​Hackney Music Live × Stoke Newington Contemporary Music Festival 2026 runs from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 May 2026, bringing a major weekend of contemporary and experimental music to venues across Stoke Newington and Hackney, including Sutton House, The Old Church, The Tower Theatre and St Mary’s. This collaboration unites Hackney Music Live’s concert platform with the adventurous spirit of Stoke Newington Contemporary Music Festival, which has been championing new music and boundary-crossing performance in the area since 2013.

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The weekend opens on Friday lunchtime at Sutton House with a remarkable feat: 18 pianists from The Purcell School performing Ligeti’s complete 18 Études — a thrilling traversal of one of the most dazzling and demanding cycles in modern piano literature. On Friday evening, the festival shifts to The Tower Theatre for Hackney Sessions, an intimate late programme of music, words and electronics, with a welcoming, informal atmosphere and bar.

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Saturday begins at The Old Church with Brunch with Berberian, where soprano Gina Fergione celebrates the centenary of Cathy Berberian in a programme of iconic vocal works that are rarely heard together, culminating in a Hackney Music Live world-premiere commission by Fergione herself. Later, at Sutton House, pianist Morta Grigaliūnaitė presents a lunchtime recital centred on Einojuhani Rautavaara, pairing virtuosity with the composer’s luminous, atmospheric sound world.

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On Saturday evening, The Old Church hosts The Greenwich Trio with guests Boris Bizjak (flute) and Emily Elliott (cello) for a richly contrasted programme of post-1945 repertoire and a further Hackney Music Live world premiere, by Daniel Fardon — the Artistic Director of Hackney Music Live, combining celebrated performers with brand-new work.

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Sunday afternoon brings Kate Ryder’s Toy Pianos recital: playful, inventive and full of sonic surprise. The weekend then closes at St Mary’s with The London Improvisers Orchestra, whose large-ensemble practice of free and conducted improvisation delivers a fitting finale — bold, collective, and completely in the moment.

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Across the weekend, audiences can expect internationally acclaimed performers, adventurous programming, and new commissions, all rooted in the creative life of Stoke Newington and Hackney. Whether you are a dedicated contemporary music listener or completely new to this repertoire, this is a festival designed to be exciting, welcoming and unforgettable.

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You can purchase tickets at the TICKETS link, or directly on the concert listings below.

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