Six days of boundary-pushing classical, indie and electronic music: Birds of Paradise transforms Utrecht into a hub for experimental voices and contemporary sound. From 9–21 March, the fifth edition of the festival is set to host forward-thinking performances and collaborations featuring esteemed artists like CocoRosie, caroline and Zola Jesus alongside bold emerging talents in the concert halls of TivoliVredenburg.
Subbacultcha’s guide to the programme of Birds of Paradise
9 March – Zola Jesus x Spaceship Ensemble
The festival opens with a bold collision of visceral vocals and avant-orchestral nuance. Trained as an opera singer and known for her industrial art pop, Zola Jesus presents a new composition, especially written for the Spaceship Ensemble. In addition to the premiere of her new piece, Zola treats the audience to a live solo show full of alluring darkness and pieces from her latest album, Arkhon.
16 March – CocoRosie: Little Death Wishes
CocoRosie brings a mythology of its own to the stage – a kaleidoscope of poetry, ritual and voice in extremis. For over twenty years, Bianca and Sierra Casady have transformed love, adversity, and sisterhood into bold, singular music. At Birds of Paradise, they present their latest album Little Death Wishes – an open and tenderhearted creation boiling everything of CocoRosie down to its most brutal essence.
18 March – Tony Njoku x Spaceship Ensemble
On this evening, compositional precision meets the openness of collective interpretation – a dialogue between tradition and exploration that reframes how an ensemble can breathe.
The London-based composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Tony Njoku has carved out a reputation of an innovative voice in the field of contemporary experimental music with his distinctive fusion of electronic, ambient, and classical music. On his breakthrough album All Our Knives Are Always Sharp, he explores spirituality and resistance through cinematic textures and falsetto-led vocals, collaborating with the likes of Tricky, James Massiah, and Ghostpoet.
For this special evening, he performs with the Spaceship Ensemble – a contemporary ensemble with an affinity to unique instrumental set-ups, synths and DIY instruments. The Spaceship Ensemble extends Tony Njoku’s electronic and cinematic compositions into a rich, layered ensemble sound full of depth and dramatic tension. A match made in heaven.
19 March – caroline
caroline’s music unfolds like a language of its own. Post-genre, folk-inflected, post-rock-tinted and sensual. The eight-piece English band focuses on process through collective improvisation, and musical loops. The instrumentation contributes to their distinctive sound: alongside rock classics like guitar and drums, they also feature strings and (wood)winds. Following their acclaimed debut album in 2022, their successor, caroline 2, was released in March 2025. As per OOR: “caroline overwhelms and disrupts, while simultaneously possessing beautiful melodies.”
20 March – Thomas Azier: PANORAMA – sold out
With his blend of pop, cinematic compositions, and poignant melodies, Thomas Azier has firmly established himself in the European music landscape. In PANORAMA, he creates a live collage of poetic interludes, field recordings, and visuals, full of emotion and imagery, at once intimate and sweeping.
21 March – Bird’s Nest
Dedicated to discovering new music, Bird’s Nest presents emerging artists and unique collaborations. On two stages at Tivoli, you can hear five artists whose careers are quickly taking off: Glass Museum, Claire Dickson, Cosmic Bride, Doriene Marselje and Drone Choir. A night full of experimental jazz with a tinge of rap, ambient art pop, bold contemporary compositions, vocal drones and raw harp mixed with modular synths.
Birds of Paradise takes place on six evenings between 9–21 March 2026 at Tivoli, Utrecht. For more information, explore the website of Birds of Paradise, and get the tickets here.
Birds of Paradise has kindly gifted a limited number of free spots for Subbacultcha members. Check our our agenda for more information.
