EXIT Festival announce 2022 NFT collection

Eurovision entry Sam Ryder has announced details of a new 2022 London show.Ryder came second during the weekend’s Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, with Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra winning the event with a massive 631 points. It was the UK’s best performance result since 1997.Viral TikTok sensation Ryder went into the competition as the bookmakers second-favourite to win with his song ‘Space Man’.He will now play brand-new London venue Outernet in London on November 24.

Gorillaz have announced details of a North American tour in September and October.These gigs will be the Damon Albarn-led group’s first US and Canadian live dates since 2018 and extends their ongoing world tour, which is currently in South America.Albarn and his 14-piece live band – who will be “aided and abetted by a varying cast of guest performers” – will bring Gorillaz to life across 21 arena shows in the US and Canada, kicking off in Vancouver on September 11.The run will visit such cities as Seattle, Salt Lake City, LA, Austin, Chicago and Boston before wrapping up in Miami on October 23. EARTHGANG will support Gorillaz on all dates except Orlando and Miami, where Jungle will be special guests.Tickets for Gorillaz’s North American tour will go on general sale at 10am local time on Friday (May 20), and you’ll be able to buy tickets here.

Madonna has spoken about her new NFT collection, created in partnership with Beeple creator Mike Winklemann, which features a nude animated version of the singer giving birth to various forms of nature.“When Mike and I decided to collaborate on this project a year ago, I was excited to have the opportunity to share my vision of the world as a mother and an artist with Mike’s own unique point of view”, Madonna says in a statement accompanying the collection.“It’s been an amazing journey building this together from an intellectual idea to an emotional story, giving birth to art. I wanted to investigate the concept of creation, not only the way a child enters the world through a woman’s vagina, but also the way an artist gives birth to creativity”.In an interview with Winklemann she adds: “It’s not often a robot centipede crawls out out of my vagina”.I’m sure you’ll be glad to hear that.

Madonna has defended her decision to release an NFT collection that features a 3D model of her vagina.Earlier this week, the pop star announced that she was preparing to release a charity collection of 3D non-fungible tokens which includes a video of her avatar giving birth to insects, butterflies and trees.The pop star’s Mother Of Creation collection is described in press material as a “labour of love” made over the course of a year with digital artist Beeple (Mike Winkelmann) who sold an NFT last year for $69million (£55million).A number of fans have since taken to social media to criticise the NFT and voice their confusion over its premise. One Twitter user wrote: “Why did Madonna have to go and do that to the market,” while another said: “I did not have a tree growing out of Madonna’s vagina NFT on my 2022 bingo card but here we are.”Acknowledging the criticism and those who might have been “weirded out” by it, Madonna told Winkelmann that it’s “not often that a robot centipede crawls out of my vagina”.“I’m doing what women have been doing since the beginning of time, which is giving birth.

Epik High have announced an Asia Pacific tour that so far spans five stops in Southeast Asia and Australia.This July, the Korean hip-hop group will head to Singapore, Melbourne, Sydney, Bangkok and Jakarta for the Epik High Is Here Tour, they announced today (May 14). A tour poster hints at four more stops that have yet to be revealed.The tour will kick off in Singapore on July 9 then head to Australia for stops in Melbourne (July 11) and Sydney (July 12).

Jazz Tangcay Artisans EditorThe American Film Institute (AFI) has announced a call for applicants for its new program, the 2022 Cinematography Intensive for Women presented by Panavision.As female cinematographers have fought to close the gender gap for recognition, the program seeks to help aspiring female cinematographers. The four-day program will be held on the AFI Campus in Los Angeles from July 15 through July 18.

Kendrick Lamar just dropped his new album and he has more great news for fans – he’s going on tour!

Caroline Polachek has announced a UK and European headline tour for later this year – tickets will be available here.The former Chairlift frontwoman will hit the road in October in support of her debut solo album ‘Pang’, which came out in 2019.Kicking off on October 16 in Berlin, the stint will also include performances in Hamburg (October 17), Paris (21), Amsterdam (24) and other European cities before Polachek’s UK leg commences in Brighton on October 27.Further dates are scheduled for Leeds (28), Manchester (29) and Bristol on November 1. Additionally, Polachek will perform a Halloween show at the O2 Academy Brixton in London on October 31.French performer and producer Oklou – who remixed Polachek’s single ‘Door’ in 2020 – will appear as the opening support act.Tickets go on general sale at 10am BST next Friday (May 20) – you can purchase yours from here.

EXIT Festival has announced the line-up for this year’s MTS Dance Arena, as well as the acts playing the No Sleep and Urban Bug stages.The four-day Serbian festival takes place between July 7-10 in the Petrovaradin Fortress.

EXCLUSIVE: Ian McKellen is among the stars of Ken McMullen’s Hamlet Within, a part-documentary feature investigating the mythology around the Shakespeare play, which is headed to the Cannes Market.

(G)I-DLE have announced a 2022 world tour that will take the Korean girl group to North America, Asia and more.The group took to social media on Wednesday (May 11) to announce the tour, titled ‘Just Me ( )I-DLE’. The tour, which so far runs from June to October, will see the group perform in the United States, Mexico, Chile, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Japan and Singapore.

Madonna is preparing to release a charitable NFT collection that includes a video of her avatar giving birth to a rapidly growing tree.The pop star’s Mother Of Creation collection is described in press material as a “labour of love” made over the course of a year with digital artist Beeple (Mike Winkelmann) who sold an NFT last year for $69million (£55million) [via Billboard].All proceeds from the trio of digitally rendered collectables will go to three charities: the Voices of Children Foundation, which helps women and children affected by the war in Ukraine; the City of Joy Foundation, which advocates for victims of violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo; and Black Mama’s Bail Out, which provides bail for incarcerated caregivers.Madonna’s Mother Of Creation videos are part of an “NFT triptych”.

Jack Harlow is heading out on tour later this year. Starting near the end of summer 2022, the Louisville rapper will embark on a 22-date tour of North America promoting his just-released album Come Home The Kids Miss You. Joining him on the trek are none other than the Florida rap duo City Girls.

The Charlatans have announced they will embark on a run of Australian and New Zealand shows later this year to mark their 32nd anniversary.They’ll be making the trip down this October for six shows, kicking off with one show in Auckland, New Zealand, on Thursday 6. They’ll then head to Australia, playing Sydney on Saturday 8, continuing through Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne before wrapping up in Perth on Saturday 15.The band will play a number of songs from across their career, with ‘The Only One I Know’, ‘Jesus Hairdo’, ‘Can’t Get Out Of Bed’, ‘One To Another’, ‘Love is The Key’, ‘Blackened Blue Eyes’ and more appearing on their setlist.

Harry Styles has announced a North American tour behind his upcoming third studio album Harry's House. "Love On Tour 2022" will span 32 nights in a handful of cities: Toronto, New York, Austin, Chicago, and Los Angeles will get shows, with a massive 10 gigs planned for Madison Square Garden. Registration for Ticketmaster's Verified Fan Presale is open now.

Thundercat has announced a string of North American tour dates for Summer 2022. The new dates are in addition to his previously announced opening stint with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who will embark on a global tour later this year.

South Central-born R&B artist Blxst is seeing a surge of momentum after the well-received release of his debut album Before You Go, so he's heading out on tour. In addition to previously announced dates at Wireless Festival in Birmingham and London, Blxst will fly back to North America to begin a 32-date world tour.

Natalie Imbruglia will be among the performers at a festival to be held in Caroline Flack's memory. Flackstock, due to take place in July, will raise money for four mental health charities.

Tove Lo has announced details of a UK and European tour which will take place later this year.The Sweden-born, Los Angeles-based artist will return with new music later today (May 3) in the form of ‘No One Dies From Love’, which will premiere along with an Alaska-directed music video at 6:30pm UK time.Accompanying the new single, Lo has now confirmed a host of UK, Ireland and European headline tour dates for October and November.“I’m so happy I feel CRAZY to announce my headline tour in the UK and Europe this autumn,” Lo said in a statement. “We had to cut our tour there short in March of 2020, which meant missing out on seeing most of your beautiful faces.