Loyle Carner
When: 12th November 2025 – 14th November 2025
Location: O2 Academy
Loyle Carner is a vital voice in the UK hip-hop scene. Coming to Glasgow’s O2 Academy from 12th – 14th November 2025.
The South London ‘Damselfly’ artist has amassed a loyal following for his languid style of rap and introspective lyricism that harnesses his own personal experiences and astute social observations.
Born Benjamin Gerard Coyle-Larner. Loyle Carner emerged onto the scene in 2017 with his debut album Yesterday’s Gone. His adopted stage name a spoonerism of his double-barrelled surname. As well as a reference to his childhood dyslexia and ADHD diagnoses. With a longstanding affinity for American hip hop and UK grime, Carner also cites inspiration from poets such as Langston Hughes and Benjamin Zephaniah, deftly blending mellow beats and jazzy instrumentation with confessional-style spoken word refrains. It’s this laid-back delivery that sits in contrast with his often serious subject matter – from Carner’s own personal struggles to tackling broader societal issues – which has aided his ascent to mainstream popularity and critical acclaim.
Taken from the Mercury-nominated debut, ‘Damselfly’ remains Loyle Carner’s most popular effort, having racked up more than 100 million streams on Spotify. Featuring the London jazz guitarist and producer Tom Misch, a friend and frequent collaborator, the track epitomises Carner’s London-centric perspective with lyrics cataloguing love and loneliness against a lo-fi backdrop peppered with text message pings and woozy brass. In 2019, Carner followed up with Not Waving, But Drowning, which delved even deeper into personal narratives, tackling themes of mental health, family, and self-reflection. Featuring the song ‘Ottolenghi’, Carner uses the recurring imagery of food (nodding to the renowned chef, Yotam Ottolenghi) as a metaphor for his own mental health, requiring nurture and self-care. Fittingly, Loyle Carner founded Chilli Con Carner, a cooking school for teenagers with ADHD.
Several BRIT Award nominations
Elsewhere, Loyle Carner has accrued several BRIT Award nominations, honed his live show with sold-out headline tours and Glastonbury slots, and enjoyed various artistic collaborations beyond his own music, including a coveted gig directing Arlo Parks’ ‘Eugene’ music video. Following the release of his third studio album hugo (2022), Carner unveiled plans to mark his 29th birthday by live recording the album in concert at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall, capturing the evolution of the tracks as they were performed live, and enlisting guests such as Sampha and Jordan Rakei. Adept at bringing his sparse beats and soulful melodies to the stage (and especially to a home crowd), Loyle Carner went on to play the headline slot at Victoria Park’s All Points East in the summer of 2024.
2025 is set to be a big year for Carner: after being announced as an Other Stage headliner for Glastonbury festival, the artist announced the hopefully ! UK and European tour for the autumn.
