A joyful musical journey where tradition and spirituality meet science fiction.
Join Manchester Collective, percussionist extraordinaire Sidiki Dembélé and his band for folksong and storytelling from the Ivory Coast, Mali and Senegal. Along the way, lead violinist Rakhi Singh breathes new life into familiar classical works. You can be sure that rhythm will be your friend here.
Adding her own colours to this vibrant palette is Nwando Ebizie. The composer and multidisciplinary artist creates a brand-new work filtered through her very own Afrofuturist vision and sonic rituals, hurtling us into the future.
Presented in partnership with Liverpool Philharmonic, in association with Africa Oyé
Part of the Yoko Ono Lennon Lunchtime Concert Series
More tickets for this concert will be released on Wednesday 2 September (four weeks before the concert). If it is currently showing as sold out, please check back on this page then. Born in Kingston, Jamaica, raised in Belfast, KingFast’s musical journey reflects a vibrant blend of his diverse roots. He’s performed at Liverpool Sound City, LIMF, Deva Fest, Nantwich Jazz Festival and Elderflower Fields Festival. KingFast was a finalist in Southport’s Eurovision Calling and his music has been featured in a ‘national jukebox’, playing in major chain stores across the country. He’s been played on numerous stations including Radio City and BBC Merseyside.
Presented in partnership with BlackFest—-The Tung Auditorium Lunchtime Concert Series is supported by Yoko Ono Lennon via Spirit Foundations
Following a sell-out performance last year, Paul Lewis returns with the next instalment of his Mozart+ series.
Shining a spotlight on Mozart’s often-overlooked piano sonatas, Paul will also explore the contrasts and connections between them and the works of other composers. We’ll dive into the vocally inspired world of Chopin and Schubert, tracing threads between these pieces and Mozart’s remarkable piano music.Promoted by Liverpool Philharmonic
In the late 1920s, the young Samuel Beckett travelled to Kassel in Germany to visit his aunt Cissie. There, he fell tragically in love with his first cousin Peggy and, through her art dealer father William ‘Boss’ Sinclair, came face to face with German expressionism which will prove a profound influence on his work.
The Six Paintings concert explores the interplay between visual art and music, developed by Unreal Cities in consultation with Professor Mark Nixon, the director of the Beckett International Foundation and the editor of Beckett’s German diaries, to be published for the first time in 2026.
The programme brings together six of the world’s leading musicians to respond to six paintings that each play a role in this complex story, alongside Samuel Beckett’s impressions and writings narrated by Anna Nygh. Featuring Iarla Ó Lionáird (voice and electronics), Michelle O’Rourke (voice), Cheng Yu (guqin), Niwel Tsumbu and Benjamin Dwyer (guitars), and Mary Dullea (piano), the performance explores Beckett’s work through a rich blend of voices and instruments.
(Image above: Leyhausen, Karl – Peggy Sinclair, 1931 (cropped))
Presented by Unreal Cities in association with the Institute of Irish Studies, University of Liverpool as part of the Beckett: Lieben 2026 festival
Fairport Convention have been entertaining music lovers for over half a century, with 2026 being their 59th anniversary!
During that time the band that launched British folk-rock has seen many changes, but one thing has remained the same – Fairport’s passion for performance.
This year’s autumn tour will present a mix of long-established Fairport favourites and some surprises from albums old and new. Fairport Convention have won a BBC Lifetime Achievement Award and Radio 2 listeners voted their ground-breaking album Liege & Lief ‘The Most Influential Folk Album of All Time’. Their story has been celebrated with television documentaries on BBC Four and Sky Arts. The band features founding member Simon Nicol on guitar and vocals, Dave Pegg on bass guitar and vocals, Ric Sanders on violin, Chris Leslie on bouzouki, mandolin, banjo, fiddle and vocals.
Part of the Yoko Ono Lennon Lunchtime Concert Series
More tickets for this concert will be released on Wednesday 16 September (four weeks before the concert). If it is currently showing as sold out, please check back on this page then.
Celebrating the expressive power of the cello.
Britten’s Sonata in C, written for the great cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, is full of contrast, moving from playful energy to darker, more reflective moods.
Originally written for a now-obsolete instrument, Schubert’s ‘Arpeggione’ Sonata has become one of the cello’s most loved works, generous with warm melodies and gentle lyricism.
Future Yard is excited to welcome James Taylor to the live room. One of the great British instrumentalists of his generation, has taken his trademark howling Hammond sound to the masses for over 25 years; still famed for its upbeat, energetic live shows. The band’s relentlessly entertaining tunes take inspiration from the rare-groove style funk, and boogaloo funk of the 60s and 70s and, the band is, without a doubt, one of the most important jazz-pop crossover outfits in British live musical history today.
After the collapse of mod legends The Prisoners in the 1980s, and before moving to Sweden, James recorded some demos with brother David on guitar, the bass player from The Prisoners, and a drummer from down the road… and thus The James Taylor Quartet was born. From tiny acorns might oaks do indeed grow, and it wasn’t long before the first single, Blow Up, had been released, the band were in the studio rehearsing for the Mission Impossible EP, gigs were booked, and the late great John Peel was offering a session.
Skip forward 25 years and JTQ has evolved into one of the most exciting and well respected touring bands in the UK. With numerous albums to its name, the band’s recorded output is not to be scoffed at. ‘Prolific’ is an understatement, with albums touching genres as diverse as jazz, funk, soul, rock, and even rap, not to mention a handful of library albums in between. Each album is an absolute must for any Hammond fan: James’ playing providing a solid and accomplished lead as always. Live, the band is explosive, with a breathtaking, diverse unmatched back catalogue.
Steve Gunn has been at the vanguard of American experimental and guitar-oriented rock music for over a decade.
Following a trio of acclaimed albums on Matador Records, Gunn will release his seventh studio album, Daylight Daylight, on November 7 via No Quarter-his first in four years, and a testament to an artist still moving forward with purpose and vision. This past August, Gunn released Music for Writers, his first official solo instrumental album, on Three Lobed Recordings.
The release highlights his ongoing exploration of tone, atmosphere and composition. Spanning a wide range of collaborations and influences, Gunn’s career includes a rich body of solo, duo, and ensemble recordings on labels such as Three Lobed Recordings, Paradise of Bachelors, and RVNG.
His work continues to mark major milestones in contemporary guitar music and innovative songwriting. Even after more than a decade, Gunn is still moving along shaping his influences into a unique and ever-evolving output.
Tickets on sale now.
Marc Bolan, with his band T.Rex, was one of the most flamboyant and charismatic stars of the original glam rock era. With Bolan’s special ingredient of Rock-a-Boogie songs, the band had a string of huge hits throughout the 1970s including Love to Boogie, Telegram Sam, Jeepster and 20th Century Boy.
T.Rextasy have now been performing around the world for over 20 years, a career that ironically out lives Marc’s very own T.Rex. The band is now accepted as the world’s only official live tribute band dedicated to Marc Bolan & T.Rex, and the only band endorsed and approved by Marc Bolan’s family, estate, original ex-members of T.Rex, and Bolan’s catalogue management. The band has been described by many as ‘beyond the boundaries of tribute’.
Truly a rock’n’roll concert for all ages – If you would like to know exactly what a Marc Bolan concert was like in the 1970s, this show is for you!
Experience the joy and energy of gospel music, with some of the UK’s most successful current gospel artists in this concert brought to you by the National Gospel Music Centre here in Liverpool.
Whether you are new to gospel music or already part of the fast-growing UK audience for this iconic genre, this concert has something to interest and inspire you.
Featuring some of the UK’s most celebrated and successful modern artists, the event will showcase brand new work in a world-first performance, along with gospel classics.
Gospel music is a genre with extraordinary range, diversity and creativity but with a common thread of love and joy, that has endured and flourished across continents and generations. Most music genres, from rock to R&B can trace their origins and influences to and through gospel music.
Whilst gospel is unapologetically rooted in the Christian faith, this event celebrates the music as a genre and welcomes everybody, from all faiths or none.
This performance will feature outstanding gospel choirs, alongside individual artists from across the UK in a special one-off performance as part of the programme for the Liverpool Gospel Music Festival.
Curated by the National Gospel Music Centre based at Liverpool Lighthouse, the night promises to be a special event not to be missed.
Presented in partnership with the National Gospel Music Centre
