For the first time in a trailblazing 25-year career, Aynur Doğan — one of the most powerful and uncompromising voices in contemporary Kurdish music — headlines her debut UK tour with her extraordinary international six-piece band.

Aynur will be presenting music from her critically acclaimed album Rabe, a work that stands as the culmination of more than 25 years of artistic evolution.  Aynur offers a compelling narrative at the intersection of music, culture, and identity: a story of artistic integrity, resilience, and the enduring power of the human voice. This is historic for Kurdish culture - particularly for Kurdish women.

27 March - St George’s Bristol

28 March - Birmingham Town Hall

30 March - The Queens Hall Edinburgh

02 April - The Barbican Centre, London

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Across her quarter-century career, Aynur has forged a singular musical language—one that blends the deep-rooted traditions of Kurdish folk music with contemporary Western composition and arrangement. Her extraordinary voice carries cultural memory while transcending borders, transforming Kurdish music into a global form capable of reaching audiences far beyond its origins.

Her artistic impact has been recognised with major international honours, including the Master of Mediterranean Music Award from the Berklee Mediterranean Music Institute (2017) and the WOMEX Artist Award (2021), celebrating both her musical excellence and her commitment to preserving and reimagining Kurdish and Alevi traditions under conditions of political pressure.

Aynur’s collaborations further reflect the breadth of her influence. She has worked with artists and ensembles including Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble, Riccardo Muti, Kayhan Kalhor, Javier Limón, Kinan Azmeh, the Nederland Blazers Ensemble, and the NDR Big Band—projects that have expanded her artistic spectrum and elevated Kurdish music onto the world’s most prestigious stages. Her voice and story also feature in acclaimed films such as Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul and The Music of Strangers, documenting her journey with the Silk Road Ensemble.

In 2021, London was mesmerised by Aynur’s performance at the Opening Gala at the Royal Festival Hall with Jazz Voice Orchestra and also as headliner with her band at the Barbican. She then returned to the Royal Festival Hall in 2023.

This headline tour is a significant cultural event—one that places Kurdish music firmly within the global music canon and invites listeners to reflect on how music carries memory, resistance and hope across generations.

Aynur is the torchbearer of Kurdish culture and voices that must be preserved despite all the challenges it faces today.

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