Holly Humberstone will bring an intimate live show to Oxford this spring as part of a special UK record store tour celebrating the release of her second album, Cruel World.
The BRIT Award-winning singer-songwriter is set to perform at Oxford O2 Academy 1 on 22 March, with the show forming part of a short run of small-scale dates across the country. The tour also includes stops in Liverpool, Nottingham, Birmingham, Brighton and Kingston, offering fans a rare chance to see Humberstone in more personal venues.
The Oxford date comes ahead of the release of Cruel World, due out on 10 April 2026, an album that explores the tension between pain and pleasure, chaos and acceptance.
Since winning the BRIT Rising Star award in 2022 and earning an Ivor Novello nomination for Haunted House, Holly Humberstone has emerged as one of the UK’s most compelling young songwriters.
Her UK Top 3 debut album Paint My Bedroom Black followed sold-out headline shows, international touring and high-profile support slots, while her forthcoming second album Cruel World was written with renewed focus alongside collaborator Rob Milton, exploring love, vulnerability and gothic fairytale imagery through Humberstone’s signature emotional precision.
Entering the world of Cruel World, Humberstone leans into a dark fairytale aesthetic, drawing on childhood memories, gothic imagery and emotional vulnerability.
The album is introduced by new single To Love Somebody, a soaring and visceral track that reflects on love as both grounding and destabilising. The song is accompanied by an atmospheric video directed by Silken Weinberg.
Tickets and album bundles for the Oxford show go on sale at 10.00am on 28 January, via participating record stores and ticket partners.
As part of the wider tour, the Oxford performance offers a standout opportunity for local fans to experience Humberstone’s new material up close before she embarks on larger UK and international dates later in the year.
Full UK Outstore Tour dates
| Friday 20 March | Liverpool | Rough Trade Liverpool | Rough Trade |
| Saturday 21 March | Nottingham | The Level | Rough Trade |
| Sunday 22 March | Oxford | O2 Academy Oxford 1 | Truck |
| Tuesday 24 March | Birmingham | O2 Academy Birmingham 2 | Truck |
| Wednesday 25 March | Brighton | Chalk | Resident Music |
| Thursday 26 March | Kingston | Circuit | Banquet Records |
