2023 in British music

• 6 January – Glyndebourne Festival Opera announces that its originally planned 2023 Glyndebourne on Tour season will not occur, as a result of the reduced funding from Arts Council England for the 2023–2026 National Portfolio.[1]
• 9 January – The Royal Albert Hall announces the appointment of James Ainscough as its next chief executive director, effective in the late spring of 2023.[2]
• 10 January – The Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra announces that Kirill Karabits is to conclude his chief conductorship of the orchestra at the close of the 2023–2024 season.[3]
• 13 January – The BBC announces the appointment of Sam Jackson as the new controller of BBC Radio 3, effective April 2023.[4]
• 17 January – Arts Council England (ACE) announces the presentation to English National Opera (ENO) of a one-year grant of £11.46M for the period of April 2023 – March 2024, following its previous November 2022 announcement of a total withdrawal of ACE's funding to ENO for the period 2023–2026 unless ENO relocates outside of London.[5][6]
• 31 January – The Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation announces Sir George Benjamin as the recipient of the 2023 Ernst von Siemens Music Prize.[7]

• 1 February – In an interview on Finnish Radio, Sir Mark Elder states that he is to stand down as music director of  The Hallé in August 2024, at the close of the 2023–2024 season..[8]
• 3 February – John Lydon loses his bid to represent Ireland in the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, with the Public Image Ltd song "Hawaii". They lose out to Wild Youth.
• 11 February – Pensacola Christian College in the USA cancels a concert appearance by The King's Singers two hours before the scheduled performance time, after objections from a group of students, parents and college staff to the presence of homosexuals in the ensemble.[9]
• 18 February – Twelve new pieces of music are commissioned by Charles III for his coronation, including a composition by Andrew Lloyd Webber.[10]

• 7 March – The BBC releases its 2023 Classical Review 2023,[11] whose intended plans include:
  • A reduction in the number of salaried posts in the three BBC England-based orchestras by 20%
  • The closure of the BBC Singers[12]
• 15 March – Universal Music Group announces its purchase of Hyperion Records.[13]
• 24 March – The BBC announces a reversal of its intended closure of the BBC Singers, following public reactions in protest at the original 7 March 2023 announcement.[14]
• 27 March – The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra announces the appointment of Emma Stenning as its next chief executive, effective 3 April 2023.[15]

• 12 April – Opera North announces the appointment of Laura Canning as its next general director, the first woman named to the post, effective December 2023.[16]
• 16 April – Vox Urbane performs its inaugural concert at the Asylum Chapel in Peckham, London.[17]
• 23 April – "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers is removed from an official King's Coronation playlist celebrating British and Commonwealth artists after they were criticised for expressing anti-royal views.[18]
• 25 April – Frankie Goes to Hollywood confirm they are to re-form in order to play a concert at the opening ceremony of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool, the band's first live performance for 36 years.[19]
• 27 April – British singer Adele joins James Corden for the final edition of Carpool Karaoke.[20]
• 28 April – HMV announces plans to reopen its flagship store at 363 Oxford Street four years after it closed when the company went into administration.[21]

• 3 May – The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame announces Kate Bush and George Michael as among its roster of inductees for 2023.[22]
• 4 May – A jury at the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York decides that Ed Sheeran did not copy Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" when composing "Thinking Out Loud".[23]
• 5 May – The official build-up to the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest begins in Liverpool with a concert by Ukraine's Kalush Orchestra to open the fans village.[24]
• 7 May – At the Coronation of Charles III and Camilla, the following new classical compositions receive their world premieres:[25][26]
  • Judith Weir – Brighter Visions Shine Afar
  • Karl Jenkins – Crossing the Stone
  • Sarah Class – Sacred Fire
  • Nigel Hess, Roderick Williams, Shirley Thompson – Be Thou My Vision
  • Iain Farrington – Voices of the World
  • Patrick Doyle – King Charles III Coronation March
  • Paul Mealor – Kyrie Eleison (the first composition sung in Welsh at a coronation)
  • Christopher Robinson – The Recognition
  • Debbie Wiseman – Alleluia
  • Andrew Lloyd Webber – Make A Joyful Noise
  • Roxanna Panufnik – Coronation Sanctus
  • Tarik O'Regan – Coronation Agnus Dei
• 10 May – A performance by The View at Manchester's Deaf Institute comes to an abrupt end after an onstage fight breaks out between band members.[27]
• 13 May – The 2023 Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Liverpool and is won by Sweden.[28]

• 6 June – The BBC announces its new roster of New Generation Artists for the period 2023–2025:[29]
  • James Atkinson (baritone)
  • Alim Beisembayev (pianist)
  • Chaos Quartet
  • Giorgi Gigashvili (pianist)
  • Niamh O’Sullivan (mezzo-soprano)
  • Michael Pandya (collaborative pianist)
  • Johanna Wallroth (soprano)
• 16 June
  • The BBC Concert Orchestra announces the appointment of Anna-Maria Helsing as its next chief conductor,[30] the first female conductor to be named to the post and the first female conductor to be named chief conductor of any BBC orchestra, effective 1 October 2023, with an initial contract of three seasons.
  • King's Birthday Honours:[31] 
    • Kathryn McDowell is made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
    • Ivor Bolton and Tasmin Little are each made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).
    • Lucy Crowe, Janine Irons, Nicky Spence, and Caron Wheeler are each made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
    • Rekesh Chauhan, Peter Corry, Jennie Muskett and Jyotsna Srikanth are each made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE).
• 18 June – BBC Cardiff Singer of the World 2023 competition results:[32]
  • Main Prize: Adolfo Corrado
  • Song Prize: Sungho Kim
  • Audience Prize: Julieth Lozano Rolong
• 20 June – The Hallé announces the appointment of Wong Kah Chun as its next principal conductor and artistic advisor, effective with the 2024–2025 season, with an initial contract of 5 seasons.[33]
• 23 June
  • The Foo Fighters make a surprise appearance at the Glastonbury Festival 2023, appearing on the Pyramid Stage.[34]
  • The Arctic Monkeys headline the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2023, their third appearance at the festival.[35]
• 24 June
  • Rick Astley plays the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2023.[36]
  • Guns N' Roses headline the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 2023.[37]
• 25 June – Elton John plays the final UK concert of his farewell tour at Glastonbury 2023, headlining the Pyramid Stage on the festival's final day.[38]
• 27 June – Lewis Capaldi announces a sabbatical from touring for the "foreseeable future" after struggling to finish his set at Glastonbury 2023.[39]
• 29 June – National Youth Orchestras of Scotland announce the appointment of Catherine Larsen-Maguire to the newly created post of music director, effective 2024, with an initial tenure of 3 years.[40]

• 1 July – BBC Two airs a special edition of Later... with Jools Holland dedicated entirely to Noel Gallagher to coincide with the release of Council Skies, the fourth studio album by his band, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.[41]
• 14 July – The First Night of the Proms is briefly interrupted by two protestors from Just Stop Oil, who climb on stage at the Royal Albert Hall and unfurl an orange banner, before being removed by security staff.[42]
• 28 July – Three tracks from the Barbie soundtrack enter the UK singles Chart in the top five, the first time three songs from the same soundtrack have been in the top five at the same time. The songs are What Was I Made For? by Billie Eilish at number three, Dance the Night by Dua Lipa at number four, and Barbie World by Nicki Minaj and Ice Spice at number five.[43]

• 4 August – The Official Chart now has four songs from the Barbie soundtrack inside the top ten, as Speed Drive by Charli XCX reaches number 9.[44]
• 11 August – A UK Health Security Agency investigation into a number of cases of sickness and diarrhoea at the 2023 WOMAD Festival is inconclusive on a cause.[45]
• 14 August – The BBC's Maida Vale Studios, which have been the venue for performances by artists including The Beatles and Adele, are sold to a group led by composer Hans Zimmer.[46]
• 18 August – For the first time in its 70 year history, the top six selling singles on the Official Chart are by female artists. They are, 1: "What Was I Made For?" by Billie Eilish, 2: "Dance the Night" by Dua Lipa, 3: "Vampire" by Olivia Rodrigo, 4: "Cruel Summer" by Taylor Swift, 5: "(It Goes Like) Nanana" by Peggy Gou, and 6: "Bad Idea Right?" by Olivia Rodrigo.[47]
• 20 August – The UK government gives the go ahead to plans for a northern version of London's BRIT School, based in Bradford.[48]
• 23 August – An advertisement for a fictional glass repair business in the Hackney Gazette is believed to be a teaser for a new Rolling Stones album as it contains several references to the band's past songs.[49]
• 24 August – Conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner pulls out of the BBC Proms after being accused of assaulting a singer who left the podium in the wrong direction during a concert in France.[50]
• 25 August – 25-year-old pianist Alim Beisembayev makes his BBC Proms debut playing Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto at the Royal Albert Hall as a replacement for Benjamin Grosvenor, who was taken ill.[51]

• 1 September –
  • Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody says the band will continue as a trio after Johnny Quinn and Paul Wilson announce their departure from the group.[52]
  • Sophie Ellis Bextor headlines the 2023 Blackpool Illuminations switch-on concert.[53]
• 5 September – Shireland CBSO Academy, the first school in the UK to be partnered with an orchestra, opens in West Bromwich. The school is partnered with the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.[54]
• 6 September –
  • The Rolling Stones announce Hackney Diamonds, their 24th studio album and first album of original material since 2005.[55]
  • A Yamaha baby grand piano used by Freddie Mercury to compose some of Queen's best known songs sells at auction for £1.7m.[56]
• 7 September – Jazz quintet Ezra Collective win the 2023 Mercury Prize for their second studio album, Where I'm Meant to Be, becoming the first jazz act to win the prize.[57]
• 9 September –
  • "Sprinter", a track by Dave and Central Cee, is declared the UK Official Chart's song of summer 2023.[58]
  • The traditional Last Night of the Proms is held at the Royal Albert Hall and in the middle of a late summer heatwave.[59]
• 13 September – Jazz FM confirms that the annual Jazz FM Awards will return in Spring 2024, moving back to spring following disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic.[60]
• 15 September –
  • Sugababes release "When the Rain Comes", their first single in a decade and the first to be released since the original line-up of Mutya Buena, Keisha Buchanan and Siobhán Donaghy regained the rights to Sugababes name in 2019.[61]
  • Lambeth Council gives the O2 Academy Brixton the go-ahead to reopen once the venue has met 77 "extensive and robust" conditions "designed to promote public safety".[62]
• 21 September – LIVE, the voice of the UK's live music industry, appoints Steve Lamacq as its new Chair.[63]
• 25 September – Louise Redknapp and Kéllé Bryan are reported to have pulled out of a planned Eternal reunion tour scheduled for 2024 after a row occurred because their former bandmates, sisters Easther and Vernie Bennett, refused to play at LGBTQ and Pride events.[64]

• 4 October – The Snug in Atherton, Greater Manchester, is the first grassroots gig venue to benefit from the Music Venue Trust's "Own Our Properties" plan, where music fans can invest in venues to save them from increasing rents and closure.[65]
• 10 October – Bilingual pop duo Rogue Jones win the 2023 Welsh Music Prize for their album Dos Bebés.[66]
• 20 October – Welsh rapper Ren Gill reaches number one in the UK Album Chart with his second album Sick Boi, an account of chronic illness that has left him unable to perform on stage.[67]

• Sarah Angliss and Ross Sutherland – Giant[76]
• Conor Mitchell – Abomination: A DUP Opera[77]

The singles chart includes a proportion for streaming.

The albums chart includes a proportion for streaming.

The compilation chart includes a proportion for streaming.