New Screenings, Masterclasses And Talks Announced As The Full 2026 London Soundtrack Festival Programme Is Unveiled

The 2026 London Soundtrack Festival features special guests, new screenings, masterclasses and talks. In addition, the full programme is announced.

The London Soundtrack Festival (LSF), London’s first dedicated annual Festival celebrating the music of film, TV and games, has announced an exclusive line-up of screenings, masterclasses and talks for this year’s edition. Following a spectacular inaugural programme in March 2025, the Festival returns from 9-12 April 2026, with four days of events, including concerts, masterclasses, screenings, and talks.

MICHAEL BEEK

Michael Beek, Director of the London Soundtrack Festival, said:

“I’m delighted that we are able to reveal the rest of our programme for 2026. While the concerts are obviously unmissable showcases of great music and artists, I think it’s events like talks, screenings and masterclasses that truly make a festival. We are so excited to hear more from our 2026 headliner David Arnold and Rachel Portman, and to add even more composers to the lineup, including Julian Nott, Richard Jacques and Gareth Coker. We’re also delighted that Norma Herrmann and Tim Greiving will be joining us this year – and there are even more events still to come!”

SCREENINGS

The Festival has announced an exclusive set of screenings at the Barbican. It opens with Brian de Palma’s Obsession (1976) (9 April). Norma Herrmann, widow of legendary composer Bernard Herrmann, will introduce the screening. Bernard Herrmann was posthumously nominated for an Academy Award for this very score. The event will take place just minutes away from St Giles’ Cripplegate. This is the church where the soundtrack was recorded. Earlier that day, the Tippett Quartet will perform Herrmann’s Clarinet Quintet at St Giles’ Cripplegate.

The following day (10 April), the LSF presents a screening of Emma (1996), introduced by composer Rachel Portman. She made history in 1997 when she became the first woman composer to win an Oscar for this soundtrack. Just two days later, Portman will discuss her career. She will also present performances of arrangements of her scores from Emma, Chocolat, The Cider House Rules, and Never Let Me Go. This will take place at the Festival’s closing concert at Cadogan Hall (12 April).

On Saturday 11 April, Barbican Cinema hosts a screening of Aardman’s Oscar-winning Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005) as part of their popular Family Film Club series. The screening will be introduced by composer Julian Nott. He has scored the franchise since the very first short film, A Grand Day Out (1989). In addition, he created the duo’s iconic theme tune.

TALKS AND MASTERCLASSES

Audiences can also enjoy a unique series of talks and masterclasses. LSF 2026 headliner David Arnold will give an in-conversation event at the Royal College of Music (11 April). He will outline his career to date and share never-before-heard insights into the composition process for his most beloved works across film and TV. These include Casino Royale, Independence Day, Sherlock, Good Omens and more.

Games composers Richard Jacques (Guardians of the Galaxy, Mass Effect, James Bond 007: Blood Stone) and Gareth Coker (Ori, Halo Infinite, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown) will present a joint masterclass at Strongroom in Shoreditch (10 April).

Richard Jacques will focus on the role a composer plays in creating a game, from first discussions to the final score. Meanwhile, Gareth Coker will discuss his holistic philosophy to scoring games with a hands-on approach. After the talk ends, audience members will have a chance to meet the composers in person. They will also be able to purchase copies of their favourite game soundtracks on vinyl.

More masterclasses and panels diving into television and film soundtracks will take place throughout the weekend, with additional details coming soon.

Tim Greiving, official biographer for beloved composer John Williams (Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Home Alone), will give an exclusive talk. It will explore Williams’ life and esteemed career at the Royal College of Music. This will be followed by a Q&A and signing of his newly published John Williams biography (12 April).

Edith Bowman will also lead a live edition of her Soundtracking podcast at LSO St Luke’s. She will celebrate ten years of interviews with the very best composers and talent in the industry (10 April).

CONCERTS

The opening night concert, Homegrown Heroes (Barbican, 9 April), promises to be an incredible celebration of British film and TV music. Ben Foster will conduct the event, and presenter Edith Bowman will host it. This will ensure a memorable experience for all attendees. In addition, the concert marks the debut of the London Soundtrack Festival Orchestra. This is a new bespoke ensemble made up of world-class session players. These musicians have performed on countless soundtrack recordings.

Much of the concert programme celebrates the work of LSF 2026 headliner David Arnold, who famously scored five James Bond films as well as blockbusters (such as Independence Day and Godzilla) and fan favourites from the small screen (Good Omens, Sherlock). The concert also features suites and themes by Ron Goodwin (633 Squadron), Dario Marianelli (Atonement), Isobel Waller-Bridge (The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse), Daniel Pemberton (Enola Holmes), Miguel d’Oliveira (First Dates), Alexandra Harwood (All Creatures Great and Small), Barry Gray (Thunderbirds), Natalie Holt and Jack Halama (Rivals) and more.

David Arnold is also the recipient of this year’s Gunning Inspiration Award. This was made in honour of the late, multi-award-winning composer Christopher Gunning. Gunning’s music is central to the opening recital of the LSF, hosted at St Giles’ Cripplegate, which was a favourite recording venue of the great composer Bernard Herrmann (9 April). The Tippet Quartet and Robert Plane will perform Herrmann’s Clarinet Quintet ‘Souvenirs de Voyage’, dedicated to his wife Norma, and Gunning’s String Quartet No. 1.

AN EVENING AT DOWNTON ABBEY AND RACHEL PORTMAN

One of the festival’s standout moments is An Evening at Downton Abbey. Join us in the historic Great Hall at Westminster Central Hall on 11 April for an unforgettable night featuring the suites and themes from John Lunn’s original Emmy Award-winning scores for the Downton Abbey TV series and films. Immerse yourself in the music and ambience that have become iconic. Don’t miss out!

The Festival’s grand finale sees Academy Award-winning composer Rachel Portman take centre stage at Cadogan Hall, where audiences can hear stunning new chamber arrangements of her most celebrated scores – including The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, Never Let Me Go and Emma (12 April).

THE LSF

The LSF celebrates London’s unique place at the heart of soundtrack music – both the composers who write it and the unsung heroes who bring it to life – and the 2026 edition is hosted by some of the capital’s most iconic venues, including the Barbican, Cadogan Hall and Westminster Central Hall.

Tickets for the London Soundtrack Festival screenings, masterclasses and talks will go on sale on Thursday, 12 February at 10:00 am. Tickets for the LSF 2026 concerts are available for purchase now. To sign up to the newsletter, purchase tickets, and find out more, visit https://londonsoundtrack.com/.

THE LONDON SOUNDTRACK FESTIVAL PROGRAMME

Thursday 9 April | St Giles’ Cripplegate | 1:00pm

Concert: The Tippett Quartet play Herrmann and Gunning

Christopher Gunning String Quartet No. 1

Bernard Herrmann Clarinet Quintet ‘Souvenirs de Voyage’

Tippett Quartet | Robert Plane (clarinet)

Thursday 9 April | Barbican Cinema – Screen 3 | 3:00pm

Film: Obsession and introduction by Norma Herrmann

Norma Herrmann shares memories of her late husband, the legendary composer Bernard Herrmann, in a short introductory conversation with London Soundtrack Festival artistic director, Michael Beek.

Obsession (1976), starring Cliff Robertson and Genevieve Bujold, sees a man wracked with guilt after not being able to pay the ransom for his wife’s kidnapping, which ultimately led to her horrible death. When he later meets a young woman with a more-than-striking resemblance to her, he develops a deep (and dangerous) infatuation…

Brian De Palma’s film is a love letter to Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, featuring a screenplay by Paul Schrader and Bernard Herrmann’s score. Herrmann was posthumously nominated for an Academy Award for Obsession, which he recorded near the Barbican at the church of St Giles’ Cripplegate.

Norma Herrmann (speaker) | Michael Beek (host)

Thursday 9 April | Barbican Hall | 7:00pm

Concert: Homegrown Heroes – from Bond to Thunderbirds

Featuring suites and themes by:

David Arnold
Ron Goodwin
Dario Marianelli
Dan Pemberton
Isobel Waller-Bridge
Miguel d’Oliveira
Alexandra Harwood
Ben Foster
Natalie Holt / Jack Halama
Barry Gray
London Soundtrack Festival Orchestra | Ben Foster (conductor) | Edith Bowman (host)

Friday 10 April | StrongRoom | 11:00am

Masterclass: Games Music with Richard Jacques and Gareth Coker

Join two of the genre’s leading composers, Richard Jacques (Guardians of the Galaxy, Mass Effect, James Bond 007: Blood Stone) and Gareth Coker (Ori, Halo Infinite, Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown), for unique insights into their work in this informal masterclass.

Richard explores the involvement of a composer in a game, from the first discussions to the final score, while Gareth discusses a holistic philosophy to scoring games with a hands-on approach (in contrast to composers who don’t play the videogames) and creating emotional storytelling through music.

Attendees will get the chance to chat with the composers, as well as the opportunity to buy games soundtracks on vinyl.

Richard Jacques (composer) | Gareth Coker (composer)

Friday 10 April | Barbican Cinema – Screen 3 | 3:00pm

Film: Emma and an introduction by Rachel Portman

Composer Rachel Portman reflects on her Oscar-winning work on Emma (1996) in a short introductory conversation.

Emma Woodhouse is forever playing matchmaker but is ultimately clueless when it comes to her own love life… Gwyneth Paltrow, in one of her breakout roles, leads an all-star cast (including Ewan McGregor, Greta Scacchi, Jeremy Northam and Alan Cumming) in the late writer-director Douglas McGrath’s enchanting adaption of Jane Austen’s perennial classic.

Rachel Portman made history when she became the first woman composer to win an Oscar for Emma at the 69th Academy Awards in 1997.

Rachel Portman (composer)

Friday 10 April | LSO St Luke’s | 7:30pm

Event: Soundtracking with Edith Bowman

A live recording of Edith Bowman’s podcast, Soundtracking, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2026.

Edith Bowman (host) | Guests to be announced soon

Saturday 11 April | Barbican Cinema – Screen 2 | 11:00am

Film: Wallace & Gromit – The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and introduction by Julian Nott

Wallace & Gromit composer Julian Nott introduces this special Barbican Family Film Club screening of the duo’s first feature-length film, for which Aardman won a fourth Oscar in 2006.

Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)finds the hapless inventor and his long-suffering pooch amid their latest enterprise: Anti-Pesto. Armed and ready to catch rabbits hellbent on eating their way through the locals’ beloved vegetable patches, Wallace believes he can brainwash the bunnies into hating veg… In the process, he unwittingly creates a monstrous, carrot-crunching WERE-RABBIT!

Julian Nott has written the scores for the Wallace & Gromit franchise since their debut in A Grand Day Out (1989), including their beloved main theme.

Julian Nott (composer) | Susie Evans, Cinema Curator at Barbican Cinema (host)

Saturday 11 April | RCM Performance Hall | 1pm

Masterclass: Composing for TV

Guests to be announced soon

Saturday 11 April | RCM Performance Hall | 4pm

Talk: David Arnold in Conversation

In this intimate conversation, David Arnold (Bond, Sherlock, Independence Day, Mog’s Christmas) shares stories from his 30-plus years writing for the screen, how it all began and insights into his craft.

David Arnold (composer)

Saturday 11 April | Westminster Central Hall | 7:30pm

Concert: An Evening at Downton Abbey

Featuring John Lunn’s music from Downton Abbey

Chamber Orchestra of London | Alastair King (conductor) | Eurielle (vocalist) | Additional soloists and guests TBA

Sunday 12 April | RCM Performance Hall | 11:00am

Masterclass: Film Composers Panel with AWFC

A special event presented in association with the Alliance of Women Film Composers and the Composers Diversity Collective.

Guests to be announced soon

Sunday 12 April | RCM Performance Hall | 2:00pm

Talk: John Williams – A Composer’s Life

John Williams’ biographer Tim Greiving shares fascinating insights into just what it took to convince the legendary composer to agree to an official biography, the first ever published.

Williams’ music has become the soundtrack of our lives, from Jaws to Jurassic Park via Star Wars and E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. But while the music of John Williams is oh-so familiar, very few know the man behind the music. Famously private, Williams never wanted a biography written about him, but that all changed when he gave US journalist and author Tim Greiving his blessing.

Greiving talks to Tim Burden (The Legacy of John Williams Podcast; Film Score Monthly; BBC Radio Ulster) about writing John Williams: A Composer’s Life, his time spent with the composer, and the fruitful years Williams spent working in London.

The talk will be followed by an audience Q&A and a book signing.

Tim Greiving (author) | Tim Burden (host)

Sunday 12 April | Cadogan Hall | 6:30pm

Concert: Rachel Portman & Friends – Beyond the Screen

Suites and themes from The Cider House Rules, Chocolat, Never Let Me Go, and Emma, arranged for violin and piano.

Rachel Portman (piano) | Nils Liepe (piano) | Niklas Liepe (violin) | Gill Graham (host)

The London Soundtrack Festival runs from 9-12 April

 

 

 

 

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