstar managed to outperform global names like Taylor Swift and Dua Lipa to return to the top spot on PPL’s annual ranking of the artists most frequently played across UK radio, television, and public spaces. No other British artist has achieved anything close to the same level of consistency.

According to PPL, Ed’s music has become such a constant part of everyday life in the UK that his songs are played an average of 574 times per day, which works out to around 24 plays every hour.

Reacting to the achievement, Ed admitted he was deeply appreciative of the continued support his music receives.

“I am so grateful to be named most played artist across TV, radio and venues across the UK for an incredible eighth time,” he said.

“A huge thanks to everyone who has played my music over the last year, and over the last 15 years. I really appreciate the continuing support.”

Other artists who secured spots in the Top 10 included Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Coldplay, Elton John, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, and Lady Gaga.

Meanwhile, rising artist Myles Smith landed the UK’s most played song of the year with his breakout hit “Nice To Meet You.”

“Having the most played song in the UK last year … honestly it still doesn’t feel real,” he said.

His follow up single “Stargazing” also made it into the year’s Top 10 most played songs, alongside tracks including Lola Young’s “Messy,” Alex Warren’s “Ordinary,” Sam Fender’s “People Watching,” and two Ed Sheeran songs, “Sapphire” and “Azizam,” proving his catalog continues to dominate playlists nationwide.

The news arrives shortly after Ed surprised fans by confirming he was leaving Asylum/Warner Music after spending 15 years with the label.

The “Azizam” singer reflected on first meeting A+R executive Ed Howard during a small gig in Notting Hill when he was only 18 years old, a meeting that eventually led to demo recordings, sofa surfing, and ultimately the record deal that launched his career.

Ed insisted the decision to leave was not caused by conflict, but instead reflected how much his personal life has evolved since becoming a father of two.

“My life is hugely different now… I’ve been feeling in my gut for a long time that a lot of things in my professional life need to change,” he explained.

He also thanked the label teams around the world and suggested the possibility of working together again in the future.

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