THE DIRE STRAITS EXPERIENCE ANNOUNCE LONDON SHOW AT ISLINGTON ASSEMBLY HALL

The Dire Straits Experience will return to London for their first headline show in eight years, performing at Islington Assembly Hall on Friday 12 February 2027.

Tickets go on sale Friday 2 October at 10am.

Bringing the music of Dire Straits back to the stage, The Dire Straits Experience will perform a catalogue featuring some of the band's best-known songs, including Sultans of Swing, Money for Nothing, Brothers in Arms, Romeo and Juliet, Private Investigations, Walk of Life and Telegraph Road.

When and where are The Dire Straits Experience playing in London?

The Dire Straits Experience

Friday 12 February 2027

Islington Assembly Hall, London

The concert will be The Dire Straits Experience's first London headline show in eight years.

Tickets go on sale at 10am on Friday 2 October 2026 and will be available from the Islington Assembly Hall box office and Ticketmaster.

Who are The Dire Straits Experience?

The Dire Straits Experience brings together a line-up of world-class musicians led by Chris White, who performed and recorded with Dire Straits during some of the band's most successful years, and guitarist and vocalist Terence Reis.

White toured extensively with Dire Straits, including the record-breaking Brothers in Arms tour and the band's legendary performance at Live Aid in 1985. He later played on Dire Straits' final studio album, On Every Street.

With Dire Straits no longer touring, The Dire Straits Experience have taken their music around the world, performing a songbook that continues to connect with audiences across generations.

What songs will The Dire Straits Experience perform?

London audiences can expect a live celebration of the Dire Straits songbook, including music from across the band's career.

The show features songs including:

• Sultans of Swing

• Money for Nothing

• Brothers in Arms

• Romeo and Juliet

• Private Investigations

• Walk of Life

• Telegraph Road

From the atmospheric storytelling of Romeo and Juliet and Private Investigations to the unmistakable guitar lines of Money for Nothing and Sultans of Swing, the London show gives audiences the opportunity to experience the music of Dire Straits live once again.

Hand Upon The Lever World Tour

The London concert forms part of The Dire Straits Experience's Hand Upon The Lever World Tour.

The tour begins in Sweden before arriving in London in February 2027. Following the Islington Assembly Hall show, the band will continue through the Netherlands, Austria and Ireland, with further dates set to be announced.

The band's live performances have earned praise internationally:

“A fantastic night out, faithfully reconstructing some of the great compositions of rock music.” - Upside Adelaide

“The exceptional Terence Reis and Chris White took the Philharmonic Hall on a journey… a night of top drawer music.” - Liverpool Sound and Vision

“Much more than just a tribute band.” - The Rockpit

How to get tickets for The Dire Straits Experience in London

Tickets for The Dire Straits Experience at Islington Assembly Hall, London on Friday 12 February 2027 go on sale at 10am on Friday 2 October 2026.

Tickets will be available from the Islington Assembly Hall box office and Ticketmaster. - include links to both IAH event page and Ticketmaster event page

SNARKY PUPPY ANNOUNCES UK RETURN FOR APRIL 2027

Five-time GRAMMY® Award-winning collective Snarky Puppy have announced three UK shows for April 2027.

Tickets on sale Friday 18 September at 9am BST.

Led by bassist and bandleader Michael League, the internationally acclaimed collective will perform at British Airways ARC, London on 21 April, Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on 23 April and The Hall, Aviva Studios, Manchester on 24 April, bringing one of contemporary music's most distinctive and celebrated live shows back to UK audiences.

The dates mark Snarky Puppy’s first UK shows since 2022, when their Empire Central tour saw them perform at London’s OVO Arena Wembley, Glasgow’s O2 Academy and Manchester’s O2 Apollo.

Snarky Puppy, the five-time GRAMMY® Award-winning collective, “has always been a band that prioritizes the sound of the music,” says bandleader and bassist Michael League. Displaying a wide array of influences including funk, rhythm & blues, hard rock, classic soul, modern gospel, new tech, fusion and jazz, Snarky Puppy isn’t exactly a jazz band, it’s not a fusion band and it’s definitely not a jam band. It’s probably best to take Nate Chinen of the New York Times’ advice, as stated in an online discussion about the group, to “take them for what they are, rather than judge them for what they’re not.”

“Our soundscape has expanded dramatically over the years” says League. “When the band started, we were jazzier, brainy and music oriented. Moving into the Dallas scene we became groovier, more emotional, deeper in a sense. We focused more on communi

cating a clear message, understandable to a listener without dumbing things down”

In January 2025 the band collaborated once more with the Metropole Orkest – the Netherlands-based hybrid ensemble renowned for fusing jazz, classical, and popular music on a symphonic scale. Captured live over three nights (January 17–19, 2025) in Utrecht, the project reunited the two groups a decade after their first joint effort, Sylva — an orchestral suite released in 2015 that earned the GRAMMY® for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album the following year. The result of this collaboration - Somni - was released in November 2025 via GroundUP Music.

“It’s by far the most ambitious project we’ve ever done … and it was one of the smoothest records we’ve ever made,” he says. “Every individual team just absolutely did their job with so much care and love — from the camera operators to our production team.” That spirit was reflected in the room. “The instant feedback was the warmest we’ve ever had. It was encouraging to know that after 22 years of doing what we do, the music is reaching people.” Always evolving in its musical output, each new record brings a new vision and progressive direction, “Our rule is that it can’t sound like it sounded before” comments League, he continues, “the music has to feel like it’s moving somewhere”

This also raises the question – where will Snarky Puppy go next? For Snarky Puppy fans, the answer to this is a very exciting prospect.

SNARKY PUPPY UK DATES

21 April 2027 British Airways ARC, London

23 April 2027 Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

24 April 2027 The Hall, Aviva Studios, Manchester