Historic Ripley Town Hall is to host one of the world's greatest guitarists
A British rock guitar legend is to play one of the Harrogate area’s smallest but most historic venues
It’s taken nearly 20 years to pull off but volunteer organisers at Ripley Town Hall have finally enticed Grammy Award-winning British guitarist Albert Lee to their lovely village venue which has a capacity of only 125 seated or 250 standing.
One of the most respected and renowned guitarists in music history, Albert Lee has worked with The Everly Brothers, Eric Clapton, Emmylou Harris and more in a long and illustrious career.
Now aged 81, the multiple recipient of Guitar Player Magazine's Best Country Guitarist award is celebrated by fans and musicians all over the world for his fingerstyle and hybrid picking technique.
Once hailed as the king of the Fender Telecaster, Albert Lee will appear at Ripley Town Hall for promoters Ripley Live on Friday, May 22, 2026.
The musical coup caps off a fantastic year for the volunteers who successfully mounted a fundraising campaign to buy the Grade II listed Ripley Town Hall to save it for community use and live music events.
It’s not the first big name that has been attracted to the famous venue which was built in 1854 and has acted a hub for a huge range of community events since the Second World War.
Thanks to Ripley Live, acts such as The Yardbirds, Paul Jones of Manfred Mann, Georgie Fame, The Animals, Taj Mahal, Andy Fairweather Low, Magna Carta and Stax Records guitarist Steve Cropper, who died last week, have all walked onto the stage of this characterful venue.
Albert Lee in concert, Ripley Town Hall, Friday, May 22, 2026.
Doors will open at 7pm for an 8pm start.
The show will be seated with limited standing at side.
Other gigs coming up in 2026 at Ripley Town Hall include Matt Woosey (January 31), keyboard Dan Burnett (February 28), Chris Bannister sings John Denver (March 6), The Milkmen (March 28), Laurence Jones and Amy Eftekhari (April 18), Andy Fairweather Low & The Low Riders (April 24) and the Counterfeit Stones (May 30).
For tickets, visit: https://ripleylive.com/upcoming-events