First airing on 1st January 1951, BBC Radio 4’s The Archers is the world’s longest-running drama. Today Fane is delighted to announce that the programme will mark its 75th anniversary in 2026 with a national live tour, inviting audiences to experience the village of Ambridge as they’ve never seen – or indeed heard – it before.
Touring from June to November 2026, this brand-new live production brings the beloved iconic radio drama out of the studio and onto stages across the UK. Hosted by award-winning comedian and Archers devotee Angela Barnes, each performance will feature a rotating cast of Archers actors, a BBC archivist and a live sound-effects specialist.
For 75 years, broadcasting six times a week to millions of listeners, The Archers follows the everyday lives, loves, and dramas of the residents of the fictional village of Ambridge, deep in the heart of the English countryside. Over the course of more than 20,000 episodes, the show has chronicled significant social and cultural changes in Britain, dealing with complex contemporary issues alongside the traditional rhythms of rural life, earning its place as a cornerstone of the British cultural landscape. Today, it remains one of the BBC’s most popular programmes and is currently the top on-demand show for listeners of all ages – as well as regularly topping the list of most popular on-demand programmes for listeners under 35 – on BBC Sounds.
Set within a playful reimagining of the Ambridge Flower & Produce Show, The Archers: Live at 75 blends theatricality, nostalgia, comedy and behind-the-scenes insight. The evening will include on-stage interviews, insider stories and gossip, live performances with live foley sound effects of specially written scenes created exclusively for the tour, archive treasures spanning seven decades from the BBC vaults, fascinating demonstrations of the sound-effects artistry that brings the fields, kitchens and barns of Ambridge so vividly to life, audience questions, an interactive pub quiz straight out of The Bull and of course, a sing-along to the programme’s famous theme tune.
This is a theatrical, one-of-a-kind celebration of, and a unique insight into, the people, stories and distinctive production craft that have cemented The Archers as a beloved British institution for three generations.
The tour offers newcomers an accessible introduction to the drama’s world, while giving long-time listeners a rare look into how Ambridge is created – revealing the artistry behind the character work, development of storylines, and the unmistakable soundscape that define the series.
The full list of cast appearances will be announced in early 2026 and will feature both much-loved long-standing Ambridge actors and the newer voices shaping the drama today.
“I am not just an Archers superfan, I am obsessed with all things Ambridge. So to be asked to host The Archers: Live at 75 is like winning a prize at the Flower and Produce Show and being cast as the lead in a Lynda Snell production, all rolled into one. I can’t wait to hang out with all of my favourite characters and really immerse myself in Borsetshire life.” Angela Barnes, Host
“Marking 75 years of The Archers is a rare privilege, and we’re thrilled to work with the BBC to create a live experience that honours the programme’s extraordinary legacy. Taking one of the BBC’s most precious and established brands, which has lived almost entirely in listeners’ imaginations, and working so closely with Angela, the editorial team, and the cast to make it leap out of the studio and onto the stage is a wonderfully fun creative challenge. We can’t wait to share this special experience with the audiences who’ve loved The Archers for generations.” James Albrecht and Serena Brett, Directors of Fane
Alison Hindell, Drama and Fiction Commissioner, BBC Radio 4, says, “The Archers is one of the BBC’s most-loved programmes and we are tremendously proud of it as it reaches the
astonishing broadcasting milestone of its 75th year. We hope that The Archers live show will give fans even more of what they love, joining in the celebrations with an extra slice of Ambridge life.”
