SOUNDS OF THE CITY:

LIVE

We’re working with the Museum of Oxford and their brilliant exhibition about Oxford’s music scene, Sounds of the City, to present a unique live show bringing together the sounds of Oxford itself with the talent of its musicians and artists.

Sounds of the City: live invites Oxford’s musicians to work with a field recording of a sound from the city, and develop a piece of music or a song based on (and containing) that recording, to perform live at the museum at a showcase event on Friday 11 December.

This unique project sees artists being inspired by the soundscapes of our home city to create a set of songs that spring from the very sounds of Oxford itself – and a unique live event celebrating the sounds of Oxford as they’ve never been heard before.

Full lineup:

• Cities and Memory
• Kid Kin
• Aphra Taylor
• Water Pageant
• Headphones Wasp
• James Warburton

Tickets to this event includes free entry to the museum and Sounds of the City exhibition. Doors open at 6pm, with a chance to explore the museum before the performances start promptly at 6:30pm.

Sounds of the City is an exhibition of objects, memorabilia, and stories celebrating Oxford’s music scene in the 90s and beyond. The exhibition highlights iconic bands, gigs, grassroots venues, festivals, and record labels that all energetically shaped Oxford’s sound.

Marking 30 years since BBC Radio 1 Sound City Oxford in 1997, the exhibition revisits pivotal moments in the city’s musical journey – from Ride’s breakout as ‘shoegaze’ progenitors, to Supergrass’ seminal album I Should Coco in 1995, and to Radiohead’s epic hometown show at South Park in July 2001.

The exhibition takes places at the Museum of Oxford from 11 July 2026 to 13 March 2027.