17 February –Manic Street Preachers become the first westernrock band to play inCuba. (Fidel Castro is in attendance.) They did not tour, meaning that an unsigned British rock band, Sandstone Veterans, remain the only band from the western world to tour Cuba.
8 March –Melanie C announces she does not intend to do any more work with theSpice Girls. Although the group denies it is splitting, it would not be active again until 2007.[1]
4 April – OriginalZombies lead singerColin Blunstone and keyboardistRod Argent reunite for a two-part performance at London's Jazz Cafe, the first time the two had performed together in over 30 years.
3 September –Gorillaz withdraw from the nominations list for theMercury Prize, stating that being nominated is "like carrying a dead albatross around your neck for eternity".
1 November – The governing body of theUK Singles Chart, Chart Information Network Ltd. (CIN), changes its name to The Official UK Charts Company.
4 December – Promoters forSo Solid Crew cancel their then planned tour – after a shooting at a gig at the London Astoria on 4 November, which saw two men hospitalised.
26 December – After denying rumours prior to their greatest hits album, pop groupSteps shock their fans by announcing their split, a move that was heavily criticised by the fans. The group would reunite 10 years later.
