Back2Black Festival

This first London Back2Black festival features a strong emphasis on UK-African connections and communities, including Afro-Caribbean artists, and brings together a heady mix of different traditions and musical genres, including Samba, Jazz, Funk, R’n’B, Blues, Rock, Reggae, Dub and Hip Hop – all of which have been heavily informed by Africa. London audiences will be able to sample the rhythms, flavours, colours, sounds and styles of our contemporary society which originate from Africa, with African and Brazilian food and drink complementing the festival experience.

The Brazilian festival Back2Black is a pioneer in promoting global appreciation for black culture in Brazil, exploring new ways of presenting music and art, in order to entertain, raise awareness, further cultural exchange and rebuild bridges.

Since its inaugural edition, the Back2Black festival has taken place a beautiful, disused railway station in Rio de Janeiro. To recreate a similar setting, the London festival will be held at Old Billingsgate in East London, with three different stages and an extensive offering of concerts, talks, debates, exhibitions, drumming displays and workshops. A large-scale exhibition by Brazilian artist and director Bia Lessa forms the backdrop of the festival.