Rock Hall makes Troubadour a landmark as Sade skips LA show

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is spending the week in Los Angeles, and it starts at the Troubadour. The Hall will dedicate the West Hollywood club as an official Rock Hall Landmark on Wednesday, Nov. 11, ahead of Saturday's induction ceremony at the Peacock Theater downtown, Variety reported Tuesday, Nov. 10. The same day, Rolling Stone and Page Six reported that Sade, one of this year's biggest inductees, will not attend.

The Troubadour is the West Hollywood club where, as Rock Hall chairman John Sykes put it to Variety, Elton John "is just one of the artists who got their first break." Sade is one of this year's performer inductees, a band the AP noted has not played on stage since 2011. Both stories point to the same thing: the Hall is putting real effort into LA this year, and the week will look a little different from the lineup on paper.

What to know

The Troubadour landmark dedication is set for 3 p.m. Wednesday, followed that night by a sold-out Gram Parsons tribute co-presented by the Parsons Estate, with Emmylou Harris, Elvis Costello, the Black Crowes, Jesse Welles, Margo Price and Grace Potter, according to Variety.
The induction ceremony is Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Peacock Theater, where some tickets were still on sale, Variety reported. It will not be livestreamed; an edited special airs on ABC on Dec. 8.
Sade confirmed on its website Tuesday that the band won't be there, Rolling Stone reported, writing: "Sorry we can't be there in person to celebrate with the other artists. Please know that our absence takes nothing away from how much this recognition means to us."
Oasis also won't attend or perform, Rolling Stone reported, and the Associated Press reported that Iron Maiden is on tour in Australia and Phil Collins will not perform because of health problems.
Sykes told Variety the ceremony will now come to Los Angeles "at least every other year."

Why the Troubadour

Sykes made the case for the Troubadour in plain terms. "Los Angeles has played an important role in shaping popular music since the '60s, and the Troubadour is one of the places where that history really came to life," he told Variety. He pointed to Elton John as one example of the artists who got their start on its stage.

The choice of Gram Parsons for the opening night tribute fits the room. Parsons is going into the Hall this year in the Early Influence category, and Variety reported the evening concert at the club is co-presented by his estate. Emmylou Harris and Elvis Costello lead a lineup that also brings in the Black Crowes and younger artists such as Margo Price and Jesse Welles. It is sold out, so if you do not already have a ticket, Wednesday is a sidewalk night.

A full week of Rock Hall events

Variety laid out a schedule that runs most of the week. On Tuesday night, the Morrison Gallery at the Sunset Marquis in West Hollywood opened an exhibition called "Snapshot: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame In Focus." On Friday, the Grammy Museum downtown hosts a conversation with Peter Hook, who is being inducted this year as part of Joy Division and New Order, in its 200-seat Clive Davis Theater.

Saturday is the main event at the Peacock Theater. The Associated Press reported it is the second straight year the ceremony has been held there. Fans who can't get inside can watch a red carpet livestream on YouTube starting at 4:30 p.m. Pacific, hosted by Allison Hagendorf and Maria Ferrer, according to Variety. The ceremony itself won't stream live. ABC airs the edited version on Dec. 8, Variety reported, and the AP said it will also stream on Disney+.

Who is being inducted

The Class of 2026 is a wide one. In the performer category, the Hall is inducting Phil Collins, Billy Idol, Iron Maiden, Joy Division/New Order, Oasis, Sade, Luther Vandross and Wu-Tang Clan, Variety and the AP reported.

The Early Influence honorees are Celia Cruz, Fela Kuti, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte and Gram Parsons. The Musical Excellence award goes to songwriter Linda Creed, producer Arif Mardin, producer Jimmy Miller and producer Rick Rubin. The late TV host Ed Sullivan receives the Ahmet Ertegun Award.

Who will and won't be there

Sade's statement was warm but brief. Rolling Stone reported the band called the honor "both a gift and a timely reminder to give thanks," thanked longtime manager Roger Davies and paid tribute to Mike Pela, whom the band called "the fifth Sade." Page Six reported Pela, a longtime collaborator, died of a sudden illness in 2022. The band did not give a reason for staying home, Rolling Stone reported. Given that the band hasn't played on stage since 2011, according to the AP, a performance was always a long shot.

Oasis is out too. Rolling Stone reported Monday that the band will not attend or perform. Noel Gallagher is booked that night at Goldie's EFG Jazz Festival at London's Royal Festival Hall.

The AP's preview filled in the rest. Iron Maiden will be on tour in Australia. Phil Collins has said he won't perform because of health problems. Billy Idol, on the other hand, plans to perform.

What it means for LA

Sykes' promise of LA "at least every other year" is a real commitment, and pairing it with a Troubadour landmark ties the Hall to a local room rather than just a big theater rental. It also puts a week of music history on LA's calendar, from a gallery show in West Hollywood to a museum talk and a red carpet downtown.

LA's music venues have had a busy and sometimes bumpy fall. If you missed it, we wrote about a very different concert story, the canceled Usher and Chris Brown show at SoFi Stadium.

What happens next

The dedication is Wednesday afternoon, the Peter Hook talk is Friday and the ceremony is Saturday night. Remaining ceremony tickets were still listed for sale as of Variety's report. Performer lists for Saturday have not been fully announced in the reports we reviewed, so expect more names, and maybe more no-shows, before the weekend.

Our take

A landmark plaque at the Troubadour is overdue, and a Gram Parsons night with Emmylou Harris is about as good a way to christen it as you could ask for. Sade and Oasis skipping is a letdown, but Sade has always done things their own way, and the rest of the week still gives LA plenty to show up for. Are you going to anything this week? Which inductee would you most want to see on stage Saturday?

Where this comes from

This story is based on Variety's Nov. 10 report on the Troubadour landmark and the week's events, Rolling Stone's Nov. 10 reports on Sade and Oasis, Page Six's Nov. 10 report on Sade's statement and the Associated Press' Nov. 9 preview of the ceremony.

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LA This Weekend Team