The London African Gospel Choir has announced additional UK tour dates for its acclaimed concert production Graceland Reimagined, marking the 40th anniversary of Paul Simon’s landmark album Graceland.
The expanded tour will run throughout 2026, with performances taking place across the UK including London, Gateshead, Leicester, Belfast, Bath, Leeds, Llandudno, Truro, Poole, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh, before concluding at Warwick Arts Centre in Coventry on 11 December.
Among the highlights of the tour will be a major performance at London’s Royal Festival Hall on 20 March 2026, one of the capital’s most prestigious concert venues.
Originally released in 1986, Paul Simon’s Graceland is widely considered one of the most influential albums in modern popular music. Blending American songwriting with South African musical traditions and rhythms, the record introduced global audiences to a rich fusion of styles and remains a landmark cultural work four decades later.
The London African Gospel Choir offers a powerful reinterpretation of the album through gospel harmonies, African choral traditions and call-and-response rhythms, bringing new energy and cultural perspective to Simon’s original compositions.
The choir was founded in south-east London in 2002 by Crystal Kassi, with the aim of celebrating African musical heritage and contemporary Black British cultural identity through uplifting live performance.
“Our choir reflects the diversity of the African diaspora,” Kassi explains. “We have singers from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Ghana, Kenya, Zaire, Ivory Coast, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Uganda and the Congo. We also come from different churches. The common denominator is our faith, although we welcome everybody.”
The ensemble’s repertoire reflects this diversity, blending traditional gospel with songs that carry uplifting and positive messages. At the heart of the production is a 20-strong choir supported by a dynamic ten-piece band, featuring keyboards, guitars, bass, drums, percussion and a horn section.
Many of the performers are established musicians in their own right, while others have appeared in major stage productions including The Lion King in London’s West End.
The London African Gospel Choir first performed Graceland in its entirety in 2016, when they were commissioned by The Jazz Café in Camden to mark the album’s 30th anniversary. The original performance sold out within hours, prompting several additional shows that also quickly sold out.
Since then, the choir has appeared at major cultural events and venues, including the Queen’s Jubilee celebrations, television performances and concerts alongside internationally recognised artists such as Emeli Sandé, Mumford & Sons, Tom Jones and the Soweto Gospel Choir.
Singer Annie Lennox has also invited the choir to perform at a number of high-profile music industry events, while Idris Elba collaborated with the group on a recording project celebrating South African music in tribute to Nelson Mandela.
Guided by the motto “Lighting up the world with a song,” the London African Gospel Choir continues to bring audiences together through music that celebrates heritage, faith and community.
Tickets for all tour dates are available via venue box offices and online at www.thelagc.com/events.
2026 UK Tour Dates
Sat 7 Mar — Frome, Cheese & Grain
Fri 20 Mar — London, Royal Festival Hall
Sat 21 Mar — Gateshead, The Glasshouse
Sun 26 Apr — Leicester, Curve Theatre
Tue 5 May — Belfast, The Forum
Thu 21 May — Bath, The Forum
Sun 13 Sept — Leeds, O2 Academy
Mon 14 Sept — Llandudno, Venue Cymru
Sat 19 Sept — Truro, Hall for Cornwall
Sat 26 Sept — Poole, Lighthouse
Mon 16 Nov — Glasgow, Pavilion Theatre
Tue 17 Nov — Aberdeen, Music Hall
Wed 18 Nov — Edinburgh, Queen’s Hall
Fri 11 Dec — Coventry, Warwick Arts Centre