Josh Groban has performed in concert halls, on Broadway and at some of the world’s most recognisable stages, but there is something about London that hits differently.
Ahead of his biggest ever UK show at The O2 in 2026, the singer and actor, 44, who has been nominated for five Grammy, Tony and Emmy Awards and sold more than 35 million records worldwide, says the city has shaped him more than many fans realise.
“I owe so much to London,” he told the Standard. “It shaped the artist I became.”
He says it with a grounded warmth rather than any grand sense of self-mythologising. London was where he first experimented with being looser, funnier and more self-deprecating onstage. “British humour taught me you have to take the p*** out of yourself,” he says. “And I found that incredibly freeing.”
That playfulness has followed him throughout his career, from a cameo in The Simpsons to the moments he has crossed paths with the Muppets, including his appearance in the 2014 film Muppets Most Wanted and his guest spot on the ABC series The Muppets the following year.
With news of Miss Piggy finally getting her own solo film, he reflects on the unusual distinction he now carries. “I’m one of very few humans who has actually kissed Miss Piggy,” he says, with a degree of pride. But behind the silliness is an artist reflecting deeply on nearly a quarter of a century in music, his creative evolution and why returning to London feels like coming home.
For Groban, the upcoming O2 date is more than another tour stop. It is a milestone he has quietly held onto since the start. “It is a venue I have always dreamed of playing,” he says. “There is something about that room, the sense of history. I have watched so many performances there from afar.”
His relationship with British audiences has grown steadily over 25 years. “The UK has been a place where fans have told other fans, and it has grown in a really genuine way,” he says. “Every time I come back, it feels like reconnecting with old friends.”
London has been woven through significant parts of his career. He has recorded here, filmed here and built long-running creative friendships. “I was so embraced when I first came to London,” he says. “It gave me confidence at a time when I did not quite have it.”
Comedy from this side of the Atlantic has always been part of his DNA. “Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, Mr Bean. As a kid I was obsessed.” Performing in the UK, he explains, brought out a side of him that American stages rarely saw. “Here, the audiences get it when you poke fun at yourself,” he says. “They want that. Once I realised I could lean into it, I thought: this is me. I can be playful, I can be silly, and they are right there with me.”
That connection was clear during his intimate recent show at Union Chapel, a venue he had admired for years. “I wanted to see everyone’s eyeballs, that was the point,” he says. “Having that immediate feedback from a London crowd again was grounding.”
As he prepares for The O2, Groban says the most difficult part is the setlist. With more than 20 years of music, and fans who discovered him at different stages, balancing nostalgia with where he is now is a careful process. “I always want to honour the songs that built this,” he says, “but also find ways to keep things fresh, to share where I am creatively.”
His latest record, Hidden Gems, released earlier this month, is a curated collection of fan-favourite deep cuts and rarities, including tracks that had only ever appeared in limited form before now. It even features one brand new song, The Constant. “The feedback from fans was overwhelming,” he says. “People remembering where they were when they first heard certain tracks reminded me why those songs mattered.”
He is also working on a new studio album, a cinematic orchestral project recorded in London. “It is the sound I grew up wanting to make,” he says. “Sweeping arrangements, huge dynamics. It feels like a return to something essential.”
This follows one of the most demanding chapters of his career: his acclaimed run as the Demon Barber of Fleet Street in Sweeney Todd. “It was the hardest I have ever worked in my life,” he says.
“Eight shows a week changes you. But it also made me better. It gave me a stamina and focus I did not have before.” He speaks of the cast as family and says the discipline remains with him. “It transfers to everything. After that, stepping back into concerts feels like coming home to myself, but with new tools.”
Away from the stage, he is reflective. Becoming an uncle has shifted his perspective. “Kids remind you what matters,” he says. “Joy, curiosity. They reset your brain.”
Christmas is another grounding place in his life. “My mum is Mrs Christmas,” he says. “She starts decorating in November.”
Groban draws the line at playing his own festive album at home however. “I have to say, ‘Mom, no, not my stuff, please,’ he laughs.
It is this mix of sincerity and humour that defines him, a performer who can deliver a power ballad and undercut himself in the same breath.
As he approaches his 2026 milestone, there is no reinvention, only gratitude.
“I never take for granted that people still show up,” he says. “It means everything to me.”
London shaped him, challenged him and allowed him to be serious and playful all at once. Now, as he prepares to take on The O2, he is ready to give something back.
“I am bringing the full journey with me,” he says. “Twenty-five years, the highs, the lows, the humour, the heart. I cannot wait to share that night with this city.”
Tickets to see Josh Groban at the London O2 as part of his Gems World Tour are on sale now from axs.com.
