The week in music: 26 October to 1 November 2026

A week of big stages, a few hard days in court and a lot of 2027 tour dates. Here is what mattered from 26 October to 1 November 2026, with our own stories linked for the full detail.

1. Jay-Z gets the Super Bowl halftime show

The NFL, Apple Music and Roc Nation confirmed on 26 October that Jay-Z will headline the Super Bowl LXI halftime show on 14 February 2027 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It is the first time he will perform at the game himself, after his company Roc Nation has produced the show since 2019. More on JAY-Z on his artist page.

2. Aerosmith are back on a stage

On 29 October the band played night one of California, Dream On at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, their first show since they stopped touring in September 2023. It was a six-song Aerosmith set inside a long all-star bill, and night one drew guests including Dave Grohl on drums. Night two was on Sunday 1 November.

3. Turnstile fill the National Mall

On 24 October the Baltimore hardcore band closed their Never Enough tour with a free show at the Washington Monument. The crowd was estimated at 60,000 and the attached fundraiser for relief work in Palestine, Sudan and Lebanon passed $220,000, more than double its goal.

4. Neil Young goes back to court

Young filed a copyright suit on 26 October against the Trump 47 Committee, seeking $10 million over the use of "Rockin' in the Free World" at a 12 October rally in Youngstown, Ohio. Our report has the details of the complaint. The claims are allegations until a court rules.

5. Chris Brown avoids prison

A judge at Southwark Crown Court in London gave Chris Brown an eight-month sentence, suspended for 12 months on 26 October for the 2023 nightclub attack, after his guilty plea to affray.

6. The Weeknd debuts "Hong Kong"

At Kai Tak Stadium on 24 October he premiered an unreleased ballad built on Faye Wong's 1993 song "Seasonal Wind", with a video made for the city. There is no release date yet. We followed up with a feature on why the borrowing is so Cantopop.

7. Deep Purple call off two German shows

The band cancelled Leipzig on 31 October and Hamburg on 1 November after a medical emergency involving singer Ian Gillan, who is in hospital. No details have been shared, and the band says tickets stay valid for new dates.

8. India's December fills up

Closer to home, Rolling Loud India returns to Mumbai on 12 and 13 December with Burna Boy, Metro Boomin, Karan Aujla and Skepta, and Khalid makes his India debut with shows on 13, 15 and 17 December in Delhi NCR, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

9. The 2027 stadium rush

Noah Kahan added 25 stadium dates for 2027, opening in Athens, Georgia on 24 April, while U2 announced their European run with Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on 18 and 19 June.

10. Gracie Abrams plays both parts on SNL

She performed as Juliet and then Romeo on Saturday Night Live's Halloween episode, and a Daughter From Hell deluxe edition lands on 20 November.