Rick Wakeman visited the Airbus Space Facility in Stevenage to film promotional videos for his album Return To The Red Planet, alongside performing a concert for 150 rescued moon bears in Vietnam, where he noted about the weather, You know the heatwave we had in England? It’s double that,
and joked of the audience, They’ve not got much choice, really.
The Bottom Line
- Rick Wakeman released his progressive space-themed album, Return To The Red Planet, on October 16 via Madfish, featuring his backing collective The English Rock Ensemble.
- Rick Wakeman traveled to Vietnam to perform a live piano concert for 150 rescued moon bears at an Animals Asia sanctuary in Tam Dao national park.
- Wakeman plans to continue touring through his February and March 2027 Wizard Of Prog UK shows before wrapping up his major touring career on his ninetieth birthday in May 2029.
Filming at the Airbus Space Facility and Recording Return To The Red Planet
Because actual space travel was out of the question, the facility provided a recreation of Mars used for testing spacecraft.
Wakeman has maintained a fascination with space exploration since Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin’s 1961 flight. The project was created alongside The English Rock Ensemble.
Return To The Red Planet was released on October 16 via Madfish.
Performing a Grand Piano Concert for Rescued Moon Bears in Vietnam
Wakeman traveled to Vietnam to perform a live piano concert for an audience of 150 rescued moon bears. The performance took place at the Animals Asia bear sanctuary located in the Tam Dao national park.
Wakeman aimed to raise awareness for moon bears rescued from the bear bile trade. The sanctuary built a stage and positioned a Yamaha grand piano near the enclosures. To help the animals acclimate, sanctuary staff played Wakeman’s piano albums to the bears in the months leading up to the event.
Wakeman adopted a 20-month-old bear during his visit, having sponsored rescue bears since 2016. While Vietnam has banned bear bile farming, approximately 125 bears remain captive in older facilities, motivating Wakeman’s live awareness campaign.
Ahead of the performance, he joked, Before you ask, I won’t be playing the teddy bear’s picnic.
Dr Jill Robinson, the founder and CEO of Animals Asia, stated, We are beyond blessed to have Rick’s support for Animals Asia and the bears.
Future Touring Plans and Retirement Timeline
Despite previous mentions of slowing down, Wakeman maintains an active schedule. In December, he and his son Oliver will embark on a six-date festive tour across Britain titled A Hint Of Christmas, followed by 18 UK dates under the banner Wizard Of Prog in February and March 2027.
In October, Wakeman is scheduled to perform STARMUS VIII – The Search For Truth, a piece for piano and chamber orchestra based on the lectures of late astrophysicist and cosmologist Stephen Hawking. He also plans a tour of South America next year.
While he plans to continue composing and recording music, large-scale touring will cease after that milestone, which is set to come to a head on his birthday on May 18, 2029, when he noted, But I am slowing down.
| Event / Release | Date | Location / Details |
|---|---|---|
| Return To The Red Planet Release | October 16 | Released via Madfish with The English Rock Ensemble |
| Moon Bear Sanctuary Concert | N/A | Tam Dao National Park, Vietnam (Animals Asia) |
| A Hint Of Christmas Tour | December | Six festive dates across Britain with Oliver Wakeman |
| Wizard Of Prog UK Tour | February – March 2027 | 18 dates across the United Kingdom |
