Music Beyond Mainstream UK Announces 2026 Anniversary Program

UK venue and promoter network Music Beyond Mainstream (MBM) has unveiled its 2026 touring program, which will celebrate the organization’s 25th anniversary.

Founded in 2001, MBM is a network of 11 leading UK concert halls with a capacity of more than 1,100, including The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester, Usher Hall in Edinburgh, the Bristol Beacon, and others.

The teams at these venues have dedicated themselves to showcasing diverse artists and experiences on stage, providing audiences with access to world-class culture that you wouldn’t usually come across in buildings of this size.

In the words of MBM director Tamsin Austin, it’s a “network of peer venues, dedicated to promoting innovative work at scale to ensure audiences around the country can enjoy high-quality artistic experiences right on their doorsteps.”

Over the past two decades, MBM has welcomed artists including Anoushka Shankar, John Grant, Richard Hawley, Jerry Dammers, Tony Allen, and Paloma Faith.

The 2026 program continues in this tradition, showcasing a rich spectrum of boundary-pushing artists, such as electronic pioneer Max Cooper, the luminous Arooj Aftab performing with the London Contemporary Orchestra, the electrifying African Soul Rebels bringing together Amazones d’Afrique and Gasper Nali, and acclaimed singer-songwriter Ben Folds.

“Together, these artists promise a landmark year of innovative, genre-defying performances and unforgettable musical moments,” according to the press announcement. The full MBM touring program for 2026 can be found below.

Tamsin Austin, Music Beyond Mainstream Director, said, “The MBM network was established 25 years ago, to empower venues to take real ownership of their programs and bring bold, imaginative work to audiences at scale. MBM plays a vital role in offering artists the space and support to realize exceptional creative projects outside the constraints of the usual touring cycle, opening the door to work that otherwise might never be realized or tour.”

Max Cooper will bring his immersive audio-visual performance system 3D/AV with him, customized to every venue, with every show a unique experience.

Grammy-winning singer and composer Arooj Aftab will be backed by the London Contemporary Orchestra, led by co-artistic director and conductor Robert Ames, to bring his spellbinding fusion of jazz, minimalism, and South Asian classical traditions to life.

African Soul Rebels is the name of Music Beyond Mainstream’s own live series. In October it will bring the electrifying West African collective Les Amazones d’Afrique to stages across the network. Joining them is Gasper Nali, a master of the babatoni from the shores of Lake Malawi.

Rounding out the MBM 2026 lineup is Ben Folds, who’ll bring his “Paper Airplane Request Tour” to the UK, a one-of-a-kind concert experience that invites the audience to write down their favorite Ben Folds songs, fold them into paper airplanes, and launch them toward the stage.

Music Beyond Mainstream 2026 UK program:

Max Cooper “3D/AV Live”

May 14 – The Anvil – Basingstoke, England
May 15 – Warwick Arts Centre – Coventry, England
May 16 – Bristol Beacon – Bristol, England
May 17 – Lighthouse – Poole, England
May 18 – Symphony Hall – Birmingham, England
May 19 – Philharmonic Hall – Liverpool, England
May 20 – Usher Hall – Edinburgh, Scotland
May 21 – Glasshouse ICM – Gateshead, England

Arooj Aftab with London Contemporary Orchestra conducted by Robert Ames

June 15 – Philharmonic Hall – Liverpool, England
June 16 – Symphony Hall – Birmingham, England
June 18 – Lighthouse – Poole, England
June 20 – Bristol Beacon – Bristol, England
June 21 – Bristol Beacon – Bristol, England
June 22 – Royal Concert Hall – Nottingham, England
June 24 – Usher Hall – Edinburgh, Scotland

African Soul Rebels featuring Les Amazones d’Afrique, Gasper Nali + support

Oct. 2 – Corn Exchange – Brighton, England
Oct. 3 – Lighthouse – Poole, England
Oct. 4 – Bristol Beacon – Bristol, England
Oct. 6 – Warwick Arts Centre – Coventry, England
Oct. 7 – The Anvil – Basingstoke, England
Oct. 8 – Town Hall – Birmingham, England
Oct. 9 – Glasshouse ICM – Gateshead, England
Oct. 10 – Philharmonic Hall – Liverpool, England
Oct. 11 – Usher Hall – Edinburgh, Scotland
Oct. 13 – Bridgewater Hall – Manchester, England
Oct. 15 – Royal Concert Hall – Nottingham, England

Ben Folds’ Paper Airplane Request Tour

Nov. 16 – Glasshouse ICM – Gateshead, England
Nov. 17 – Bristol Beacon – Bristol, England
Nov. 19 – Lighthouse – Poole, England
Nov. 22 – Royal Concert Hall – Nottingham, England
Nov. 23 – Philharmonic Hall – Liverpool, England
Nov. 24 – Symphony Hall – Birmingham, England
Nov. 26 – Brighton Dome – Brighton, England

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