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The new year is upon us, all the festive decorations are packed away and it’s time to look to the future. But rather than sift the tea leaves or grab a crystal ball, we’ve compiled a helpful list of some of the key events, progammes, releases and happenings of the year ahead. So grab a highlighter pen, rip the cellophane off your new 2017 calendar and let’s get to work circling some red-letter days.

Gary Barlow lends his pop nous to this new , in which five young men are to be cast for the lead roles in a new stage musical called The Band, based on the songs of . Let It Shine is presented by Radio 2’s own and Bake Off’s Mel Giedroyc, while the judges include Barlow, Martin Kemp and Dannii Minogue (plus Glee star Amber Riley for the first stages, and Lulu thereafter). And if that’s not enough Take That activity for one year, the real band will be releasing their new album Wonderland in March.

We can definitely surmise that a new album is imminent, because he released not one but two songs from it – the rousing Castle On The Hill and the loopier, sultrier Shape Of You – in the first week of January. We've also come to the conclusion that it will almost definitely be called ÷ (divide), following his first two albums + (plus) and x (multiply), because the cover art for Castle On The Hill and Shape Of You go together to form a ÷ (divide) sign. Beyond that, Ed was fairly coy about the new album while appearing on . But we have good reason to believe it will include collaborations with and Thinking Out Loud co-writer Amy Wadge, and

While the rest of the country waits patiently for spring, in Glasgow, there’s a huge annual winter festival that brings together 2,100 musicians for 18 days of folk, roots and world music performances, encouraging interesting cross-pollinations and unexpected collaborations. In that spirit, the opening night of sees singer-songwriter rework songs from her five albums to date, with the help of various special guests, most notably the 91热爆 Scottish Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Jules Buckley with arrangements by Kate St. John.

On a similarly symphonic note, is hosted by 91热爆 film critic Mark Kermode for a special concert to mark the 85th birthday of film composer . His soundtrack work on Harry Potter, E.T., Star Wars, Jaws and the Christopher Reeve Superman movies became as iconic as the characters on screen, a fact acknowledged by the American Film Institute in 2005, which named Star Wars as the most memorable score of all time.

The songs of and Jim Steinman always had a touch of high drama about them, and now they’re being put to good use in a stage musical. With typical understatement, the songs tell the story of Strat, leader of a street gang called The Lost, and Raven, the daughter of evil overlord Falco, in a post-apocalyptic New York. The show opens at the Manchester Opera House in February, before transferring to London's West End in June. Also opening in 2017 are David Bowie's Lazarus musical (from Jan), Gary Barlow's The Girls (Feb) and Finding Neverland (March), plus acclaimed hip-hop musical Hamilton (Nov).

In 2015, 91热爆 Radio 2 launched an devoted to country music. As well as providing in-depth documentaries and special features on the finest singers and songwriters in Nashville, 91热爆 Radio 2 Country bases itself around live coverage of the C2C: Country to Country Festival in London, which this year features the likes of Brad Paisley, Reba McEntire and Zac Brown Band. For more details on when Radio 2 Country will return, keep an ear on .

Having announced their return with a new album and world tour entitled Spirit, Basildon’s finest dark electro-poppers have been characteristically vague as to release dates, only and that they have been working with Arctic Monkeys producer James Ford. The first concert takes place on 5 May in Stockholm though, so it’s a safe bet there’ll be something to listen to by then.

The 62nd Eurovision will take place at the International Exhibition Centre in Kiev, Ukraine, after the success of their mournful (and surprisingly restrained) 2016 entry, 1944 by Jamala. There will be 43 countries taking part in the competition this year, including the return of Portugal and Romania, who did not participate in 2016. The semi-finals will take place on May 9 and 11, with the final extravaganza on the 13th. Expect high drama, extreme glamour and a lighthearted ribbing from Graham Norton.

The saw Rufus Wainwright pay tribute to Sandy Denny, Joan Armatrading and Norma Waterson receive lifetime achievement trophies, the Unthanks don their clogs for a dance and Sam Lee bring proceedings to a halt with a superb a capella rendition of Lovely Molly with the Roundhouse Choir. While it’s still a little early to predict precisely what will happen at this year’s event, expect this calibre of collaboration, and more besides.

A recent revealed that has ditched some of the material she’s been working on for her fourth album, in favour of new songs inspired by global events over the past 12 months - not least her support for Hillary Clinton’s election campaign. In an Instagram post thanking Unicef for giving her the Audrey Hepburn Humanitarian Award, she explained that she’d even taken inspiration from her critics: “It's funny, sometimes people who disagree with me just say, ‘Shut up and sing.’ Boy, will I do so in a whole new way... next year. Hell hath no fury like a woman REBORN.”

Every year, the story competition, as launched by the , brings together exceptional examples of young writing talent - nearly half a million so far, aged between 5-13 years old - all of whom have been tasked with telling a complete story in just 500 words. Last year’s finalists got to hear their entries read out by Tom Hiddleston, Warwick Davies and Julie Walters in Shakespeare’s Globe theatre, alongside a live performance by OneRepublic. This year's event promises to be even better, and to kick it all off there will be a lesson in story writing on from 11am on Monday 16 January.

It’s official! The retirement is off and is returning to active duty for his first live concerts in 10 years, singing a selection of his greatest hits. He’ll be appearing for five nights at the Royal Albert Hall in June, as part of his aptly named Not Dead Yet tour. Also on tour in 2017: Robbie Williams (June), Elton John (June), Craig David (March), Elbow (March), Pet Shop Boys (Feb) and LeAnn Rimes (Feb).

Never one to do things by halves, has been working on her fourth album with a full orchestra, ably assisted by songwriter Jesse Shatkin and James Bond’s musical accompanist, David Arnold. Although recording sessions were interrupted by her pregnancy, and it’ll be out at some point this year.

Whether it’s a scorcher or a washout, the spirit of Glastonbury will remain undimmed. It’s the only music festival for which tickets are sold - and indeed sold out - without a final lineup. So far, are the only confirmed headline act, with strong rumours in the direction of Ed Sheeran, Lady Gaga, Foo Fighters and possibly the reformed Guns N’ Roses. Whoever plays, it's sure to be a feast of the senses for music fans of all persuasions.

The longest-running programme of accessible classical music concerts in the world continues after a stunning run of performances last year, both in the Royal Albert Hall and beyond. These included a night of Elizabethan music at The Globe theatre to honour Shakespeare, a reinterpretation of the songs of , an evening devoted to and even a CBeebies Prom. For more information on this year’s events, keep an eye on the .

A more civilised version of the Glastonbury spirit holds sway in London’s Hyde Park at the beginning of the new school year. was a scorcher, headlined by Elton John, with a fine supporting cast including Madness, Status Quo, LeAnn Rimes and Gregory Porter. A star-studded music festival with the friendly feel of a family picnic.

Throughout 2016, 91热爆 Radio 2's Jo Whiley presented a series of in front of intimate audiences at the 91热爆’s iconic Maida Vale studios. These included celebratory appearances from , , and , each accompanied by a special backstage interview with Jo. There was also a mesmerising acoustic set from , live at the Hackney Empire. Details of 2017’s performers have not yet been revealed, but keep an ear on Jo's for details.