An eclectic mix of rising stars and stalwarts will join Jools, Ronnie Wood and Imelda May to ring in the New Year
By Surej Singh 26th November 2025
Ronnie Wood, Imelda May and Jools Holland. Credit: BBC
The line-up for Jools Holland‘s annual New Year’s Eve show has been announced.
- READ MORE: Olivia Dean – ‘The Art of Loving’ review: musings on love from a star risen
As always, Jools Holland’s Hootenanny will air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer on December 31 to usher in the New Year. Besides Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra band, this year’s celebration will feature an eclectic mix of legends, rising stars and pop stalwarts.
AdvertisementJoining Jools this year are Rolling Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, Olivia Dean, Lulu, Jessie J, Craig David, Heather Small, The Kooks, Imelda May, Joe Webb, David Hermlin and Ruby Turner.
Ronnie Wood will be performing tracks from his recent anthology ‘Fearless’ with Jools, while Olivia Dean and her band will deliver hits from her latest album ‘The Art Of Loving’, as well as a cover of Natalie Cole’s 1975 classic ‘This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)’ with Jools.
Scottish icon Lulu will team up with Jools and his band for renditions of David Bowie‘s ‘The Man Who Sold The World’ and ‘Relight My Fire’, while Jessie J and Jools will perform a Frank Sinatra classic as well as ‘Living My Best Life’.
R&B stalwart Craig David will make his grand return to Jools Holland’s Hootenanny for the first time since 2000, where he will perform his from his debut album ‘Born To Do It’, as well as his most recent album ‘Commitment’.
For her contribution to the New Year extravaganza, Heather Small will partner up with Jools and his band to perform two M People anthems, ‘Moving On Up’ and ‘Search For The Hero’, while The Kooks will revisit hits from their 2006 debut album ‘Inside In/Inside Out’ as well as songs from their most recent effort ‘Never/Know’.
RecommendedElsewhere during the show, Jools will perform a version of Billie Holiday’s ‘Now Baby Or Now’ alongside Irish jazz standout Imelda May and a duet with Joe Webb who recently made the Mercury Prize shortlist. David Hermlin will perform a rendition of Louis Armstrong’s ‘Jeepers Creepers’, while the line-up is rounded up by Ruby Turner.
This year’s recording of Jools Holland’s Hootenanny will take place on December 10 – tickets will be allocated to fans through a random draw. Registrations are now open until 11:59pm on December 2. A maximum of two tickets will be assigned to successful applicants. To apply, and for the full list of details – visit here.
Past performers at the Hootenanny in recent years include The Boomtown Rats, CMAT, Jungle, Marc Almond, Queen‘s Roger Taylor, Joss Stone, RAYE, Sugababes, The Mary Wallopers, Ed Sheeran, Joy Crookes, Miley Cyrus, Saweetie, Jack Harlow, Brandi Carlile, Anitta and more.
