Songlines Encounters returns to Kings Place for its 15th anniversary, this time as an extended series of events across 2026. Dedicated to showcasing music from around the world, Songlines Encounters highlights cultural richness across continents and creates space for extraordinary international artists to be heard.
The series opens with British-Burundian singer Muco, reimagining medieval folk songs and poetry. Legendary Malian ngoni lute player Bassekou Kouyaté and his wife, revered griot singer Amy Sacko, follow. Winner of Best Group at the Songlines Music Awards 2024, Mostar Sevdah Reunion represent traditional music from Bosnia and Herzegovinia. Soon after, French duo Cocanha draw upon polyphonic songs from the traditional Occitan repertoire. Armenian tar player, singer and composer Miqayel Voskanyan brings his jazz-influenced version of the plucked tar to the UK for the very first time, and completing the spring season, Kora master Suntou Susso is joined by his all-Gambian ensemble, the Gambian Superstars, for their debut UK performance.
The autumn season brings Malian Samba Touré, whose music is characterized by hypnotic desert guitar grooves, Hajda Banda, a Belarusian-Polish band specialising in traditional dances and songs from eastern Poland’s Podlasie region, Irish fiddle master Martin Hayes performing with cellist Kate Ellis, and Japanese big-band Minyo Crusaders, who rework historic Japanese folk songs (min’yō) with Latin, African, Caribbean and Asian rhythms.
As ever, the festival is proudly presented in partnership with one of the world’s leading global music magazines, Songlines and will feature more exciting additions to come.
The curation of Songlines Encounters is supported by the 1900 Building 1900bldg.com