Sam Fender has covered The The Rolling Stones classic ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’ for the 2026 John Lewis Christmas advert. Check it out below.
The annual festive ad from the UK department store has always been a headline-grabbing moment attracting millions of new eyes and ears on the selected artist, having drawn in some huge names over the years for the soundtrack including Andrea Bocelli, Richard Ashcroft, Lily Allen, Aurora, Lola Young and Tom Odell. Famous songs covered have included tracks by John Lennon, Blink-182, Oasis, The Smiths and Keane.
Now, the 2026 advert has dropped and it sees Fender sharing an evocative cover of Stones’ iconic single from 1969’s ‘Let It Bleed’.
The South Shields star performs the song alongside the choir from the John Spence Community High School in North Shields – where Fender was a former pupil – and brass from the Easington Colliery Band.
The advert itself stars BAFTA Award and an Olivier Award winner Dame Kristin Scott Thomas [Slow Horses, Four Weddings And A Funeral] who features as a grandmother as she desperately searches to find the perfect gifts for her grandchildren. Check it out below, along with the track.
Speaking about his contribution to the advert, Fender said that it was “a privilege to rework such an iconic song by such a legendary band.”
“In the spirit of Christmas, we re-recorded the children’s choir with the kids from my old school, John Spence Community High School, and we arranged a brass section with the Easington Colliery Band,” he added.
Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger also voiced his support for the song being covered by Fender, sharing: “I’m a fan of Sam’s work, so I was pleased to hear he was covering one of my songs. I think he’s done a great job with it.”
The cover will be available to buy on 7” and CD and comes backed with Sam Fender’s 2020 cover of Lindisfarne’s ‘Winter Song’ – which is now available physically for the first time. All net profits from the single sold via the official Sam Fender online store will be donated to Teenage Cancer Trust.
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All John Lewis profits from each record sold at John Lewis stores will be donated to Action for Children, which helps people who have grown up in care build brighter futures.
Last year’s advert featured Alison Limerick’s 1990 club hit ‘Where Love Lives’, which gradually turned into a slower piano-led rendition by Labrinth.
The John Lewis Christmas ad has become a staple of the festive period in the UK. Back in 2018, Elton John revealed that he was paid £5million to star in the promo.
For Fender, the contribution to the ad comes as he is gearing up to kick off his UK and Ireland ‘Proper Massive’ stadium tour next year, and recently added more dates to the itinerary due to demand. Amidst rumours he’s also headlining Glastonbury 2027, the Mercury-winner has also teased that a new album is on the way.
