AL DI MEOLA BRINGS THE GUITARCHITECT TOUR TO THE BARBICAN

Wednesday 25 June 2026 | Barbican, London

Presented in collaboration with Serious

Legendary guitarist Al Di Meola returns to London in summer 2026 with The Guitarchitect Tour, a landmark live show celebrating five decades of innovation, virtuosity and global musical exploration. The concert takes place at the iconic Barbican on Wednesday 25 June 2026, as part of the Summer Jazz Series.

Tickets for Al Di Meola at The Barbican – On sale Friday 30 January 2026

Tickets go on sale Friday 30 January 2026 at 10am and will be available via the Barbican Box Office.

A master architect of modern guitar

A founding member of the seminal jazz fusion group Return to Forever, Al Di Meola has shaped the sound of contemporary instrumental music since the 1970s. A Grammy Award-winning solo artist, his influence spans jazz, fusion, Latin, flamenco and Mediterranean traditions, underpinned by a signature style defined by speed, precision and lyrical depth.

Across an extraordinary career, Di Meola has released a catalogue of landmark recordings, including Elegant Gypsy, Casino and the genre-defining live album Friday Night in San Francisco. Each has played a pivotal role in expanding the expressive possibilities of the guitar.

Inside The Guitarchitect Tour

Performed with his acclaimed acoustic band, The Guitarchitect is both a retrospective and a forward-looking statement. The show weaves together classic compositions, deep-cut fan favourites and new material, all enhanced by immersive multimedia visuals and personal storytelling from Di Meola himself.

Audiences can expect:

• A career-spanning set that unites past, present and future

• Cinematic visuals that frame the music within Di Meola’s artistic journey

• Intimate insights into the ideas and influences behind the compositions

• Virtuosic performances delivered with trademark precision and warmth

The result is a concert experience that is as reflective as it is exhilarating - an exploration of how one artist has continually evolved while remaining unmistakably himself.

A rare London appearance

Renowned for his electrifying live performances, Al Di Meola remains a tireless creative force, captivating audiences worldwide with shows that balance technical brilliance and emotional resonance. This Barbican performance offers a rare opportunity to experience one of modern music’s great innovators in a setting celebrated for its acoustics and atmosphere.

Al Di Meola's Across The Universe European tour rescheduled

It was decided today to reschedule Al Di Meola’s ‘Across The Universe’  European Tour this Spring, which was due to start on the 24 April.

Due to the ongoing global situation it was felt by all involved that the dates should not take place at this time

On the phone today, Al said  “I am extremely disappointed to not be able to play these shows,  but with so many borders closed across Europe, it seems clear to me that this is the best course of action at this time”

The good news is that Al  has agreed to extend his tour in the Autumn to include more cities and more countries to celebrate his new album.

Ticket purchasers are asked to retain their tickets as they will be valid for the new dates this autumn.

The AL DI MEOLA ACROSS THE UNIVERSE TOUR rescheduled dates are as follows:

Thursday 29 October – Jazz No Jazz Festival, Zurich

Saturday 31 October - Wollfabrik, Schwetzingen nr Heidelberg (rescheduled from 28 April)

Monday 2 November - Prague Spring Festival, Prague (rescheduled from 16 May)

Tuesday 3 November – Etho Jazz Festival Impart Arts Centre, Wroclaw (rescheduled from 21 May)

Thursday 5 November – Fabrik, Hamburg (rescheduled from 24 April)

Friday 6 November – Jazztage, Dresden

Saturday 7 November - Mehrzweckhalle, Wendelstein nr Nürnberg (rescheduled from 25 April)

Monday 9 November - Mehrzweckhalle, Leverkusen nr Koln

Sunday 15 November – Lilla Circus, Stockholm (rescheduled from 9 May)

Monday 16 November – Rockefeller, Oslo

Tuesday 17 November - Kulturvaerftet, Helsinggoe (rescheduled from 14 May)

Al Di Meola releases new album Across The Universe this March

World-renowned guitar hero Al Di Meola welcomes a new decade with an ambitious follow-up to his 2013 studio recording All Your Life: A Tribute to the Beatles with a sophomore homage to the Beatles, entitled Across The Universe, due out on earMUSIC on March 13, 2020.

Al Di Meola’s exquisite mastery of the fretboard is equal only to his appreciation of the Beatles’ legacy that has inspired generations of both musicians and music fans with their famed recording catalog. A retrospective of Al Di Meola’s nearly 50-year acclaimed career expressed through his virtuosic arrangements of 14 Beatles songs, Across The Universe journeys alongside one of America’s foremost guitarists as he revisits classic hits and more obscure tunes written by the ingenious Fab Four who have helped define the man he is today.

Adding to his lauded recording collection of more than 30 solo albums and numerous acclaimed collaborations with the likes of Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Stanley Clarke, Paco De Lucia and many others, Across The Universe is yet another masterpiece showcasing Al Di Meola’s fascination with complex rhythmic syncopation combined with provocative lyrical melodies and intricate harmonies. Beatles fans, guitar-heads, and music lovers alike can expect the unexpected upon venturing into the world put forth by Across The Universe. To commemorate the singular life of John Lennon, Al Di Meola reenacts the famous Lennon cover for his 1975 solo album Rock ‘n’ Roll for the artwork for Across The Universe.

Al Di Meola is a living legend celebrated for pioneering a unique style of impeccable guitar technique combined with a sophisticated global musical language that’s captured the hearts of audiences across the world. A GRAMMY Award-winner, he’s garnered three gold albums while selling more than six million albums in worldwide sales. His collaborations with artists such as Paul Simon, Phil Collins, Stevie Wonder, Jimmy Page, Santana, Steve Winwood, Herbie Hancock, Frank Zappa, Luciano Pavarotti, and others have elevated Al Di Meola to become a household name. Traversing divinely across multiple genres including flamenco, Latin, fusion, jazz, rock, and world music, Al Di Meola is a vivacious tour de force always redefining the boundaries of what’s possible on a six-stringed instrument. Across The Universe is no different than his most decorated recordings with his arsenal of a large ensemble bringing creative reinterpretations of Beatles songs to astounding heights.

“I really credit the Beatles for the reason why I play guitar... That was a major catalyst for me to want to learn music, so their impact was pretty strong.”

— Al Di Meola

Al Di Meola employs a wide lens on Across The Universe with lightening-speed electric guitar orchestrations balanced with lavish acoustic arrangements. The debut single Strawberry Fields Forever from Across The Universe (released January 17) is a fiery electric guitar fuelled stunner backed by a red-hot rock band. Epic rock ‘n’ roll covers are sprinkled throughout the album, including the visionary take on the album opener Here Comes The Sun, as well as a riveting Hey Jude and Golden Slumbers Medley. Al Di Meola’s acoustic fingerpicking soars on Dear Prudence and Norwegian Wood, while he ventures to a jazz fusion aesthetic on Till There Was You.

Across The Universe simmers to a diverse set of mid-tempo grooves on Mother Nature’s Son, Yesterday, Your Mother Should Know, I’ll Follow The Sun, and Julia. Al Di Meola features a lovely solo performance on Here, There And Everywhere. Across The Universe finishes with a short, but very sweet melodic version of Octopus’s Garden.

Across The Universe will be released as a CD Digipak, 2LP and Digital on March 13, 2020 on earMUSIC.

Al Di Meola - Across The Universe

Track Listing

1. Here Comes The Sun

2. Golden Slumbers Medley

3. Dear Prudence

4. Norwegian Wood

5. Mother Nature’s Son

6. Strawberry Fields Forever

7. Yesterday

8. Your Mother Should Know

9. Hey Jude

10. I'll Follow The Sun

11. Julia

12. Till There Was You

13. Here, There And Everywhere

14. Octopus's Garden