Royal Festival Hall

Steve Earle And The Dukes (And The Duchesses)

Categories, Pop and rock

• Critics' choice

Gnarled American singer-songwriter Earle is almost as well known for his left-wing political activism as his Grammy-winning rootsy country rock. Tonight he plays a rare full-band show, following the release of his new album 'The Low Highway' (Apr 15)...

WAGNER 200 Birthday Concert

Music festivals, German opera, Romantic music (1815 – 1910)

• Critics' choice

Sir Andrew Davis conducts the Philharmonia Orchestra in a concert commemorating the exact 200th anniversary of Wagner's birth with soloists including soprano Susan Bullock (Brünnhilde) and bass James Rutherford (Wotan). Richard Wagner: Overture: 'Die...

THE REST IS NOISE Turangalîla Symphony

Orchestral music, Symphony, Music festivals, 20th century music (1900 – 2000)

Olivier Messiaen's 'Turangalila-symphonie' is performed by Royal College of Music Symphony Orchestra under Thierry Fischer, with pianist Stefan Stroissnig and Cynthia Millar, ondes martenot. (Messiaen's great symphonic work, first presented after World...

Tchaikovsky's 'Pathéthique'

Symphony, Concerto, Romantic music (1815 – 1910), 20th century music (1900 – 2000)

• Critics' choice

The Orchestre de la Suisse Romande makes a rare London appearance under the baton of its new music director, renowned conductor Neeme Järvi, with virtuoso Boris Berezovsky at the piano. Arvo Pärt: 'Silhouette (Hommage à Gustave Eiffel)' for percussion...

London Literature Festival 2013: The Spectacular Translation Machine

Books and poetry

Over two weekends, the London Literature Festival aims to get the diary entries of a French WWI soldier translated into English via a joint effort. So if you're a bit of a Francophile, get down there and lend a hand. The results will be presented at a...

Hook, Line and Singer: A Family Singalong with Cerys Matthews

Things to do, Families, Kids' activities

• Free

Welsh singer Cerys Matthews (former Catatonia frontwoman) is hoping to get families singing by leading this inclusive event. Her new book of family songs – 'A Sing-a-long Book: Childhood Songs for Long Car Journeys and Rainy Days' – is due out in Jun...

London Literature Festival 2013: Dogs Don't Do Ballet

Families, theatre & performing arts (kids)

• Rating: 5/5

This is one children's show where the adults are guaranteed to laugh as hard as the kids (and probably more). Little Angel's latest production tells the superbly silly and at times wonderfully surreal story of ballet-mad mutt, Biff, whose dream is to...

My Father and Other Superheroes

Off-West End, Rollerblading and inline skating

Autobiographical show from poet and dad Nick Makoha about how pop culture raised him in place of a father.

Superhero Run with Charlie Dark

Walks and tours, Things to do

• Free

Charlie Dark – the founder of Run Dem Crew, a creative community of runners who aim to share ideas – leads this alternative run around South Bank. Runners should dress up as superheros and expect to come across pop-up performances along the route. All...

Queens, Heroines and Ladykillers: A Tribute to Lorraine Hunt Lieberson

Chamber, Opera, Baroque music (1600 – 1760)

• Critics' choice

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson was one of the foremost mezzo-sopranos of our time, and an artist the Orchestra of the Age fo Enlightenment worked with regularly. Tonight’s tribute to her sees three great singers sing some of Handel’s most dramatic and emotionally...

Bryn Terfel

Categories, Classical & Opera

• Critics' choice

Acclaimed operatic star Bryn Terfel performs his favourite arias by Verdi, Mozart, Rossini, Gounod, Bizet and Gilbert and Sullivan. Philharmonia Orchestra, with Gwawr Edwards (soprano), Caryl Hughes (mezzo-soprano) and a choir. (Programme to be annou...

If You Will It, It is No Dream

Symphony, Concerto

• Critics' choice

Philharmonia Orchestra under Vladimir Ashkenazy, with violinist James Ehnes. Nimrod Borenstein: 'If you will it, it is no dream' (world premiere) Edward Elgar: Violin Concerto William Walton: Symphony No 1 in B flat minor

MELTDOWN: Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band

Categories, Pop and rock

• Critics' choice

Curator Yoko Ono opens this year's Meltdown festival with a performance from her Plastic Ono Band. The Band reactivated in 2009 with a rotating cast of big names alongside Ono and Sean Lennon: a 2010 line-up included Eric Clapton and Klaus Voorman, with...

MELTDOWN: Siouxsie + Viv Albertine

New wave and post-punk

• Critics' choice

Bromley's leading kohl-user and goth icon, Susan Janet Ballion performs on the second day of Yoko Ono's Meltdown festival. At her first performance for five years, she'll be treating the Royal Festival Hall to material from her 2007 solo album 'MantaRay'...

MELTDOWN: Immortal Technique

Hip hop

• Critics' choice

Peruvian-American rapper Felipe Coronel, and his fast and furious political rap, drop in for a performance at Yoko Ono's Meltdown festival. As well as chilling tales of street life like his famous debut single 'Dance With The Devil', expect politician-baiting...

MELTDOWN: Reggie Watts/Mac Lethal

Music, Musical comedy

Super-hairy musical comedian Watts jets over from New York for a show at Yoko Ono's Meltdown. He's enormous in the US but only made his first British TV appearance last year. As well as improvising hilariously on race and popular culture, he's a super-talented...

MELTDOWN: Alva Noto/Ryuichi Sakamoto

Experimental and free improvisation, Noise, drone and ambient

German sound artist Noto – born Carsten Nicolai – performs with Japanese composer Sakamoto at Yoko Ono's Meltdown festival. The two have collaborated on several albums over the last decade, making everything from glitchy, ambient soundscapes to experimental...

MELTDOWN: Iggy And The Stooges + Savages

Classic rock, Punk and hardcore, New wave and post-punk

• Critics' choice

James Newell Osterberg is reunited with the Stooges line-up that made 1973's career-defining 'Raw Power' record, but with Minuteman Mike Watt filling in for the sadly deceased Ron Asheton. There'll be some material from their patchy new album 'Ready to...

MELTDOWN: Double Fantasy Live

Categories, Pop and rock

The final night of Yoko Ono's Meltdown festival is marked by a performance of John Lennon and Yoko Ono's album 'Double Fantasy', released a few weeks before Lennon's murder in 1980. A cast of guests will assemble to play the fourteen-song record from...

Burt Bacharach

American songbook, Pop

The greatest pop songwriter and arranger of all-time? Many would argue, but The Burtmeister – now in his mid-eighties – can certainly dip into an awesome grab-bag of romantic mini-operas. He wrote the music for 'Magic Moments', 'Baby It's You', 'Twenty...

Burt Bacharach

American songbook, Pop

The greatest pop songwriter and arranger of all-time? Many would argue, but The Burtmeister – now in his mid-eighties – can certainly dip into an awesome grab-bag of romantic mini-operas. He wrote the music for 'Magic Moments', 'Baby It's You', 'Twenty...

Caro Emerald

Categories, Pop and rock

A huge star in her native Holland, vintage popstrel Emerald looks set to repeat her success over here. She's got a new album of swing-inflected pop, 'The Shocking Miss Emerald', which looks set to do even better than her multi-platinum-selling debut.

Martha Argerich plays Mozart

Symphony, Concerto, Classical music (1730 – 1820)

• Critics' choice

Orchestra Mozart under Claudio Abbado , with pianist Martha Argerich. Haydn: Symphony No 94 ('Surprise') Mozart: Piano Concerto No 9, K271 ('Jeunehomme') Mozart: Symphony No 36 ('Linz') (Part of Shell Classic International series.)

Alison Moyet

Categories, Jazz and experimental

• Critics' choice

Enduringly successful Basildon belle Moyet is still perhaps best known for her work as one half of Yazoo, despite 30 impressive years as a solo artist. She’s actually much better live than on record, with her blues influences spurring her on, and the...

Roy Harper

Pop and rock, Folk

• Critics' choice

Manchester-born psych-folk singer-songwriter Harper celebrates the release of 'Man and Myth', his first album since 2000. He's always been a musician's musician – Led Zep named a song for him, Pink Floyd and Kate Bush were fans – but he's got a strong...