Rick Wakeman to Release New Album “Return to the Red Planet” on Oct. 16, 2026

Progressive‑rock veteran Rick Wakeman announced that his next solo album, “Return to the Red Planet,” will be released on 16 October 2026. The record, a sequel to his 2020 album “The Red Planet,” draws on the latest images and scientific data from Mars. Wakeman said, “Once I started looking at the new data and photographs, I realised there was an entirely new album waiting to be written.”

The album was recorded between August 2025 and January 2026 with his English Rock Ensemble – bassist Lee Pomeroy, guitarist Dave Colquhoun, drummer Adam Falkner and vocalist Mollie Marriott, daughter of Steve Marriott. It will be issued on CD, Blu‑ray, transparent orange vinyl and other deluxe formats, with pre‑orders now open. The release precedes Wakeman’s memoir “The Wizard of Prog,” due 29 October, and will be followed by a UK tour in December and into early 2027.