Ben’s Country Music Show rings in 2026 by celebrating a remarkable eighteen years on the air, marking its transition from a 2008 debut to its current status as a cornerstone of the UK’s country and Americana scene and the longest-running independent country music radio show in the UK. To open this first show of the year, we revisit our roots with Alan Jackson’s classic "Gone Country", a poignant choice as Jackson prepares for his final curtain call in Nashville this summer. This episode looks ahead to what is tipped to be a "blockbuster" year for the genre on British soil, highlighting a packed 2026 calendar that features the highly anticipated Nashville TV cast reunion tour and the return of legends Brooks & Dunn to the C2C Festival stage for their first UK appearance in over a decade. We also discuss Luke Combs’ new album and reflect on the decade-long legacy of Maren Morris’s debut record, Hero. Our first "from the vault" track for 2026 comes courtesy of the Man in Black himself.