SYNTH-POP PIONEERS ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK ANNOUNCED AS FIRST HEADLINER FOR THIRD EDITION OF LIVE AT YORK MUSEUM GARDENS
- Chelsea Bakewell
- Oct 19
- 3 min read
LIVE AT YORK MUSEUM GARDENS PRESENTS:
ORCHESTRAL MANOEUVRES IN THE DARK
Plus very special guests:
Heaven 17
China Crisis
Andrew Cushin
YORK MUSEUM GARDENS
THURSDAY 9TH JULY
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New wave trailblazers Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark will play York Museum Gardens on Thursday 9th July as the first announced headliner of 2026’s Live at York Museum Gardens concert series, which sees unique performances from musical legends and rising stars take place within the botanical gardens of the city’s much loved landmark.
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), the synth-pop duo from Wirral, England, pioneered the genre by combining massive chart success with electronic experimentation on albums such as 1980’s Organisation, 1981’s Architecture and Morality and Dazzle Ships in 1983. Hits such as ‘Enola Gay’, ‘Maid of Orleans’ and ‘Souvenir’ propelled them into the international stratosphere and helped shape the musical landscape of the decade. In 1986 OMD conquered the United States with the hit ‘If You Leave’ leading the smash hit film Pretty In Pink’s soundtrack and cementing OMD in popular culture.
Following the celebration of their 40th anniversary, OMD returned in 2023 with their first new studio album since 2017's acclaimed The Punishment Of Luxury. Entitled Bauhaus Staircase, the record is regarded as OMD's most explicitly political record and the crowning achievement of their formative desire to be both Stockhausen and Abba-born. With a series of huge UK and US tours, landmark festival appearances and consecutive sell-out shows under their belts in recent years, the ‘synth duo’ innovators are undeniably still one of Britain’s best-loved pop groups.
Joining OMD at York Museum Gardens on July 9th will be very special guests and fellow new wave luminaries Heaven 17 and China Crisis as well as rising star singer-songwriter Andrew Cushin, fresh from supporting the likes of Louis Tomlinson and Noel Gallagher.
Set to return for a third season, the Live at York Museum Gardens series have seen unforgettable outdoor performances from the likes of British art-rock royalty Elbow, disco funk legend Nile Rogers & CHIC, York’s very own alt-rock heroes Shed Seven, beloved Sheffield troubadour Richard Hawley and many more. Last year’s Live at York Museum Gardens also featured the inaugural York Comedy Festival which featured headliners Katherine Ryan, Dara Ó Briain alongside some of the UK’s brightest and best standups including Yorkshire’s own Maisie Adam, cult TV icon Angelos Epithemiou, rising Irish star Vittorio Angelone and more.
Founded in the 1830s and sitting in the heart of the city, York Museum Gardens are over 10 acres of picturesque botanic gardens set against the backdrop of the ruins of St Mary’s Abbey and home to the Yorkshire Museum. Today, the gardens welcome around 1.3 million visitors a year as a space to relax and enjoy.
From bringing musical legends and stand up stars to York along with providing an incredible platform for rising regional talent; the event's promoters, Leeds based Futuresound Group and York Museums Trust are looking forward to another season of creative collaboration to deliver amazing outdoor summer concerts.
For more information on the series please visit:
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Rachel Hill - Project Manager, Futuresound Group said:
“We are excited to be returning to York Museum Gardens next summer; this year was our biggest to date with a series of incredible shows and our debut comedy festival that just wouldn’t have been possible without a great, collaborative relationship with the York Museums Trust. It really is a privilege to be coming back to the Gardens again and to be kicking things off with Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark, too. We cannot wait to reveal what else we have planned for 2026.”
Kathryn Blacker, Chief Executive of York Museums Trust, said
"We are delighted to be partnering with Futuresound again on the delivery of Live at Museum Gardens and welcoming one of the great pioneers of electronic pop to our beautiful garden setting in 2026. We have worked closely with Futuresound to ensure that this annual event has a positive impact on the city, brings joy to concert goers and supports the local economy. These concerts have rapidly established themselves as a cultural asset for York and help us to generate vital additional income to invest back into caring for and sharing our historic spaces and collections."
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