Aynur: Live at The Barbican

Despite a noisy and sometimes disruptive audience, Aynur’s incredible show at the Barbican was one of my favourites so far of 2026.

Aynur Dogan is one of the biggest names in Kurdish music and it was fascinating to interview her for an episode of Harmonious World.

Hearing her live was extraordinary, although the experience would have been greatly improved without LOTS of late arrivals who disrupted the audience while finding their seats, and also without the significant number of people holding phones up to video, rather than just enjoying the performance.

Aynur’s latest album, Rabe (‘rise-up’ in Kurdish), explores themes of love, spirituality, and freedom. The ensemble behind her were brilliant and talented, playing traditional and regional instruments alongside and often combined with electronics.

I can highly recommend listening to Rabe and seeing a live performance and, actually, the noisy audience was perhaps a strong indication of the passion of Aynur’s fans. Although I have only just discovered this amazing singer and musician, her music is captivating.

If you can’t get to a live show, watch some of Aynur’s live performances here