Global Music Block Party

This vibrant block party brings together international sounds, infectious rhythms, and feel-good grooves from across the globe. A perfect way to discover something new while soaking up the Festival Garden Atmosphere.

Artists include:

Willie T - Cultural / Island Folk | Solomon Islands
Hailing from Mungiki (Bellona), Solomon Islands, Willie T is a dynamic singer-songwriter blending cultural storytelling with island folk soul. Performing in English, Pijin, and his mother tongue, his music carries the rhythms, harmonies, and ancestral spirit of the Pacific.
Rooted in tradition yet alive with contemporary energy, Willie T takes audiences on a sonic journey across the Moana. His performances celebrate language, identity, and connection - weaving together stories of land, ocean, and community.

Basant Madhur Ensemble
Experience the vibrant energy and timeless beauty of North Indian classical music with the Basant Madhur Ensemble.
Featuring Basant Madhur and Akhil Madhur on tabla, alongside Sargam Madhur and Divya Khanolkar on sitar, this dynamic quartet brings together exceptional artistry, tradition and a lovely stage presence. Trained in the heritage of Hindustani classical music, each musician is an accomplished performer in their own right. Together, they invite their audience on a powerful and immersive musical journey.

ZORA
ZORA means ‘dawn’ or ‘blossom’. It represents our capacity to appreciate beauty and the invigorating sense of hope we are able to experience through the communion of living music - a music which here transcends cultural boundaries, languages and time.
This incarnation of ZORA brings together four unique and evocative artists : Rasoul Abbasi on kamanche (Iran), Hanna Wiskari on saxophone (Sweden), Tui Mamaki on vocals (France/Bulgaria) and Basant Madhur on tabla (India). While interweaving traditional repertoire from their colourful musical heritage, they explore parallels and differences - through bespoke arrangements with space for improvisation - and embody a kind of listening that comes with feeling honoured to be in collaboration.

The Afro Jazz Ensemble
The Afro Jazz Ensemble celebrates the meeting place between diverse African musical traditions and their close relatives in the Americas - jazz, blues and gospel. Led by master musician Yaw Asumadu, a former key member of the Pan African Orchestra, the group draws on the unique melodies, rhythms and harmonies of his home country Ghana and beyond. A multi-instrumentalist on traditional instruments, Asumadu brings authenticity and vibrant energy to the ensemble’s sound.
Joining him is a dynamic quartet drawn from his other projects, AfroFunk and the Highlife 10-piece Ozi Ozaa: Paul Hoskin - drums, Ben McNicoll - saxophone, Tristan Hancock - guitar and Carlos Pla - bass.
The Afro Jazz Ensemble will have you out of your seat with irresistibly danceable grooves, while their interplay and improvisations will have you mesmerised and uplifted