“Music for me is about being big-hearted and real, and being in the moment”: David Gray at Isle of Wight Festival 2026

For the past three decades, renowned British singer-songwriter David Gray has been captivating audiences with his honest musical storytelling, including hits such as Babylon and Please Forgive Me. 2026 has already been an eventful year, with the release of his 14^th studio album, as well as currently embarking on an outdoor summer tour. Ahead of the singer taking to the Main Stage at Isle of Wight Festival, we caught up with him to talk all things festivals and what the future holds next.

Hello David, and welcome to the Isle of Wight! How has your day been so far? 

It’s a beautiful day. We came over on the ferry this morning. There was a gentle breeze, placid waters…the promise of the day seemed ripe indeed. 

That sounds like it could be your next song!

What more can you ask for? This is perfect festival weather, I think it’s going to be nice, and I’m just glad the stage isn’t facing the sun!

Well, firstly, congratulations on the release of your latest album, Nightjar, and a happy belated birthday!

I was serenaded by the Irish in Cork. I was playing a gig, so no birthday for me this year. I’m enjoying every second of it, though.

Let’s start with a bit of a festival icebreaker…I’m sure you’ve been to many festivals in the past. What is your one survival item or piece of advice?

Well, my daughter recently went to a festival, Boomtown, and had a bit of a meltdown! But I just said to her: “Go back to your tent, go have a cup of tea or a doughnut, lie down and just relax. Take a breath. Nothing lasts forever. There can often be too much sun, too much booze or whatever…so it’s important to take a deep breath and slow down. 

And have a doughnut!

Have a doughnut and have a cup of tea! That would be my advice.

So when you’re at these big festivals yourself, what’s your secret to translating such intimate, personal songs and stories to huge stages like these?

There’s something strangely elemental about actually being out in the elements and putting the music across. The music somehow feels so small amongst the sky, trees and all the people. It feels like a completely different science somehow. Performing music for me is always about being big-hearted and real, and being in the moment. A festival isn’t the moment for an experimental “here’s my new album” set, I think it’s all about sharing, because it’s not just your audience: it’s a mix. People have come for a whole host of things, so you need to have a good few touchstone moments for everyone to get into. It’s different. You gotta play something everyone can relate to.

So is that the science to your setlist today?

I’m not messing around! I haven’t got long. I’ll be playing most of the big hits, a couple of newies, a couple of little surprises here and there…

There are also a lot of up-and-coming artists at this festival. As someone who’s already inspired many artists in the past, what kind of advice would you have for the new artists here just starting out now?

Follow your heart. You have to decide and set your stall out as you mean to go on. If you want to make music that isn’t going to be so immediate or commercially successful, then you need to look long-term and plot your path accordingly. I get a feeling that these days, some people think you have to go from zero to a hundred and become someone like Lewis Capaldi or Beyoncé within a year… My story took a lot longer than that, and I’m still going now, having gone up and down a bit. You gotta set your stall out as you want to do it and try not to panic. If you find that it’s destroying your soul, then maybe stop! Everyone’s got to cut their cloth accordingly, as different people want different things…

Finally, you’ve been a very busy man with quite a few album releases recently, you’re on the road now…what’s next?

I finish this tour at the end of July, and I’ll take a little break, then I have two unfinished projects I’m in the middle of. One is a new album that will be finished at the end of this year…and I’ve got another side project. There’s even another project on the side of that – I’ve got a lot of plates spinning! I’m working on potential music for a film…there’s a lot of different stuff. I’d imagine there will be a new album next year!

That sounds incredibly exciting. All the very best for the many incredible projects ahead, and good luck today for the set! 

Bev Lung
Photo: Virginie Viche

For further information and future events, visit David Gray’s website here.

Watch the video for This Year’s Love here: