Van Morrison will become the first artist to stage a residency at the new British Airways ARC venue when he performs five fully seated shows in London this September.
The legendary musician will take over the newly launched Olympia London space on 23, 24, 27, 28 and 29 September 2026, marking a major opening chapter for the venue ahead of its first full season of live events.
The British Airways ARC officially opens on 16 June and is expected to become one of London’s newest large-scale destinations for concerts, arts and entertainment.
Tickets for Van Morrison’s London residency go on sale this week
Tickets for all five performances go on sale at 9am on Friday 15 May through Ticketline and the venue directly.
The residency format will give fans a rare opportunity to see Morrison in a more intimate seated setting, with the singer continuing to attract strong live audiences more than six decades into his career.
Lucy Noble, Senior Vice President of UK Venues at AEG Presents, said:
“We are thrilled to welcome Van Morrison as the very first artist to have a residency at our brand-new venue. The shows are set to be incredible.”
New album and major festival appearances continue busy 2026
The announcement follows another active year for Morrison, who recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Jazz FM Awards 2026.
The Belfast-born artist has also released a new album, Somebody Tried To Sell Me A Bridge, featuring blues reinterpretations inspired by artists including B.B. King, Buddy Guy and Lead Belly.
Alongside the London residency, Morrison is scheduled to appear at several major European events this year, including the Montreux Jazz Festival.
Van Morrison says his father’s jazz records shaped his career
In a recent interview with The Times, Morrison reflected on the huge influence his father’s jazz collection had on his musical direction growing up in Belfast.
He said:
“Probably not. That was a huge influence. I was hearing jazz when I was a very young kid.
“My father played jazz records day in and day out. Skiffle came out of jazz, blues came out of jazz, so it was interconnected.”
Morrison also spoke about the spontaneity of live performance and the improvisational nature of his shows.
He added:
“If everything’s coming together I can take off and they can follow me.”
