Black Lives in Music's (BLiM) classical music festival Classically Black is set to return to Kings Place, London, this Saturday (October 10) in partnership with Warner Classics and Decca.
The one-day event, which follows two sold-out editions, brings together performances, panels, workshops and emerging talent, continuing BLiM’s focus on Black and global-majority musicians and composers in classical music.
The 2026 edition will include The Next Movement Rising Talent Showcase, presented with Warner Classics, which spotlights rising classical performers. Selected through an open call, this year’s showcase features five performers: Ryan Morgan, Isaac Shieh, Nahuel Angius-Thomas, Yuma Angius-Thomas and Simone Seales.
The Next Movement has run alongside Classically Black since its inception and has mentored 10 musicians to date.
“Classically Black puts Black and global-majority musicians at the centre of the stage, where they are not just performing the classical tradition but reinventing it,” said BLiM chief executive Charisse Beaumont. “They are bringing new ideas, new energy and new audiences to a genre that has too often kept its doors closed, and they are doing it on their own terms. That is what makes this day so special.”
We’re proud to play our part in championing talented musicians from diverse backgrounds and building a more inclusive, vibrant future for the industry
Sean Gross, Warner Classics
Previous editions of Classically Black have featured performances from Ayanna Witter-Johnson and Laura Mvula, alongside up-and-coming artists from across the classical music scene.
“Classical music is at its most powerful when it reflects the world around us, and through our support of The Next Movement showcase, we’re proud to play our part in championing talented musicians from diverse backgrounds and building a more inclusive, vibrant future for the industry,” said Sean Gross, VP of Warner Classics UK & North America.
The 2026 programme will also address representation and access within classical music. Under the Skin, One People will bring together neurodivergent pianist Michael Howell, soprano Victoria Oruwari and clarinettist Berginald Rash for a discussion on the challenges faced by musicians with intersectional identities, moderated by Carol Leeming MBE.
The event will also feature a Children & Young People’s Music Workshop Sharing Session, delivered with composer Pete Letanka and the Music in Secondary Schools Trust, while Keyboard Warriors will feature a keynote from Oli Rose of the Lang Lang Foundation and performances from Rebeca Omordia, Yshani Perinpanayagam and Okiem.
The programme will close with a live recording of Down with the Patribachy, Ellie Ajao’s podcast examining composers and musicians historically excluded from the Western classical canon, with Braimah Kanneh-Mason among the guests.
