Sponsored by
Norfolk & Norwich Festival
The 2025 edition of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival begins in less than a month, and as ever, the programme is packed with exciting musical acts!
From classical to contemporary to experimental, there’s something for everyone in the line-up to expand their musical horizons or enjoy their favourite music in memorable surroundings.
Here’s a guide to some of the highlights from this year’s music programme:
The Festival kicks off with a pair of concerts in the stunning surroundings of Norwich Cathedral.
On Friday, May 9, the Grammy-winning singer Arooj Aftab – declared “the coolest rock star in the world right now” by UNCUT magazine – delivers a rapturous performance to open the musical programme.
Then, the following day, acclaimed DJ, broadcaster and record collector Gilles Peterson hosts a unique sit-down evening filled with music and stories from his illustrious career, with support from Norwich-based Tadi the Great.
This year’s slate of performances from up-and-coming artists from the BBC Radio 3 New Generation Artists programme takes place at the Octagon Chapel.
First, young American cellist Sterling Elliott and pianist Joseph Havlat perform a programme of cello and piano pieces from modern American composers on Tuesday, May 13.
Then, on Wednesday, May 14, the multi-award winning Chaos String Quartet make their anticipated return to the Festival presenting a lively programme mixing the classical and contemporary, including Francesca Verunelli, Hadyn and Beethoven, in their trademark expressive and boundary-pushing style.
This year’s Festival plays host to two artists in residence, each presenting their own unique programme of performances.
On Thursday, May 15, Sean Shibe explores overlooked corners of the guitar repertoire at the venue in which Julian Bream made his final appearance in Forgotten Dances, and teams up with 12 Ensemble & GBSR Duo the following day for a wistful and genre-hopping programme.
In her residency, on Sunday, May 18, Lotte Betts-Dean joins Joseph Havlat to play Messiaen’s greatest song cycle, Harawi.
She is accompanied by guitarist Dimitris Soukaras at Dragon Hall on Wednesday, May 21; and presents a special two-in-one show on Thursday, May 22 as she sings work for solo amplified voice with electronics before she is joined by Luke Abbott and Jack Wylie to combine electronics, voice and saxophone.
The Festival’s iconic Adnams Spiegeltent returns once more to the Festival Gardens from May 14 for a line-up of late-night musical acts.
Featured is the memorable dream pop of musician and DJ Nabihah Iqbal, lauded Irish musician Martin Hayes, the genre-mixing Mercury Prize-nominated maverick corto.alto, the vibrant live energy of the Ghanaian collective Alogte Oho and his Sounds of Joy, a tender tribute to some of the most iconic female artists in history from Sarah Jane
Morris, alongside BBC Introducing’s Band Night, presenting some of the most exciting up-and-coming voices from the local area.
A number of exciting musical collectives will visit the Festival this year. On Monday, May 12, the internationally acclaimed Leonkoro Quartet plays an impassioned performance in their festival return; Idrîsî Ensemble presents a concert of rare and ancient music from Corsica, Greece and Mallorca on Sunday, May 11; and Gurdjieff Ensemble revives music from a variety of ancient folk traditions on Saturday, May 17.
There’s also a trio of the finest chamber musicians in the UK, who perform a programme of music evoking the night on Tuesday, May 20 at the Cathedral of St John the Baptist.
On Friday, May 23 the BBC Singers presents a concert surveying a number of Sir James Macmillan’s choral compositions.
On the Festival’s closing weekend, music returns to the Norwich Cathedral as Britten Sinfonia performs with Principal Trumpet Imogen Whitehead as soloist, in a programme that celebrates the 90th birthday of renowned Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.
More information and tickets for all shows can be found at nnfestival.org.uk
Sponsored by
Norfolk & Norwich Festival
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