Music at the Museum 2026: Kirkgate Bateria!

Music at the Museum 2026: Opening Concert with Kirkgate Bateria!

Join us for the first concert of the Music at the Museum 2026 season as we launch this year’s programme at Bradford Industrial Museum, running alongside our usual events at Cliffe Castle.

We’re starting things off with Kirkgate Bateria!, a community percussion group based in Shipley and founded in early 2025. A bateria is a group of drummers, and this one brings powerful, infectious Afro‑Brazilian rhythms from across Brazil, alongside modern funk‑inspired grooves.

The group is led by Alex, an experienced percussionist who previously ran the Manchester‑based Samba band The Republic of Swing for fourteen years. His background includes performances at major North West events such as Parklife, collaborations with DJ Gilles Peterson, two appearances at Rio Carnival, and percussion study in Brazil, Cuba and West Africa.

Although Kirkgate Bateria! is still a young group, they’ve already performed at several charity events and festivals, including the 2025 Saltaire Festival and the 2026 Saltaire World Heritage Day Festival, always going down a storm. Dancing is very much encouraged!

They also run beginner friendly sessions where you can learn the instruments and how the rhythms fit together. Keep an eye on their Facebook page for updates.

Event details
• Location: Bradford Industrial Museum
• Entry: Free
• Capacity: Limited. First come, first served