Barbican unveils Spring 2026 Programme spanning art, music, theatre and craft

Barbican reveals its Spring 2026 programme, featuring Colombian artists, Icelandic music, uniquely set theatre and films celebrating global craft traditions.

Date published: 6th Jan 2026

The Barbican has announced its Spring 2026 programme, running from January to May, bringing together contemporary art, live music, theatre and cinema shaped by ideas of land, lineage and creative tradition.

Alongside major exhibitions and performances, the season is built around several key strands, spotlighting Colombian art and music, Icelandic composers, theatre in unexpected spaces and global craft on screen.

Full programme below, but for more detail and ticket information, visit the Barbican’s website.

Speaking on the season, Devyani Saltzman, Director for Arts & Participation at the Barbican, said: “As we move into Spring, we’re exploring land and lineages as it relates to contemporary Colombian women artists and the creative legacies that shape us. Artists and musicians draw on the rich history and cultural memory of their country, with the first UK retrospective of Colombian painter Beatriz González and, later in the year, a major outdoor commission from Delcy Morelos.

"We also throw light on the wealth of Iceland’s singular musical talent and introduce a series of site-specific performances as we futureproof our Theatre for the next generation during the Renewal of our building.”

Barbican Spring 2026 highlights:

Art and Music from Colombia - February – May 2026

The season opens with a major focus on contemporary Colombian creativity. Highlights include the UK’s first solo retrospective of painter Beatriz González (25th Feb – 10th May), bringing together six decades of work examining power, grief and collective memory. Later in the spring, Delcy Morelos presents her first UK public commission (15th May – 31st Jul), a large-scale outdoor installation exploring humanity’s relationship with land.

Music also plays a central role, with Colombian experimental artist Lucrecia Dalt making her Barbican debut on 2nd May, followed by the return of La Línea festival across London. The run culminates in Las Poderosas – Colombian Queens (4th May), celebrating contemporary female voices in Colombian music.

Scene Change: Theatre in Unexpected Places - 20th January – 21st April 2026

Scene Change sees theatre and performance staged outside traditional venues, unfolding across hotels, pop-up shops, dining spaces and one-to-one encounters. The programme includes Dante or Die’s returning production I Do (20 Jan – 8 Feb), Fevered Sleep’s public art intervention This Grief Thing (12th – 22nd Feb), and Theatre for One (12th – 22nd Mar), featuring new miniature plays by Irish writers.

The run also welcomes Belarus Free Theatre’s Kitchen Revolution (31st Mar – 1st Apr), a participatory dining experience, before concluding with Boy Blue’s acclaimed hip hop work Cycles (11th – 12th Apr).

Ice and Fire: Icelandic Concert Series - February – March 2026

Inspired by Iceland’s dramatic landscapes, this concert series explores how environment shapes musical imagination. It opens with Jóhann Jóhannsson: Cinematic Suites (18th Feb), featuring live performances of the late composer’s film scores, followed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra’s Total Immersion: Icelandic Chill (22nd Feb).

The series concludes with an intimate performance from Hildur Guðnadóttir on 21 March, showcasing new material alongside vocals and cello.

The Old Ways: Cinema & Craft - March – May 2026

The Old Ways celebrates global craft traditions through documentary film, spotlighting practices such as indigo dyeing, embroidery, quilting and ink-making. UK premieres include Historjá – Stitches for Sapmí, The Colour of Ink and Shades of Indigo, each exploring the links between craft, identity and place.

Young Barbican Takeover Festival - Sunday 29th March 2026

The Young Barbican Takeover Festival returns in spring 2026 with a one-day programme curated by and for young creatives from across London. The event brings together live music, DJs, workshops, film screenings, talks and performances, showcasing emerging talent across multiple artforms. 

Building on initiatives such as Barbican Young Poets and Young Film Programmers, the Takeover Festival continues the Barbican’s commitment to creating space for the next generation of artists to experiment, collaborate and share work on their own terms.

Spring 2026 also includes:

Julia Phillips: Inside Before They Speak (The Curve, 30th Jan – 19th Apr 2026): The UK’s first institutional solo exhibition of multidisciplinary artist Julia Phillips presents new works which draw from her interest in the body, conception, and human connection.

Masterpieces of the Iranian New Wave (4th – 26th February 2026): Continuing the Barbican’s survey of pre-revolutionary Iranian film, this fresh season of ground-breaking Iranian cinema presents an even richer array of rare gems – many of them never before seen in the UK.

Encounters: Giacometti x Lynda Benglis (Level 2, 12th Feb – 31st May 2026): In the final instalment of the Encounters series, historic works by Alberto Giacometti meet unseen pieces by contemporary artist Lynda Benglis in the Barbican’s Level 2 gallery.

Ryoji Ikeda Weekender: Portrait (20th – 21st Feb 2026): Japan’s leading electronic composer and visual artist Ryoji Ikeda presents a special Barbican weekender of his music for acoustic ensembles, showcasing unique pieces across strings, percussion, and voice.

London Symphony Orchestra/Barbara Hannigan | Bowler, Ligeti & Strauss, with Bar Avni (Barbican Hall, 5th Mar 2026): LSO Associate Artist Barbara Hannigan, alongside rising conducting star Bar Avni, brings music by Ligeti and Richard Strauss, and presents the world premiere of a new work by Laura Bowler.

Mohopolo/Ancestral Memory Weekend: Abel Selaocoe & Friends (23rd – 26 Apr 2026): South African cellist, vocalist and composer Abel Selaocoe returns to his roots for a specially curated Barbican weekend, bringing together artists from his homeland in a powerful act of remembrance and celebration of shared history.

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Header image credit: Barbican

Image credit: Barbican