THE lead singer of The Verve is the next act to be announced for a unique concert playing in Delamere Forest next year.

Richard Ashcroft has been confirmed as part of Forest Live 2023, the summer concert series presented by Forestry England.

Ashcroft has enjoyed a career as lead singer and songwriter of alt-rock band The Verve and as a highly acclaimed solo artist.

Music industry accolades include the prestigious Ivor Novello Awards: Songwriter of the Year (1998) and Outstanding Contribution to British Music (2019).

His latest recording, ‘Acoustic Hymns Vol.1’, is a salute to key tracks from his repertoire such as ‘A Song For Lovers’ and ‘Break The Night With Colour’ as well as ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’, ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ and ‘Lucky Man’ from The Verve’s seminal album ‘Urban Hymns’.

Ashcroft will be playing on June 18, 2023.

Tickets will be on sale from 9am on Friday, December 9 at forestryengland.uk/music.

Forest Live is a major outdoor live music series that introduces forests to new audiences in woodland arenas around the country.

More than two million people have attended a Forest Live gig in the last 22 years, enjoying great music and supporting the nation’s forests when buying a ticket.

Going to a concert helps Forestry England create beautiful places for people to enjoy, run important conservation projects and keep growing trees.

Last year they planted some 6.8 million trees, caring for the nation’s 1,500 woods and forests sustainably and welcoming 363 million visits annually.