Schwarzman Centre to open doors to public with major celebration

The Stephen A. Schwarzman Centre, a new world-class centre for the Arts and Humanities in Oxford, will launch its public programme on 25 April 2026 with a day of free events and performances. The new academic and cultural centre provides a unique mix of exceptional performance and research spaces alongside academic teaching facilities.

The Schwarzman Centre's Open House on Saturday 25 April 2026 offers a free-to-attend opening programme to mark the launch of the cultural programme and the new 500-seat Sohmen Concert Hall.

Audiences can attend performances by the Scottish Ensemble, and see the world premiere of 360 Vessels by artist Es Devlin and composer Nico Muhly, performed by chamber choir Schola Cantorum beneath the glass dome of the Great Hall. Artists Anna Ridler and Refik Anadol each present digital works that have been created using AI. Additional performances include ZooNation’s The Mad Hatter’s Tea Party in the new theatre, along with a line-up of artists including ground breaking Head over Wheels and physical theatre company Justice in Motion.

Es Devlin. Credit: Victor Picon, Cartier

The Schwarzman Centre’s cultural programme, directed by John Fulljames, will offer fresh new experiences for audiences drawing on the research and teaching excellence of the University of Oxford, and placing experimentation and co-creation at its heart.

Central to the programme are the Schwarzman Centre Cultural Fellows, a group of outstanding artists from around the world who are collaborating with Oxford’s leading academics to create pioneering new work. The initial cohort of Schwarzman Centre Cultural Fellows are: Refik Anadol; Lil Buck; Anna Clyne; Bryce Dessner; Rhiannon Giddens; Sarah Jones; Taylor Mac; Sir Wayne McGregor; Suzan-Lori Parks; Anoushka Shankar; Kae Tempest; Nitin Sawhney; and Bloomberg-Oxford Fellows, Es Devlin, Hans Ulrich Obrist and Marshmallow Laser Feast.

The Schwarzman Centre’s new collaboration with Bloomberg Connects, which supports the sharing of new and historical perspectives from the cultural programme’s renowned artists, writers, and thinkers, will enable visitors to access exclusive content via the Connects app to add to their experience.

ZooNation Dance Company. Credit: Foteini Christofilopoulou

John Fulljames, Director of the Cultural Programme, The Schwarzman Centre, said: 'We can’t wait to welcome everyone into this new home for arts & culture. It’s a place where people from across the region and beyond can come together to make sense of what it means to be human in today’s world - that’s what the arts & humanities are all about. With a free opening celebration including music, theatre, dance, cabaret and more, we can promise the chance to connect both with some much loved stories and artists and also encounter something new and surprising.'

Alexandra Vincent MBE, Managing Director, The Schwarzman Centre, University of Oxford, said: 'We are thrilled to unveil this unique and exciting programme, developed by leading artists and performers working with Oxford research and researchers, for the opening of the Schwarzman Centre. We look forward to welcoming audiences of all ages and backgrounds to the Centre over the April weekend and beyond.'

We can’t wait to welcome everyone into this new home for arts & culture. It’s a place where people from across the region and beyond can come together to make sense of what it means to be human in today’s world - that’s what the arts & humanities are all about.
John Fulljames, Director of the Cultural Programme

The Schwarzman Centre’s inaugural 2026 programme will present two themed seasons:

Unfinished Revolutions (May to June) explores the legacy of the 1776 US Declaration of Independence, featuring Cecile McLorin Salvant, Taylor Mac, Anna Clyne and American street dance superstar Lil Buck.
Utopia Now! (October – November) invites audiences to be inspired by Utopian thinking and imagines bold futures with highlights including a new commission by Nitin Sawhney and A History of Utopia, led by Brian Eno and Kim Stanley Robinson.

Other keynote performances throughout the year include an evening with Kae Tempest; ROBOTA, a new staging of Karel Capek’s R.U.R. by Headlong Theatre; a day-long exploration of the psalms curated by Edmund de Waal, in collaboration with Oxford scholars, the Aurora Orchestra and the Colin Currie Group.

Sigur Rós will collaborate with spatial sound specialists Loss><Gain to create and present a new immersive 360-degree spatial audio experience. Local collaborations include the Leys Festival, as well as dance company Body Politic, Oxford International Song Festival and early music specialists Instruments of Time and Truth.

Find out more about the events and book tickets on the Schwarzman Centre's website.