This summer, East Bank at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park presents a free summer music programme. Here are the top things to get excited about…
1. The Music is Black Festival is an eight-month season of events celebrating Black British music.
Taking place between June and September 2026, The Music is Black Festival is the first festival spotlighting the creativity, collaboration and community of East Bank’s partners across east London. There will be four specially-programmed weekends of live music and performance, each responding to a different theme, celebrating Black British Music.
2. Each weekend is curated by a different group
The Music is Ours
Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 June
Curated by Footsie and The King Original Soundsystem, YolanDa Brown OBE DL, Soul Mama, My Runway Group and Kloé Dean
Power and Respect
Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 July
Curated by Jamz Supernova, BORN N BREAD, Yazmin Lacey, TYSON and Jade Hackett
Queer Frequencies
Saturday 22 and Sunday 23 August
Curated by Shy One, Donnie Sunshine, Mark-Ashley Dupé, Joel Mignott and Zinzi Minott
Black to the Future
Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September
Curated by FLOHIO, The Blues Project and Dannielle ‘Rhimes’ Lecointe
3. It’s inspired by V&A East Museum’s exhibition ‘The Music is Black: A British Story’
All the East Bank institutions at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park are involved in the programmes, BBC, Sadler’s Wells East and UAL. The four weekends will reflect the breadth and depth of the impact made by Black music. The open-air festival weekends are free to attend, but registration is now open at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s website: queenelizabetholympicpark.co.uk/themusicisblackfestival
The registration link is not working. Can someone look into it please
Where are the people who REALLY kicked the door for all those who after who made one of only 3 uniquely British Artforms the one that you should curate is BRITFUNK I can real guitars not those toys you should TUBBS bass the first homegrown funk bassist and the crew who worked at the Fender Guitar warehouse in North London where Bluey wrote his first songs and became INCOGNITO and need MEL GAYNOR the first massive success story selling 75 million album with Simple Minds, Tina Turner, Incognito, Light of the World, Elton John, Brian May and Gary Moore etc! I could go on but better to tell Alison Springer in person filming a tour with Mel Gaynor and Bluey which I can set up and film!