125 years of Black music-making in Britain. This landmark exhibition shows how Black British music has shaped British culture. Spanning four continents and 12 decades, this is a story of excellence and struggle, resilience and joy. (April 2026)
The Music is Black: A British Story traces the roots and routes of music that has descended from African musical practices and gone on to influence and transform British identity over the past 125 years. It explores where Black music in Britain since 1900 has come from-tracking an ever-evolving sound shaped by British colonialism, transatlantic enslavement and voluntary migration.
From Lovers Rock and Brit Funk, to 2 Tone, Jungle and Grime, this exhibition reveals the creation of British-born Black music genres and how they have impacted lives across the country and beyond – how we speak, dress and view the world.
The Music is Black is a story of Black struggle, resilience, creativity and joy. It is a story of us all.
