Alex James "can't wait" to see Blur at Britpop Classical dates and eyes up Coachella

11 March 2026, 11:04 | Updated: 12 March 2026, 10:32

Blur's Alex James in Bogota, Colombia in 2023. Picture: Ovidio Gonzalez/Getty Images

By Jenny Mensah

The Blur bassist reveals the band are very supportive of each of their side projects and are good at "inviting each other" to their own events.

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Alex James has invited all his Blur bandmates down to his Britpop Classical 2026 dates, telling them to "come on down".

The Blur bassist's UK tour with the collective - which blends songs from the from the iconic 90s era with orchestral arrangements - kicks off at London's Royal Albert Hall tonight (11th March) and fans who are attending might just spot some familiar faces in the crowd.

“They’re all invited to everything I do," he told NME in a new interview. "We’re quite good at inviting each other. Dave [Rowntree, drummer] and Graham [Coxon, guitarist] were both at Feastival. I went to see the new Gorillaz show before Christmas, it was great. Come on down, boys! I can’t wait to see you.”

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Blur played a set at Coachella 2024, which went viral for its lacklustre crowd, leading frontman Damon Albarn to declare: "You’re never seeing us again so you might as well f***ing sing it”.

However, quizzed if he'd consider a return to the California festival with Britpop Classical, James was far more positive about the prospect.

“The booker from Coachella loves British rock music,” he replied. “It’s popular all over the world. South America are loving the Britpop, which is what made me think this might actually work. These songs resonate all the world 30 years after they were written, so who knows what’s next?”

Asked if there's "no hard feelings" between himself and the festival, the 57-year-old musician added: “Coachella is the biggest festival in the world.

"As someone who runs a festival, I was impressed by that. I thought it was great.”

As for what to expect from Britpop Classical live, which began with a one-off performance at the rocker-turned-cheese farmer's own Big Festival event, he said: “We’ve got some brilliant special guests and I think it’s going to go next level. I’m really looking forward to a springtime jaunt around the UK.”