Emerge, an innovative new “Lates” festival, will burst onto London’s night-time arts scene over the weekend of Friday 27 and Saturday 28 September, 2019. Aiming to turn expectations of who museums are for on its head, Emerge has curated a line-up designed to showcase the UK’s most electrifying new talent in London’s most iconic museums and heritage spaces.

The festival will showcase an exciting line up that includes music and DJ sets, talks and workshops, performances, poetry, immersive experiences, live art installations, theatre and even a pop-up bar on the top of Wellington Arch. Highlights include rising stars Ady Suleiman and Poppy Ajudha at The Horniman Museum, a night of body positivism and mental health awareness with author and journalist Bryony Gordon at Dulwich Picture Gallery, an evening curated by critically acclaimed UK rapper Flohio at Banqueting House, and a special Lost Lectures collaboration with The Natural History Museum featuring an eclectic mix of talks spanning life and death and a champion beatboxer.

An entirely new concept for festivals, and for museum and galleries events, Emerge is imagined by and aimed at 18-30 Londoners. With just one ticket, festival-goers will have access to dozens of events taking place in over 40 venues ranging from the Natural History Museum and The Design Museum to The Old Operating Theatre.

Highlights of the festival include:

Ady Suleiman and Poppy Ajudha at the Bandstand, The Horniman Museum

‘Breakthrough Act of the Year’ at Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards, neo-soul star Ady Suleiman’s timeless blend of soulful tunes has garnered him a broad range of influential fans from Chance the Rapper and Joey Bada$$ through to Labrinth, Michael Kiwanuka and Laura Mvula. Ady will be playing a very special gig at the Horniman Museum’s bandstand, with its stunning views over London.

He will be supported by South London’s finest Poppy Ajudha, whose jazz and soul infused songs have led to a headline UK tour, 10 million streams and a Best Soul Act Award at last month’s Jazz FM Awards. A feature on Tom Misch’s Disco Yes earned her a nod from Barack Obama, who chose it as one of his favourite tracks of the year.

Livity and Historic Royal Palaces present IN FUTURE, Curated by Flohio

Culture company Livity and Historic Royal Palaces are hosting IN FUTURE at Banqueting House, as part of the Emerge Festival. Curated by critically acclaimed UK rapper and Livity alumnus, Flohio, the event features an eclectic mix of music, art, video, fashion, spoken word and music within the walls of the once Royal Palace of Whitehall, a historic site of popular anti-establishment unrest.

Mind & Body featuring Bryony Gordon at Dulwich Picture Gallery 

Journalist, author and columnist Bryony Gordon is a champion for mental health awareness. Author of best-sellers Mad Girl, The Wrong Knickers and Eat, Drink, Run, she is the creator of the Mad World podcast, where she has interviewed the likes of HRH Prince Harry, Frank Bruno and Fearne Cotton about their mental health.

Bryony will be headlining Emerge Festival’s Mind & Body night at Dulwich Picture Gallery, an evening celebrating mental health awareness and body positivity. Bryony will be taking part in a Q & A and there will also be body positive life drawing led by activist organisation Spirited Bodies and mindfulness workshops.

Lost in the Museum: Lost Lectures at Natural History Museum

For one night only, the Natural History Museum will team up with Lost Lectures for Lost in the Museum, a special collaboration as part of Emerge Festival. Get ready for a lecture lucky dip, with an eclectic mix of talks spanning life and death – from the communication that makes us human to debunking the dodo. Speaker highlights include Bellatrix, one of the most prolific female beatboxers in the world, who will take you on a sonic adventure through time, discussing the anatomy of noise from prehistory, through the natural world and into modern performance. Also on the bill is comedian and writer Helen Arney, one third of the science comedy phenomenon Festival of the Spoken Nerd, who will be taking on evolution itself, and turning it into 15 minutes of preservative alcohol-fuelled site-specific theatre, set amongst historic specimens in the Natural History Museum’s Spirit Collection.

Luke Jerram’s stunning installation Museum of the Moon will also be on show, while DJs bring atmosphere to the thinking and drinking under Hope the whale.

East Meets West feat Ishmael Ensemble, Rinse FM’s Brackles and poet Mr Gee at The Design Museum

Bringing a host of creative collectives to The Design Museum with music, a DJ, spoken word and performance. On the bill: resident poet on The Russell Brand Show Mr Gee’s WorkinOnIt; Jazz infused electronica from Ishmael Ensemble, whose recent debut album State of Flow garnered Album of the Month in The Guardian and a stamp of approval from the likes of Caribou, Gilles Peterson and Mary Ann Hobbs; a theatrical production by The Masala Monologues who’ve been dubbed ‘the spicier version of the Vagina Monologues’ for putting the spotlight on under-represented British Asian experiences and an elastic set-list to finish off stretching between Grime, UK Funky and Afrobeats from Rinse FM DJ Brackles.

Benin City and Mina Rose at Nunnery Gallery

London trio Benin City will be headlining the Nunnery Gallery’s courtyard with music primed for the dancefloor that’s taken them to SXSW, The Great Escape and now, Emerge. They are supported by South London singer Mina Rose who recently supported Jorja Smith on tour.

Wilfrid Wood at Cartoon Museum

Best known for making cheeky plasticine sculptures of Zuckerberg and Putin, Wilfrid Wood is a satirical sculpting prodigy. His style harks back to trademark British animators of the 80s and 90s as well as huge artists like Jeff Koons and David Shrigley. Emerge is your chance to pull up your sleeves under Wilfrid’s instruction and go wild. Misshapen plasticine faces and cartoonish bodies with nuts expressions are totally fair game.

Morgan Munroe Plus Pop Up Gin Bar at Wellington Arch

Emerge will transform this spectacular landmark into a pop-up gin bar. Morgan Munroe will bring her jazzy tones and psychedelic vibes to their stunning balconies overlooking Hyde Park and Her Majesty’s gargantuan garden.

Hidden Gems Live at Rich Mix

Founded in 2017 by Leytonstone rapper Lemzi, Hidden Gems LIVE has already made an art out of discovering emerging talent amongst London’s rich treasure trove. HGL takes its name from Lemzi’s single Hidden Gems, a track of rare eclectic rhyme that makes you want to vibe along immediately with its uplifting lyrics. Curated by the rap prodigy himself, HGL’s collaboration with Emerge is set to be an electric night of Neo-Soul, Hip-Hop, Trap, R&B, Afrobeats, Grime, Garage and Spoken Word. Taking the stage: Lemzi, Ferns, NYN, Idris Miles, Hyper and Fever.

House of Scandal at Apsley House

Step back in time into the House of Scandal where decadence is in the air. Regency high society is hosting a ball. The pamphleteer paparazzi are waiting for you to arrive and they’re ravenous for their next salacious story. From the disturbing and the sinful to the downright ugly, you’ll have to uncover dark secrets to survive this soiree. Chat with aristocrats over glasses of fizz but don’t forget the staff, some of whom are very willing to spill their boss’s beans. Accept bribes, meet lovers, heroes and villains as you make your way through this immersive, theatrical experience. There is more than meets the eye behind fluttering fans and raised teacups.

The Old Operating Theatre

Scrub in, you’re going to the operating room. Make your way up a narrow spiral staircase into the hidden attic of a 300-year-old church to observe surgery. Thing is, it’s the Victorian era; no anaesthetic, no surgical mask and don’t even bother with the gloves. The cute location? It’s just to conceal the screams…The risk of later infection is sky high. Blunt knives, amputation saws, trephines, and forceps are the grizzly surgical instruments of the day. Bring an iron stomach.

Handel and Hendrix House Party

“Come on sugar let the good times roll…” Picture this: The year is 1966. Clubs are spilling in the streets. Psychedelic rock royalty – Jimi Hendrix – has just rolled into town and he’s holding a house party. Emerge will bring the swinging 60s magic and exclusive access to Hendrix’s first London pad for one night only. Expect DJs, dancing and drinks. Flares at the ready, it’s set to be wild.

Dubmorphology at Beaconsfield Gallery

Prepare for an otherworldly audio patchwork at this South London art laboratory. Spirit_Off, Dubmorphology and guests will be serving up sonic kaleidoscopes. Vibe to established and emerging experimental sound artists alike in this spectacular dance space. If you’re wondering where the party’s at this year, look no further.

Immersive Cabaret Chocolate Quest at The Chocolate Museum

An off-the-wall cabaret experience. Part immersive theatre, part escape room, part treasure hunt, Buckbuck Games is a mad mix of puzzles, theatre and improve. Jump down the rabbit hole, throw yourself into the mayhem and reap the chocolate rewards.

Ice Sound Bath, London Canal Museum 

Immerse yourself in a rick sonic landscape curated by experimental electronic musician Tom White. This award-winning sound artist is known for his innovative style of sound layering, which has seen him take samples from an ice factory, the London canals and their locks. Having toured as far and wide as Japan, White now takes to the Emerge stage with an audio experience created exclusively for the festival.

Skyline Photography Masterclass: The Monument 

Capture the alchemical magic of London at dusk at this twilight photography masterclass. Fine tune your skills and learn techniques for capturing twinkling lights, colour and movement in the darkening streets and panoramic views of the capital. This workshop takes place at the 61-metre tall stone column, The Monument. Designed by Sir Christopher Wren and Dr Robert Hooke, the monument celebrates London as it rises from the ashes of the Great Fire of London.

Full listings and tickets can be found at emergefestival.co.uk

Ticket prices:

18 – 30s

Day tickets     £15

Weekend        £30

Over 30s

Day Tickets   £25

Weekend        £40

Concs available.

Tickets selling through www.Emergefestival.co.uk and search Emerge on the DICE app.