Chelsea FC Taps Central Cee for 2025/26 Kit Reveal Blending Football and Music.

Roger Hampel

Photo Credit: Chelsea FC

Chelsea FC has unveiled its 2025/26 home kit in collaboration with Nike, a release that merges football, fashion, and music through the lens of London’s creative and architectural heritage. The campaign, rolled out earlier today, features UK rap star Central Cee, who joins a select group of Chelsea ambassadors to represent the club’s evolving identity both on and off the pitch.

The new shirt is inspired by London’s visual culture, urban landmarks, and the youthful energy of west London, and is accompanied by a launch campaign that highlights the club’s deepening engagement with music, fashion, and local storytelling.

Music, Merch, and Modernity: Central Cee Fronts the Campaign

The campaign spotlights Central Cee, one of the most commercially successful UK rap artists of all time, who features prominently in the kit reveal video. Known for his global streaming numbers and cultural relevance, the artist’s involvement underlines Chelsea’s intent to speak to younger, diverse, and globally connected audiences. Chelsea FC Central Cee

The kit video is set to a reimagined version of Our House, the 1980s pop-ska hit from Madness, performed once again by Chelsea fan and frontman Suggs. In addition to Central Cee, the spot includes cameos from Mercury Prize-winning trumpeter Ife Ogunjobi, designer Nicholas Daley, and first-team players such as Cole Palmer, creating a multi-disciplinary activation blending streetwear, music, and sport.

A Kit Inspired by the Fabric of London Chelsea FC Central Cee

Visually, the 2025/26 kit features a textured clash print in two shades of Chelsea blue, complemented by white and red trims referencing historical colour palettes from the club’s heritage. Architectural cues from Chelsea Town Hall are woven into the design, aligning the shirt with the campaign’s broader message of “London, it’s our house.”

This design direction aligns with Chelsea’s current brand strategy, which leans heavily on London identity and cultural relevance, particularly as the club continues to grow its global lifestyle appeal through the Blue Creator Fund and Chelsea Foundation initiatives.

Strategic Significance: Culture-Driven Kit Launches

With music figures like Central Cee taking lead roles in kit campaigns, Chelsea continues to follow a cultural marketing approach increasingly common among elite clubs. Rather than presenting a kit solely through the lens of sport, the club now places its shirt at the intersection of music, fashion, and city identity — a strategy that mirrors approaches seen in collaborations at clubs like PSG and Barcelona.

The inclusion of figures from across the city’s creative sectors also helps the club reach non-traditional football audiences and underscores a broader positioning of Chelsea as a lifestyle brand, particularly in its 120th anniversary year.