On This Day, Jan. 6, 1987: Eric Clapton kicks off his first Royal Albert Hall residency

On This Day, Jan. 6, 1987 …

Eric Clapton kicked off a six-night residency at London’s Royal Albert Hall, treating the crowd to such classic songs as “I Shot the Sheriff,” “Wonderful Tonight” and “Cocaine,” as well as Cream tracks “White Room” and “Sunshine of Your Love.”

The residency became a near-annual event for Clapton. In 1991, he played a whopping 24 shows at Royal Albert Hall, breaking his own record for the longest run of concerts at the venue.

During that run, Clapton performed with three lineups — a rock band, a blues band and an orchestra. In June 2024, he released a box set, The Definitive 24 Nights, featuring performances from that run.

Clapton’s most recent Royal Albert Hall residency took place in May 2025. He has not yet revealed plans to play the venue in 2026. 

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