- Performance at the Roundhouse on 7 July marks the end of the year-long Season of
Culture - Music programme also includes a celebration of Heitor Villa-Lobos, the new Boa Nova
music festival in East London and a series of shows at The Jazz Cafe
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; 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).