(headline image: Habib Koité & Sura Susso)
The Tung Auditorium in Liverpool (England) has announced its Autumn-Winter 2026 season. It is the University of Liverpool venue’s 10th program since opening in 2022. The new lineup features an international roster of artists and projects that includes world music, western classical performance, folk, film, visual art, and multidisciplinary collaborations.
A highlight of the season is a partnership with African Night Fever and Africa Oyé that brings together Malian guitarist, singer, and composer Habib Koité and Gambian kora player Sura Susso. The pair will present material from their upcoming album Manding Melodies, which reinterprets traditional Manding folk tales and songs for contemporary audiences.
Meanwhile, Manchester Collective returns with Constellations, a collaboration with percussionist Sidiki Dembélé and his ensemble. The program combines folk traditions from the Ivory Coast, Mali, and Senegal with classical repertoire performed by violinist Rakhi Singh. New works from composer and multidisciplinary artist Nwando Ebizie will also feature as part of the performance.
The venue’s partnership with Milap continues with the Tung debut of sitar player Roopa Panesar, who will perform alongside tabla player Kousic Sen. The duo first worked together on Panesar’s 2011 debut album Khoj and remain known for their long-running musical collaboration.
Several events will explore connections between music and other art forms. In September, the Beckett: Lieben 2026 festival, presented with the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Irish Studies, will host The Six Paintings. The concert examines the relationship between visual art and music through Samuel Beckett’s encounters with German Expressionism.
The production features vocalist Iarla Ó Lionáird, vocalist Michelle O’Rourke, guqin player Cheng Yu, guitarists Niwel Tsumbu and Benjamin Dwyer, and pianist Mary Dullea. Actress Anna Nygh will narrate Beckett’s writings and reflections throughout the performance.
Also in September, award-winning ensemble Vox Lumiere will present a live reinterpretation of Fritz Lang’s silent film Metropolis, combining original music, live instrumentation, and vocal performance.
In October, Tangram will stage Divine Intimacies, a multidisciplinary work that mixes music, philosophy, and visual art inspired by early Chinese philosophical texts. The performance will incorporate real-time visualisations by artist Chang Meng and an interactive LED installation created by Ke Peng.
The season also introduces programs inspired by industry and transportation history. Heswall Concert Band will mark the bicentenary of the Liverpool–Manchester Railway with new compositions by University of Liverpool alumnus Matthew Holroyd. Supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project reflects the area’s historic connection to the world’s first modern inter-city railway.
Later in October, Solem Quartet will present Industry, a program inspired by communities associated with the Industrial Revolution. Liverpool Philharmonic’s 10:10 ensemble will also revisit Steve Reich’s Different Trains, accompanied by Bill Morrison’s film, a decade after the project’s debut at Edge Hill Station.
The season concludes with performances from established folk-rock acts. Canadian group Crash Test Dummies will return in October, featuring original members performing material from their catalogue. Folk-rock pioneers Fairport Convention will also make their third appearance at the venue ahead of the band’s 60th-anniversary celebrations. Singer-songwriter Eddi Reader is scheduled to perform a solo concert during the same weekend.
The Tung Auditorium Autumn-Winter 2026 Season
Solace / St. Augustine’s Remorse
Sunday 13th September, 7.30pm
The Dawn of the Railway
Friday 18th September, 7.30pm
Vox Lumiere: Metropolis
Saturday 19th September, 7.30pm
Beckett: Lieben 2026 – Six Paintings
Sunday 20th September, 7.30pm
Paul Lewis Mozart+ Recital No.2
Sunday 27th September, 2.30pm
KingFast
Wednesday 30th September, 1pm
Manchester Collective x Sidiki Dembélé: Constellations
Friday 2nd October, 7.30pm
La Serenissima: The Big Concert
Saturday 3rd October, 6pm
Fabio Bagnoli & Liverpool String Academy Orchestra
Sunday 4th October, 2pm
TARANG: New Contemporary Indian Music
Wednesday 7th October, 1pm
Crash Test Dummies
Friday 9th October, 7.30pm
Different Trains: Made in Liverpool
Saturday 10th October, 7.30pm
Solem Quartet: Industry
Sunday 11th October, 4pm
Jonathan Aasgaard & Ian Buckle
Wednesday 14th October, 1pm
Fairport Convention
Friday 16th October, 7.30pm
Eddi Reader
Sunday 18th October, 7.30pm
Hank Bee
Wednesday 21st October, 1pm
Tangram: Divine Intimacies
Friday 23rd October, 7.30pm
Habib Koité and Sura Susso: Manding Melody
Sunday 25th October, 7.30pm
Colours of the Piano
Wednesday 28th October, 1pm
Liverpool Mozart Orchestra: Beethoven’s Violin Concerto
Sunday 1st November, 7.30pm
Health Care in the Information Age
Tuesday 3rd November, 6pm
Music, Technology and Interaction Centre
Wednesday 4th November, 1pm
Hejira: Celebrating Joni Mitchell
Saturday 7th November, 7.30pm
Aires and Symphonies
Wednesday 11th November, 1pm
Reinventing Britten
Wednesday 11th November, 7.30pm
Dr Jazz and the Cheshire Cats: Big Band Legacies
Saturday 14th November, 7.30pm
Crosby Symphony Orchestra: Pictures
Sunday 15th November, 2.30pm
The Liverpool String Academy Chamber Ensemble
Wednesday 18th November, 1pm
The Jay Rayner Sextet
Friday 20th November, 7.30pm
Orchestra dell’Arte: Appassionata
Sunday 22nd November, 3pm
Joseph Ankrah Celebration Concert
Wednesday 25th November
Roopa Panesar & Kousic Sen
Friday 27th November, 7.30pm
Brian Bilston: How To Lay An Egg With A Horse Inside
Saturday 28th November, 7.30pm
University of Liverpool Symphony Orchestra Winter Concert
Sunday 29th November, 4pm
Mia Mai
Wednesday 2nd December, 1pm
Toyah Willcox
Friday 4th December, 7.30pm
Cara Dillon: Upon A Winter’s Night
Saturday 5th December, 7.30pm
Apollo5 Christmas Lights: Music for Advent
Sunday 6th December, 2.30pm
Liverpool Cathedral Girls Choir & Scholars’ Festive Celebration
Wednesday 9th December, 1pm
A Festive Fanfare: Liverpool Philharmonic Youth Brass Band & Youth Training Choir
Wednesday 9th December, 7.30pm
Robert Vincent
Friday 11th December, 7.30pm
Liverpool Welsh Choral: A Fantasia on Christmas Carols
Saturday 12th December, 7.30pm
A Merry Musical Christmas
Wednesday 16th December, 1pm
Liverpool University Music Society Winter Concert
Friday 18th December, 7.30pm
Tom Spence Christmas
Saturday 19th December, 7.30pm
More information at thetungauditorium.com
Author: World Music Central News Room
World music news from the editors at World Music Central