RAYE
Britain's Grammy-and-BRIT-sweeping songwriter freed from label limbo, with big-band soul-pop that has real stakes and a live show that earns every award.
Where to see RAYE
About RAYE
RAYE is a pop-soul artist from London, UK.
RAYE was born Rachel Agatha Keen in Tooting, south London, to a Ghanaian-Swiss mother who works in mental health and an English father from Yorkshire. Music surrounded her early: her mother sang in a church choir, her father directed it, and she wrote her first song for a Year 6 concert, performing it at Southwark Cathedral. She later spent two years at the BRIT School before leaving.
At seventeen she uploaded a self-produced EP, Welcome to the Winter, to SoundCloud. Olly Alexander passed it to Polydor Records, who signed her in 2014. She spent years writing for other artists and lending vocals to dance records, including Jonas Blue's "By Your Side" and Jax Jones's "You Don't Know Me", before her own EP Euphoric Sad Songs produced the UK top-ten hit "Secrets".
RAYE left Polydor in 2021 after the label repeatedly delayed her debut album. She signed instead with Human Re Sources and released My 21st Century Blues independently in 2023. Its single "Escapism" gave her a first UK number one, and "Prada", made with Cassö and D-Block Europe, reached number two.
Her music sets soul, jazz and big-band arrangement against contemporary pop, and her lyrics address addiction, the music industry and personal trauma without flinching. She has since won seven BRIT Awards, including six in a single year, a record, and became the first woman to win Songwriter of the Year there, alongside two Ivor Novello Awards.
A second album, This Music May Contain Hope, gave her a first UK number-one record, led by the single "Where Is My Husband!", her second chart-topper and biggest hit yet on the Billboard Global 200. Live, she performs with a full band and horn section, built around her voice rather than production.
Listen
More like RAYE
Sounds like
More R&B and Soul artists
Find acts like RAYE at upcoming festivals
Each opens that festival's finder with RAYE already in the box.
Questions about RAYE
What festivals is RAYE playing in 2026 and 2027?
RAYE is booked at 12 festivals we cover: Jingle Ball Dallas/Fort Worth 2026, Jingle Ball Los Angeles 2026, Jingle Ball Chicago 2026, Spilt Milk Canberra 2026, Spilt Milk Gold Coast 2026, Spilt Milk Geelong 2026, Spilt Milk Perth 2026, Lollapalooza Argentina 2027, Lollapalooza Chile 2027, Estéreo Picnic 2027, Lollapalooza Brasil 2027, Pinkpop 2027.
Is RAYE on tour?
Yes. RAYE has 7 shows listed, from Fort Worth, TX on Dec 1, 2026 to London, UK on Jul 10, 2027, plus 12 festivals on the page above.
Is RAYE playing Jingle Ball Dallas/Fort Worth 2026?
Yes, RAYE is on the Jingle Ball Dallas/Fort Worth 2026 lineup, December 1, 2026 at Ariat Arena, Fort Worth, TX. They play Tuesday, December 1.
Is RAYE playing Jingle Ball Los Angeles 2026?
Yes, RAYE is on the Jingle Ball Los Angeles 2026 lineup, December 4, 2026 at Intuit Dome, Inglewood, CA. They play Friday, December 4.
Is RAYE playing Jingle Ball Chicago 2026?
Yes, RAYE is on the Jingle Ball Chicago 2026 lineup, December 7, 2026 at Allstate Arena, Rosemont, IL. They play Monday, December 7.
Is RAYE playing Spilt Milk Canberra 2026?
Yes, RAYE is on the Spilt Milk Canberra 2026 lineup, December 12, 2026 at Exhibition Park, Canberra, Australia. They play Saturday, December 12.
Is RAYE playing Spilt Milk Gold Coast 2026?
Yes, RAYE is on the Spilt Milk Gold Coast 2026 lineup, December 13, 2026 at Gold Coast Sports Precinct, Carrara, Gold Coast, Australia. They play Sunday, December 13.
Is RAYE playing Spilt Milk Geelong 2026?
Yes, RAYE is on the Spilt Milk Geelong 2026 lineup, December 19, 2026 at Kardinia Park Precinct, Geelong, Australia. They play Saturday, December 19.
Is RAYE playing Spilt Milk Perth 2026?
Yes, RAYE is on the Spilt Milk Perth 2026 lineup, December 20, 2026 at Claremont Showground, Claremont, Perth, Australia. They play Sunday, December 20.
Is RAYE playing Lollapalooza Argentina 2027?
Yes, RAYE is on the Lollapalooza Argentina 2027 lineup, March 12–14, 2027 at Hipódromo de San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Is RAYE playing Lollapalooza Chile 2027?
Yes, RAYE is on the Lollapalooza Chile 2027 lineup, March 12–14, 2027 at Parque O'Higgins, Santiago, Chile. They play Saturday, March 13.
Is RAYE playing Estéreo Picnic 2027?
Yes, RAYE is on the Estéreo Picnic 2027 lineup, March 19–21, 2027 at Parque Metropolitano Simón Bolívar, Bogotá, Colombia.
Is RAYE playing Lollapalooza Brasil 2027?
Yes, RAYE is on the Lollapalooza Brasil 2027 lineup, March 19–21, 2027 at Autódromo de Interlagos, São Paulo, Brazil.
Is RAYE playing Pinkpop 2027?
Yes, RAYE is on the Pinkpop 2027 lineup, June 18–20, 2027 at Megaland, Landgraaf, Netherlands. They play Friday, June 18.
Where is RAYE from?
RAYE is from London, UK.
What was RAYE's first album?
RAYE's first album was My 21st Century Blues. (2023). The latest is THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE. (2026).
What kind of music does RAYE play?
RAYE plays pop-soul and R&B.
What festivals has RAYE played before?
RAYE has played Reading 2026, Leeds 2026, Lollapalooza Paris 2025, Glastonbury 2025.