Barbican announces new concerts for Fragile Earth season, including performances from Shabaka, Louis VI and Renée Fleming

Fragile Earth is set to feature a range of classical and contemporary artists responding to environmental themes through live performances, sound installations, and film. The programme includes UK premieres, experimental collaborations, and immersive listening experiences held in spaces across the Barbican Centre.

The newly confirmed performances include a world premiere collaboration between Shabaka and the Australian ensemble Hand to Earth, an ecological sound installation by musician and zoologist Louis VI, and a recital from soprano Renée Fleming.

Highlights already announced include Anna Meredith reworking Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Lemi Ponifasio and Theatre of Kiribati’s reimagining of Mahler’s Song of the Earth, and the UK premiere of Julia Wolfe’s unEarth performed by the BBC Symphony Orchestra and BBC Singers.

The events begin on 12 September 2025 with Hand to Earth & Shabaka at St Giles Cripplegate, followed by Louis VI Presents NATURE AIN’T A LUXURY across 25–26 October in the Barbican Conservatory. Voice of Nature: The Anthropocene, a performance from Renée Fleming with pianist Howard Watkins, takes place on 6 December in Barbican Hall.

The Fragile Earth series also features events with Gabriela Montero, Hayden Thorpe, and Robert Macfarlane, as well as The Hermes Experiment and Britten Sinfonia.