
Barack Obama to be interviewed live on stage at London and Dublin events
An Evening With President Barack Obama will see the former president speak about his experiences in the role and the future for the US.
Stuart Galbraith, chief executive of Kilimanjaro, and Alex Fane, chief executive of Fane Group, the groups organising the events, said in a joint statement: 'We are incredibly honoured to bring President Obama to the UK and Ireland for these truly special events.
'His message of unity and progress resonates deeply, and we anticipate an evening that will inspire and empower all who attend.
'We believe in providing exceptional experiences, and this event perfectly aligns with our mission to connect people with inspiring moments.'
Tickets for the events go on sale at 10am on Thursday July 10, with 100 tickets set aside in each city for charitable organisations.
Since his presidency ended, Mr Obama has signed a deal with Netflix, alongside his wife Michelle, to produce documentaries, documentary series, and features for the streaming platform under their Higher Ground Productions company.
In 2022, he won the best narrator Emmy for his work on the Netflix documentary series Our Great National Parks, while he previously won Grammy awards for his audiobook reading of two of his memoirs, The Audacity Of Hope and Dreams From My Father.
The Hawaii-born former president has also hosted a podcast called Renegades: Born In The USA in 2021, alongside singer Bruce Springsteen, with the pair also releasing a book based on the podcast.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scottish Sun
41 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
TRNSMT revellers push through heatwave to welcome back music legends Biffy Clyro and enjoy secret set on day two
The temperature had peaked at 29C as punters soaked up the sun and brilliant sounds CLYROH MY GOSH TRNSMT revellers push through heatwave to welcome back music legends Biffy Clyro and enjoy secret set on day two LOCAL heroes Biffy Clyro moved Mountains tonight with a sensational performance that brought a scorching Day Two of TRNSMT to an epic end. The Scots rockers belted out a brilliant set as 50,000 revellers refused to turn down the heat after an afternoon of searing summer sunshine. Advertisement 4 Biffy Clyro moved Mountains tonight as they brought Day Two of TRNSMT to an epic end Credit: Michael Schofield 4 Pals Camilla Johnston, Ioan Taylor, Blythe Thorburn 18 and Milly MacDonald soak up the sun at TRNSMT Credit: Tom Farmer 4 Fontaines DC showed solidarity with Kneecap by starting Free Palestine chants during their set Credit: Getty 4 Danielle Roberts, 35, drew plenty of admirers for her silver outfit The Kilmarnock trio — Simon Neil and twins James and Ben Johnston — were making their third appearance at Scotland's top music festival after a 2017 debut and a 2020 return to Glasgow Green. But a five-year absence clearly made hearts grow fonder as the headliners were welcomed to the Main Stage with a massive roar. The temperature had peaked at 29°C (84.2F) as punters soaked up the sun and brilliant sounds. And Irish rockers Fontaines DC raised political tensions by taking to the stage to a song by their compatriots Kneecap — who'd been removed from the line-up over security concerns. Advertisement It followed controversy over their comments on Gaza and other subjects. It's been 30 years since Biffy Clyro formed but lead singer Simon, 45, showed no signs of slowing down as he put on an energetic display. And he greeted their sun-baked fans with: 'What a lovely day to see you all in Glasgow Del Sol.' Hits such as Bubbles, Many of Horror and Space led to massive singalongs as the crowd became the band's fourth member. Advertisement Biffy recently unleashed two new songs at Glasgow's SWG3 venue at a secret show under their former name Screwfish. And they treated TRNSMT to a taste of their first new music since album The Myth of Happily Ever After was released four years ago. How to survive TRNSMT 2025 Simon also lit up the massive arena at one point by swinging a lamp around his head. The show was lapped up by Post Office worker Laura Brant, 31, and her fiancé fireman Sam Grace, 40 — who told how they got engaged at a Biffy Clyro gig. Advertisement TOMORROW'S MUST SEE ACTS GRACIE ABRAMS MAIN STAGE @7.45PM IT was clear from the get go that Gracie would be one of the most popular acts this year. Fans couldn't say enough good things about the US singer after she supported Taylor Swift on her Eras tour. Now the song-writer and Grammy-award-winner will delight her fans with a main stage set. KYLE FALCONER KING TUT'S STAGE @2.20PM BEST known as the frontman of The View, Falconer is adapting to his newer role of solo performer. The Dundee rocker is enjoying a simpler life in Spain with his family, but there's no doubt fans will see hints of his former wild side on the King Tut's. SHED SEVEN KING TUT'S STAGE @8.20PM YOU can't go wrong with a bit of Britpop nostalgia. And this group are still going strong after 35 years and released two albums in 2024. With seven top 20 singles, six top 10 albums and fan-favorites like Going For Gold, Chasing Rainbows and Disco Down, fans old and young will enjoy getting to grips with such an experienced live act. Laura, from Bedale, North Yorkshire, told The Scottish Sun on Sunday: 'I had to make a special sign for the band. 'I don't think they noticed Sam popped the question at their gig. 'Hopefully they find out about it. And they'd be more than welcome as our wedding guests.' Danielle Roberts, 35, of Bishopton, Renfrewshire, drew plenty of admirers for her silver outfit. Advertisement She said: 'You have to dress to impress at TRNSMT. But the silver had to come off eventually because it was so warm.' Pal Suzanne Reddie, 42, from Greenock, added: 'Some of the outfits were incredible.' Camilla Johnson, Iona Taylor, Blythe Thorburn and Milly MacDonald, all 18, travelled from Selkirk and Melrose for The Kooks. But they stopped at a stall outside Glasgow Green to be fitted out with matching pink stetsons. Advertisement Milly said: 'They were good for the heat and for being able to see each other in the crowds.' Hollie Baker, 33, travelled from Leeds with Scarlet Mapanya and Georgie Fisher, both 16. AMY TAKEN ABACK AT SECRET SHOW AMY Macdonald shocked fans with a secret show at TRNSMT. The local hero, 37, appeared on the bill under the name Mrs Rock & Roll in the Hangout area for over-18s only. She told the crowd: 'Thanks so much. I actually can't hear myself think. For the first time ever I wasn't even able to try to sing because you guys were just singing for me.' The performance coincided with the release of her new album, Is This What You've Been Waiting For? She previously revealed the record — her sixth — was partly inspired by TRNSMT. Amy, from Bishopbriggs, near Glasgow, said: 'I was a bit nervous going out because the crowd were really young and I thought to myself, gosh, some of these kids wouldn't even have been born when these songs were coming out. They're not going to enjoy this. They're not going to know anything. 'I was so taken aback by how they just knew every word and they were just having the time of their life. I was so moved I went back and I wrote Can You Hear Me?' Hollie said: 'The festival is amazing. It's well worth the travel. We can't believe how nice the weather is. 'You could not ask for better conditions for TRNSMT.' Advertisement Eilidh Cook, Chloe Meechan, Martha McClean and Rachel Ross, all 16, travelled from Kilmarnock to see Fontaines DC. Chloe said: 'It was great. The weather is scorching but we're not complaining.' During their set, Fontaines DC showed solidarity with Kneecap by starting Free Palestine chants. They also hailed Glasgow as a 'home away from home'. Advertisement A huge message then appeared on the big screen stating: 'Israel is committing genocide. Use your voice.' The Irish band also displayed a Palestine flag during their set. Norwegian singer-songwriter Sigrid, 28, had earlier given the main stage Scandinavian sparkle. The pop star, who has worked with top acts like Bring Me the Horizon and Griff, got the party started with her best-known tracks such as Don't Feel Like Crying. Advertisement Irish lads Inhaler celebrated the success of their third album Open Wide — also their third consecutive record to top the charts. Two of their biggest fans were the first through the doors after travelling to Glasgow all the way from Montreal, Canada. Arianna Lafoley, 19, and pal Sam Rinone, 20, had only just landed in Scotland when they pitched up at 7am. Sam said: 'We got in the queue at 7.30am for Inhaler. I'm a mega fan. I've been to Dublin and Manchester to see them and was so excited when I heard they were playing TRNSMT.' Advertisement Arianna added: 'We were told Scotland would probably be rainy so we can't believe this sunshine. It's such a beautiful country.'


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Fans rejoice as beloved Friends actor, 32, makes a surprising comeback
He once starred in one of the most iconic sitcoms of all time but Cole Sprouse, 32, has come a long way from his days on the Friends set. The former child star, who portrayed Ross Geller's son Ben in seven episodes of the beloved series, is now best known for his lead role in Netflix 's Riverdale. But it's another project that has fans rejoicing once again this week. Sprouse's side hustle is running a chaotic, cult-favorite Instagram account called @camera_duels, where he posts candid snaps of fans who try to secretly photograph him in public by snapping a photo of them back. The account became a viral sensation a couple of years ago but in June 2023 Sprouse stopped posting to it. 'It started because I was pissed off,' Cole previously told Wonderland magazine. 'I try to approach a lot of the strange trappings of celebrity and the culture with comedy… the actions and feelings and vibes that people put off when they're about to do something like that is so obvious and comical that it begs a duel.' The account was originally meant to shame people who tried to sneak photos without asking. But it has ironically turned into a bucket list item for fans with many admitting they now try to stage a stealth photo just to be featured. 'That was an oversight on my behalf,' Cole admitted. 'I should have seen that coming!' Now Sprouse is back posting to his Instagram. Last week he shared a rambling yet poetic takedown of a father in a Speedo snapping a photo of him at the beach. The caption included everything from commentary on the surveillance state to the unfortunate visibility of 'a 50+ shivering meatus' behind thin swimwear. Fans couldn't get enough and the post left followers fangirling over him. His account now boasts over 4.6million followers, with each post bombarded with fan messages. Sprouse played Ben for just seven episodes between 2000 and 2002 but suddenly disappeared from Friends without explanation. The real reason was because his character was written out as the show to focus more on Ross' relationship with Rachel and later, their daughter Emma. Still, despite his brief time on the show, the Friends fans have not let go. Fans have speculated that Ross may have lost custody of Ben off-screen, due to his increasingly erratic behavior. Sprouse himself has even joked about the theory, agreeing that Ross 'wasn't the most present father' during a previous GQ interview. In 2015, a Reddit user named D.F. Lovett hypothesized that Cole's character still existed but that Ross lost custody of him. 'Friends was on for ten seasons, but Ben doesn't show up in person after episode 12 of season eight,' the Reddit user posted. The post continued: 'He's only mentioned six times in the remaining 54 episodes after his last appearance. 'People like to give Ross the benefit of the doubt, wondering if perhaps he was a better father off-screen. Perhaps his children met but the audience never saw. 'The more likely answer is that he was such a deadbeat father that he completely faded away from his son's life, pretending to his family and so-called friends that he still saw a boy he barely knew.' Sprouse has also previously shared details of his time on set and admitted he had a major crush on Jennifer Aniston while filming Friends at just eight years old. 'I had a really, really hard time working with Aniston because I was so in love with her', he confessed to the New York Post. 'I was infatuated. I was speechless. I'd get all bubbly and forget my lines and go completely blank. It was difficult.' The role on Friends was Cole's first acting job where he starred without his twin brother, Dylan, because the sitcom didn't require both twins. Sprouse went on to star on Disney's The Suite Life of Zach and Cody with his brother before landing a role as Jughead in Riverdale after graduating from college. Sprouse said fans still regularly recognize him as Ben from Friends. 'Because Friends is on Netflix, there's renewed interest,' he explained in an interview with Marie Claire in 2022. 'People can call me 'Ben' on the street and I will turn around.'


Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
Fontaines D.C led chants of "free Palestine' at TRNSMT festival in Glasgow
The group The Fontaines D.C were performing the penultimate main stage act at the music festival in Glasgow. The Fontaines D.C led chants of "free Palestine' at TRNSMT as the penultimate main stage act at the music festival in Glasgow. Many in the crowd were seen donning the Irish Tricolour, while others brought Palestine flags. Near the end of the show, a massive Palestine flag was put on screen in the middle of the stage, while huge screens flanked on either side of the stage read: 'Israel is committing a genocide use your voice.' 'Glasgow is home away from home,' he told the tens of thousands of fans who braved 30-degree weather to see them live, dedicating the song Favourite to the city. The Irish group had a Palestine flag draped over their equipment on stage and Carlos O'Connell had a free Palestine sticker on his guitar. The pinnacle of the set was when the group performed I Love You from their album, Skinty Fia. Free Palestine appeared on the two big screens on either side of the stage as Grian belted the line ' Selling genocide ' in the song's bridge and a Palestine flag appeared on the huge screen behind them. The chants and promotion of the 'free Palestine' cause came after TRNSMT had dropped West Belfast band Kneecap from the bill after Police Scotland raised safety fears. First minister John Swinney had also claimed Kneecap should not be allowed to play the festival. Supporters have described the controversy over bands speaking out as a diversion when babies are dying as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.