Legendary Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil will give a performance at the Roundhouse on 7 July 2026, bringing the year-long UK/Brazil Season of Culture 2025-26 to a spectacular close. The concert will be a celebration of the artist who has been a defining voice of Brazilian culture for over six decades.
For this concert, presented by Como No, Gil will be joined on stage by members of his own family, creating an intimate dialogue between generations and a deeply personal musical encounter. The performance will carry musical depth and historical weight, and is set within one of London’s most iconic music venues. The Roundhouse is marking its 20th anniversary since it reopened as a youth charity and independent flagship multi-arts space in 2006.
The concert marks the end of the UK / Brazil Season of Culture 2025-26, a year-long cultural programme between the two countries led by the British Council and Brazil’s IGR designed to strengthen and build cultural connections. The Season has included partnerships with arts venues across the UK, including Edinburgh International Festival, Royal Ballet and Opera, Hay Festival, South London Gallery, Institute of Contemporary Arts and BFI Southbank.
Other events as part of the music programme include: a multimedia concert celebrating composer Heitor Villa-Lobos at LSO St Luke’s (16 May), conceived, directed and performed by Brazilian pianist Marcelo Bratke; Boa Nova (22 May), a brand new music festival to take place in East London with a line-up that includes João Gomes, Mari Froes and Liniker; performances by the Leo Gandelman Quartet in London (22 May) at Hay Festival (24 May); the UK premiere of the Baroque chamber opera Auto da Catingueira (1969) by Brazilian composer Elomar Figueira Mello (7 May); and a series of concerts at The Jazz Cafe, spanning reggae, soul, jazz and pop, including Brazilian legend Marcos Valle (20 May).
FULL LISTINGS
Maneva Concert
The Jazz Cafe
Tuesday 5 May 2026, 7pm
One of Brazil’s biggest reggae bands brings their warm grooves, storytelling and energy to London as part of their 20thanniversary tour. Formed in São Paulo in 2005, Maneva crafts reggae that is both deeply Brazilian and globally resonant. In 2021, Maneva was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Portuguese Language Song.
The Jazz Cafe, London, NW1 7PG
Tickets from £30
Elomar Figueira Mello: Auto da Catingueira
Round Chapel
Wednesday 6 May 2026, open rehearsal
Thursday 7 May 2026, 6pm and 8.30pm
The UK premiere of the Baroque chamber opera Auto da Catingueira (1969) by Brazilian composer Elomar Figueira Mello (b. 1937, Bahia). Elomar is known for work that mixes traditional Brazilian folk music with classical influences. The show is conceived and designed by Rio de Janeiro director André Heller-Lopes.
Round Chapel, London, E5 0LY
Tickets are free
https://www.roundchapel.org/
Zé Ibarra Concert
The Jazz Cafe
Wednesday 6 May 2026, 7pm
The Jazz Cafe presents Zé Ibarra (b. 1996, Rio de Janeiro), a key figure from Rio de Janeiro’s pop renaissance, redefining Brazilian music with a bold, cinematic sound. A multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer, Ibarra first gained acclaim as the voice and pianist of Rio’s band Dônica, winning the Prêmio da Música Brasileira, and later co-founded the Latin Grammy-winning group Bala Desejo. Inês Loubet will perform as his support act.
The Jazz Cafe, London, NW1 7PG
Tickets from £20
NoMBe Concert
The Jazz Cafe
Wednesday 13 May 2026, 7pm
NoMBe’s (Noah McBeth, b. 1991, Heidelberg) self-produced 2025 album DIÁSPORA celebrates Afro-psychedelic music and Latin-rooted rhythms. The German-born multi-instrumentalist brings together psychedelic textures, Brazilian warmth and dance-floor pulses from the 60s and 70s. Sorvina will perform as his support act.
The Jazz Cafe, London, NW1 7PG
Tickets from £18.50
The Villa-Lobos Event
LSO St Luke’s
Saturday 16 May 2026, 7.30pm
Brazilian composer and conductor Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887-1959, Rio de Janeiro) will be celebrated in a multimedia concert inspired by the universes of childhood and nature. Villa-Lobos is widely regarded as one of the most significant creative figures in 20th century Brazilian music. The concert is conceived, directed and performed by Brazilian pianist Marcelo Bratke, with a visual experience by Brazilian artist Mariannita Luzzati to accompany the music.
161 Old Street, London, EC1V 9NG
Tickets £15
www.lso.co.uk
Marcos Valle Concert
The Jazz Cafe
Wednesday 20 May 2026, 5pm and 8pm
Described as the Renaissance man of Brazilian pop and credited for popularising bossa nova in the 1960s, Marcos Valle (b. 1943, Rio de Janeiro) will perform two shows at The Jazz Cafe on Wednesday 20 May 2026. Throughout his career, Valle has collaborated with Leon Ware, Sarah Vaughan, and Chicago; been sampled by Jay-Z, Kanye West, Childish Gambino, Madlib, and Kaytranada; and seen his songs recorded by everyone from Frank Sinatra and Bebel Gilberto to Emma Bunton of the Spice Girls, who covered his classic ‘Os Grilos (The Crickets Sing for Anamaria)’.
The Jazz Cafe, London, NW1 7PG
Tickets from £30
Boa Nova
Leyton Jubilee Park
Friday 22 May 2026, 2pm
Boa Nova is a first for the UK, a multi-stage outdoor festival dedicated solely to Brazilian music featuring the most exciting musicians coming from Brazil today. The line-up for Boa Nova includes João Gomes, Mari Froes and Liniker, A Musica De Tim Maia, D. Vyzor, Caio Prince, th4ys, Bronka, DJ Patife And Mango & Ginger, with artists representing distinct directions in Brazil’s current music scene.
Leyton Jubilee Park, London, E10 7BL
Tickets from £38.50
https://ra.co/events/2363832
Leo Gandelman Quartet
Friday 22 May, 8pm – Bulls Head, Barnes
Sunday 24 May, 9.45pm – Hay Festival
Leo Gandelman is one of Brazil’s most influential musicians, known for his genre-surpassing versatility that appeals to fans of jazz, pop, classical and hip-hop. Accompanied by Eduardo Farias (keyboards), Alberto Continentino (bass) and Cassius Thepersson (drums), he brings an evening of emotive, expressive music to transport audiences to the tropics of Brazil.
Bulls Head, Barnes, SW13 9PY
Tickets from £20
www.bullsheadbarnes.com
Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5PJ
Tickets £18
www.hayfestival.org/hay-on-wye
Gilberto Gil
Roundhouse
Tuesday 7 July 2026, 7pm
A living legend of Brazilian music, Gilberto Gil (b. 1942, Bahia) returns to the stage with a concert that is both a celebration of legacy and a deeply personal musical encounter. For this special performance, Gil will revisit his long and rich musical career, performing some of his most beloved songs. He is joined on stage by members of his own family, transforming the concert into an intimate dialogue between generations.
Presented by Como No.
Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, London, NW1 8EH
Tickets from £77.75
https://www.roundhouse.org.uk/whats-on/gilberto-gil/
