12 Songs of Serious
It’s been a busy year – we’ve brought hundreds of shows and thousands of artists to stages across the UK and beyond. Thank you for all your support!
To celebrate the holiday season, the Serious team have handpicked their favourite tracks from 12 artists who we’re working with now and in the future. We hope you enjoy listening over the festive break!
KODO
The critically-acclaimed taiko drumming troup KODO are known for their powerful, precise performances and deep respect for traditional Japanese arts. KODO blends ancient drumming techniques with modern stage artistry, exploring the limitless possibilities of the traditional Japanese drum, the taiko.
Following two sold out shows at the Barbican last year, KODO are back with Luminance for 2026, bringing their theatrical and soul-stirring rhythm to the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall.
Emeli Sandé
Introduced to the world more than ten years ago, Emeli Sandé MBE has become an icon of British singer-songwriting; emotional, honest and prolific in the kind of manner that cements you as a go-to artist for heartfelt pop sensibility. With 19 million singles sold including 3 UK no.1 singles, 6 million albums and four BRIT awards (including Best Female twice), Emeli Sandé continues to captivate audiences with her soaring vocals, thoughtful lyricism and an enduring ability to craft songs that resonate deeply across generations.
She performs at the Barbican for 2026 as part of the Summer Jazz Series. A staple summer experience to get warmed up for the EFG London Jazz Festival.
The Bad Plus Chris Potter & Craig Taborn
This special quartet project unites jazz powerhouse saxophonist Chris Potter and pianist Craig Taborn with The Bad Plus’s Reid Anderson and Dave King. Anderson and King, whose work with The Bad Plus helped redefine modern jazz, combine with Potter’s commanding tenor saxophone and Taborn’s pianistic brilliance to create an ensemble highly attuned to this music's melodic and rhythmic nuance.
In 2026, they take to the Barbican stage for a one-off performance honouring the legacy of Keith Jarrett’s American Quartet and the profound influence it has had on their own artistry and on generations of jazz musicians. With deep respect and a revitalised perspective, they revisit this seminal repertoire, capturing the American Quartet’s raw, exploratory spirit while infusing it with their own unmistakable sound.
Julian Lage
Julian Lage is a world-class guitar virtuoso and composer, hailed as one of his generation's greatest talents by critics and colleagues alike. Over the course of his multi-decade career, Lage has collaborated with fellow musical heavyweights including Gary Burton, Yoko Ono, Jim Hall, John Zorn and more.
With the announcement of his fifth Blue Note album, Scenes from Above, set for release on January 23, we’re excited to present a special performance at Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall, featuring Julian Lage alongside John Medeski, Jorge Roeder and Kenny Wollesen.
Aynur
Aynur is one of the most prominent Kurdish singers of our times. Her impressive voice and extraordinary musical narration represent the Kurdish music heritage of her cultural roots as a global genre. Over the past 25 years, she has created a timeless musical language, combining the treasures of Kurdish traditions with modern arrangements that connect generations and cultures.
Aynur returns to perform at London's Barbican for 2026.
Roberto Fonseca
Roberto Fonseca is an acclaimed Cuban pianist, composer, and producer known for his striking blend of Afro-Cuban tradition, jazz innovation, and global musical influences. Rising to international prominence as a key member of the Buena Vista Social Club, Fonseca has since forged a dynamic solo career defined by rhythmic flair, lyrical sensitivity, and bold genre exploration.
Following two sold out shows at the EFG London Jazz in 2024, Roberto Fonseca is back to perform at the Barbican as part of the Summer Jazz Series 2026!
Book tickets for 2026
Ludovico Einaudi
Over the years Ludovico Einaudi has quietly become one of the most successful musicians in the world. His hauntingly beautiful and evocative music tops the classical charts worldwide, particularly here in the UK, which this year, saw Einaudi sell out his forthcoming Solo Piano 2026 tour, including two nights at the Royal Albert Hall where he completed a record-breaking run of 6 nights earlier this year with his full band, marking the longest continuous headline run by a pianist in the Hall’s history!
Now, Einaudi has announced his biggest ever UK performance with two nights at London's O2. This very special concert will feature Einaudi performing with his full band, marking his only UK show with the ensemble in 2026.
Tony Ann
With over 100 million views and more than 6 million followers on social media, Tony Ann pushes the limits of neoclassical and popular music, seamlessly blending contemporary and classical styles.
After selling out multiple shows at EartH, Jazz Cafe and Barbican, virtuoso piano player and composer Tony Ann returns to perform at Theatre Royal Drury Lane in 2026 for his biggest London show yet!
Fabiano do Nascimento
Fabiano do Nascimento blends samba, MPB and jazz with experimental twists, weaving hypnotic rhythms and melodies that feel alive with every note. From intricate fingerpicking to vibrant groove-driven bursts, his music moves effortlessly between tradition and invention.Rooted in Afro-Samba, choro and folkloric sounds, Fabiano’s compositions are both intimate and expansive, carrying the listener from sun-soaked Brazilian streets to the bustling energy of Tokyo.
Fabiano returns for his second-ever European tour in 2026, ahead of his forthcoming album Vila, set for release in Spring 2026 on Far Out Recordings. Bringing hypnotic grooves, melodic imagination and a vibrant celebration of Brazil’s rich musical heritage, he takes the stage at the Jazz Cafe in February 2026.
Fatoumata Diawara
Fatoumata Diawara is pure energy. Her vibrant voice tells the story of Africa - its suffering and its rediscovered joys - sung in her mother tongue, Bambara. She is a captivating artist, able to stir emotions, to make her audience laugh, cry, and above all, dance.
A major figure in African music, whose presence on stage is always a moment of bubbling intensity, Fatoumata Diawara returns to the EFG London Jazz Festival after 4 years with a headline performance at the Roundhouse.
Ben Folds
Ben Folds is an Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter who has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, a holiday album, and numerous collaborative records.
Ben Folds’ Paper Airplane Request Tour is a unique concert format where fans write their favorite Folds song requests on paper, fold them into airplanes, and launch them toward the stage. The show consists of Folds performing a standard setlist for the first half, followed by an intermission. At the start of the second half, fans are given a cue to launch their airplanes onto the stage. Folds will then perform requests written on airplanes which he randomly selects between each song.
Ben Folds brings his Paper Airplane Request Tour to the Southbank Centre's Royal Festival Hall as part of the EFG London Jazz Festival 2026!
Dave Holland & Lionel Loueke
Two musical giants, guitarist Lionel Loueke and bassist Dave Holland, unite their individual talents into one harmonious show, igniting creativity, honoring cultural roots, and showcasing music’s powerful role in fostering unity amidst societal division. Their collaboration bridges continents and generations - Loueke bringing the rhythmic intricacy and storytelling spirit of West African traditions, Holland offering the depth, clarity, and boundless curiosity that have defined his decades-long journey through the evolution of modern jazz.
Though Loueke and Holland have worked together many times in various groups, their album United marked their first collaboration as a duo. They come together to perform at Union Chapel for 2026.
Book tickets for 2026
Read, Watch and Listen
EFG London Jazz Festival 2025 Highlights
Stella Cole & Elysia Biro: 'Two Together' with Everything Jazz
The History Of Blue Note Records | Panel talk featuring Andy Thomas and Kevin Long
Listen back to this year's EFG London Jazz Festival Spotify Playlist
Listen back to Jazz Voice on BBC Radio 3
Listen back to Soweto Kinch's 'Round Midnight show live from the Barbican at this year's EFG London Jazz Festival
Articles
‘I can’t be silent. I’ve been through too much’’: An Interview with Dee Dee Bridgewater - Guardian
Good Tradition: Tanita Tikaram’s Favourite Albums - The Quietus
Shabaka Hutchings, Camilla George and John Surman on the Take Five artist development scheme - Jazzwise
Special thanks to all the Serious team and the friends and freelancers, the writers, composers and musicians, the organisers, venues and festivals and all the partners who have helped us this year.
Wishing everyone happy holidays and looking forward to seeing you next year!
From all the Serious team
