Festival Launch: Claire Booth & Ensemble 360 – Sheffield Chamber Music Festival

A celebratory opening to Sheffield’s Chamber Music Festival 2026

The Sheffield Chamber Music Festival 2026 opens in bold, theatrical style with a special Festival Launch concert led by acclaimed soprano Claire Booth and Ensemble 360, at the Playhouse.

Claire Booth — the Festival’s Guest Curator and RPS Singer of the Year 2025 — launches nine days of chamber music, song and high theatre with a striking programme that blends storytelling, drama and celebration.

A powerful opening programme

The evening begins with a compelling one-woman opera by Judith Weir, retelling the story of “the last real Viking”, Harald Hardrada. Intimate, intense and theatrical, this opening sets the tone for a festival that embraces bold ideas and vivid musical storytelling.

Following this, the forces of Ensemble 360 take to the stage with:

• Harrison Birtwistle – a highly theatrical procession of musicians

• Johannes Brahms – Serenade, a brilliant and much-loved work that brings the concert to a swaggering, celebratory close

Together, the programme offers a joyful and confident opening to the festival — rich in character, colour and musical ambition.

Post-concert celebration

To mark the start of the Festival, all ticket-holders are invited to a free glass of wine or soft drink in the Crucible Bar after the concert — a chance to celebrate, reflect and toast the days of music ahead.

Booking offers

Part of Music in the Round Sheffield:

• Save 20% when booking 10 or more concerts in one transaction

• Save 10% when booking 5 or more concerts in one transaction

🎟 Tickets & full details:
https://www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/festival-launch-2