The Republic of Love

The Brighton Festival is reaching its 60th edition this year, marking a transition into a new era under the leadership of Lucy Davies. Among the highlights of the full programme announced today is The Republic of Love, a multi-sensory performance by the artist Laurie Anderson. Taking place on 6 May 2026 at the Brighton Dome Concert Hall, this show is a UK exclusive, meaning this is the only venue in the country where this specific production will be staged. The event is scheduled to last two hours, from 20:00 to 22:00, and integrates song, language, and visual art into a single immersive experience.

The thematic foundation of the show is quite distinct, having grown out of a discussion about the rise of fascism across Europe. From that starting point, Anderson developed a narrative that examines the often-strained relationship between government systems and the human experience of love. The performance incorporates well-known pieces from her career, including Big Science and Language Is A Virus, which are recontextualised to address the contemporary political climate. It is an experimental work that avoids traditional concert structures, focusing instead on how visual media and spoken word can shift the meaning of her music for a modern audience.

For those looking to attend, tickets are priced between £25 and £45. The booking process follows the festival's standard rollout: member pre-sale has opened today, 19 February 2026, while the general public will be able to purchase tickets starting from 26 February 2026. As the festival celebrates six decades in Brighton, this performance is positioned as a key part of a programme that seeks to balance the event's long-standing history with a fresh artistic direction. The content and experimental nature of the show suggest it will be of particular interest to those who follow avant-garde art or Anderson’s previous multimedia projects.