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Squid 
Rough Trade 50 
Saturday 5 December, 8pm  
Barbican Hall 
Tickets from £26.50 plus booking fee 

English art rock quintet Squid make their Barbican debut in 2026. 
  
Praised by The Quietus as “the most exciting and volatile the group has ever sounded”, Squid’s latest album Cowards is an exploration of evil; nine stories whose protagonists reckon with cults, charisma and apathy. The album ranges over textures of folk, kosmische, psychedelia, jazz and electronics, extending from an already acclaimed catalogue of chart-topping hits that marked a new era of experimentation in British guitar music. 
  
Formed in Brighton in 2016, the quintet of Louis Borlase, Arthur Leadbetter, Laurie Nankivell, Anton Pearson and Ollie Judge have spent the past decade cementing their reputation as one of the most inventive bands in art rock, known for their intricate and ever evolving live performances. For 2026, Squid will commemorate their first decade as a band whilst looking firmly ahead with this special Barbican Hall performance as they celebrate Rough Trade’s 50th anniversary. 

Produced by the Barbican  
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ZIAD 
A tribute concert by Faraj Suleiman 
Saturday 23 January, 7.30pm  
Barbican Hall 
Tickets from £39 plus booking fee 

Barbican announce ZIAD - an evening celebrating the musical genius of late Lebanese composer, playwright and pianist Ziad Rahbani in 2027. The songs of Rahbani, witty, defiant and poignant, come alive again at the hands of pianist and composer Faraj Suleiman, joined by a 20-piece band.  

Ziad Rahbani was a significant figure in shaping the sound of the modern Arab world. Son of the legendary Fairuz, Ziad fused Lebanese song with jazz, funk and biting satire, creating music that became the soundtrack of a generation - hummed in taxis, cherished in exile, and sung at full volume in defiance.  

For this special evening, Suleiman takes up Ziad’s songbook. Over the past decade, Suleiman has established himself as one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Arabic music, placing the piano at the heart of a sound that draws equally on Eastern melodies, jazz and classical traditions. His acclaimed albums and sold-out performances across Europe and the SWANA region have won him a devoted international following. For this tribute, he is joined on stage by guest vocalists and a full band of twenty musicians, bringing Rahbani's richly layered arrangements to life on a grand scale. 

The upcoming programme for ZIAD spans the full breadth of Rahbani's world: songs from his groundbreaking plays, his celebrated collaborations with Fairuz, his solo albums, his theatre plays, and his instrumental music. A celebration of a musical pioneer, where audiences can expect the beloved and unexpected, the Barbican concert is a homecoming for those who grew up with Ziad's music, and a rare introduction for those discovering him for the first time.  

Produced by the Barbican with Marsm 
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