The Cure frontman Robert Smith has just been announced as the curator of the annual Teenage Cancer Trust gigs at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall. It comes after the news that The Who’s Roger Daltrey, who carried out the role for the last 24 years, will step down.
Robert Smith and The Cure have long been supporters of the work Teenage Cancer Trust carry out, and the band has performed at the gigs themselves in 2006 and 2014. Smith was also active in the charity’s UNSEEN campaign in lockdown, which helped Teenage Cancer Trust raise funds during this time.
Speaking on the news, Robert Smith said: “Teenage Cancer Trust does the most fantastic work, and it is a great honour – and a real thrill – to be asked to curate the 2026 shows at the Royal Albert Hall. I can promise it will be a very memorable week!”
It won’t be the first time Robert Smith has helmed an event, either. He took the reigns as curator for Meltdown Festival in 2018, with a bill that included Nine Inch Nails, Deftones, Manic Street Preachersand more.
Roger Daltrey announced last year that he would be stepping back from the role after 24 years having founded the concerns in 2000, but he will remain a patron for the charity.
Speaking on the news, Roger Daltrey said: “It has not been easy to find the right curator for the week of concerts in aid of Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall, but it’s with great excitement that I can announce that Robert Smith has signed up for 2026. With The Cure’s long and outstanding support for Teenage Cancer Trust, Robert appreciates the vital work this charity does.
“The concerts have become an essential fixture in the music calendar, featuring some of the world’s greatest artists. It has been a challenge to find the right person to take them on – but Robert, a true musical great, is the perfect curator for the 2026 concerts.”
This year’s events kick off next week, with the lineup including Sex Pistols & Frank Carter; Mickey Flanagan; James Arthur; The Who; The Corrs; GK Barry; and, of course, The Who. Plus, it was also announced today (March 19) that ‘Erased Tapes’ will also perform a special bill on March 29, with performances from Penguin Café, Douglas Dare, Daniel Brandt, and Hatis Noit.
Robert Smith will oversee the bill for Teenage Cancer Trust gigs between March 23-29, 2026. It comes after The Cure’s success for the Songs Of A Lost World album in 2024 – their first in 16 years.
