AEG Presents has revealed the first wave of artists slated to perform at London’s much-anticipated new venue, the British Airways ARC, as it gears up to open its doors this summer.

Kicking off the venue’s opening run is Self Esteem, who will headline two nights on June 16 and 17. The launch lineup continues with pop-rock favorites McFly (June 18) and country group Zac Brown Band (June 25). Khalid is also booked for a show Oct. 24, marking his first U.K. headline date since a run of Free Spirit arena dates in late 2019.

In addition, the venue is positioning itself as a hub for musically diverse programming through a new partnership with the EFG London Jazz Festival. The collaboration will launch with a special performance from saxophonist Branford Marsalis and vocalist Dianne Reeves on Nov. 21, celebrating the legacy of jazz icon John Coltrane.

In a statement, Lucy Noble, AEG’s senior vice president (U.K. venues), said: “We are very proud of our newest venue and to have this lineup of the first incredible artists set to play is a fantastic way to begin the British Airways ARC story. When fans come to see shows at British Airways ARC, they are going to be able to enjoy world-class facilities across everything from sound to seating and we really can’t wait to open the doors.”

Situated within the new Olympia redevelopment, the British Airways ARC is a 3800-capacity concert hall aiming to become a key destination on London’s live music circuit. It is part of a £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) renovation of the 138-year-old event space and conference centre in Kensington, west London, which was originally built to stage agricultural and military shows.

In addition, the revamped Olympia will also feature a 1,575-seat theatre, a host of bars, restaurants and eateries, two hotels and office space. AXS will provide ticketing services for British Airways ARC.

Over time, Olympia has played host to some of the most iconic artists in music, including Jimi Hendrix, Rod Stewart, Primal Scream, The Cure and The Chemical Brothers.

AEG Presents oversees an extensive portfolio of venues and live events across the U.K., including the renowned BST Hyde Park summer concert series. The company also programs venues such as the recently reopened Watford Colosseum, Indigo at The O2 and Eventim Apollo.

Live from London, it’s Saturday Night Live!

The iconic sketch comedy franchise made its United Kingdom debut on March 21 with Saturday Night Live UK, tapping SNL alum Tina Fey as host and English indie rock band Wet Leg as the musical guest.

The international spinoff of Lorne Michaels’ long-running NBC hit opened with Fey’s monologue, which featured surprise appearances from Michael Cera and British talk show host Graham Norton.

“It’s an absolute honour and kind of historic,” Fey told the audience. “Guys, I am the youngest person to ever host SNL UK!”

Later in the episode, Wet Leg performed two tracks from the band’s sophomore album Moisturizer, which debuted at No. 6 on Billboard’s Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart and reached No. 1 on the U.K.’s Official Albums Chart.

The group first took the stage with the album’s fourth single, “Mangetout,” a Grammy-nominated track that also landed on Billboard’s list of the 20 best U.K. and Ireland songs of 2025. They returned later with a performance of the lead single, “Catch These Fists.”

Following their SNL UK appearance, Wet Leg will head back to the U.S. for a run of major festival appearances, including Coachella, Governors Ball, Bonnaroo and Outside Lands. The band’s U.S. tour is set to launch April 15 at the Fox Theater in Pomona, California.

SNL UK has also lined up its next two episodes. Wolf Alice will perform on the March 28 show hosted by Jamie Dornan, followed by Kasabian on the April 2 episode with host Riz Ahmed.

The series airs on Sky in the U.K. and streams on Peacock in the U.S. The debut episode drew more than 220,000 viewers on Sky, according to The Hollywood Reporter. It became available in the U.S. on March 22 through Peacock.

Watch Wet Leg’s SNL UK performances below.

Rio de Janeiro’s mayor is reacting to claims from Brazilian soccer star Jorginho that Chappell Roan’s security upset the athlete’s young daughter.

In a post on X on Saturday (March 21), Rio Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere wrote that the 28-year-old pop star will never perform at Todo Mundo no Rio while he remains in office and extended an invitation for the athlete’s 11-year-old daughter to attend the upcoming event as an honored guest.

“I mean that as long as I’m in charge of our city, this young lady @ChappellRoan will never perform at Todo Mundo no Rio!” Cavaliere wrote in Portuguese. “I doubt that Shakira would do that! By the way, @FrelloJorginho your little one is already the guest of honor of the organization in May!”

Todo Mundo no Rio is a series of free international music events held on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro each May. The inaugural edition was headlined by Madonna in 2024, followed by Lady Gaga in 2025. Shakira is set to headline this year’s event on May 2.

Jorginho reacted to the mayor’s post with a pair of red heart emojis.

The mayor’s post follows a lengthy Instagram Story from the soccer star on Saturday, in which he said Roan’s security left his daughter in tears after an incident that morning at a São Paulo hotel.

In his post, Jorginho said his wife, Catherine Harding, and 11-year-old daughter were staying at a São Paulo hotel ahead of Roan’s headlining set at Lollapalooza Brazil when they spotted the singer at the hotel restaurant during breakfast.

“My daughter, like any child, recognised her, got excited, and just wanted to make sure it was really her,” the midfielder shared, noting she didn’t approach Roan or ask for anything.

He claimed the encounter quickly escalated when a security guard allegedly confronted his family, speaking “in an extremely aggressive manner” and accusing his daughter of “disrespect” and harassment, even threatening to file a complaint with the hotel, leaving his daughter “extremely shaken” and in tears.

On Sunday morning (March 22), Roan shared her side of the story on social media.

“I’m just going to tell my half of the story of what happened today with a mother and child who were involved with a security guard — who is not my personal security,” Roan said on her Instagram Story, lying in bed at the start of her video.

“I didn’t even see,” the singer continued. “I didn’t even see a woman and a child. Like, I did not. No one came up to me. No one bothered me. Like, I was just sitting at breakfast in my hotel. I think these people were staying at the hotel as well.”

Roan added, “I did not ask the security guard to go up to talk to this mother and child. They did not come up to me. They weren’t doing anything. It’s unfair for security to just assume someone doesn’t have good intentions. When they have no reason to believe, because there’s no action even taken.”

The pop star concluded her message, assuring viewers, “I do not hate people who are fans of my music. I do not hate children. That is crazy. I’m sorry to the mother and child that someone was assuming something, that you would do something and that if you felt uncomfortable, that makes me really sad. You did not deserve that.”