Everyone is welcome at Daylight Music! To start at the beginning: what is Arctic Circle’s Daylight Music? The short answer is Daylight Music is a weekend afternoon concert series, an event for all ages, Pay-What-You-Can entry, a room crammed full of music, tea and cake in welcoming spaces across London & Kent.

The long answer is nearly seventeen years the series has been featured regularly in Time Out’s 101 Things To Do in London, cited in The Rough Guide to Make the Most of Your Time in Britain and featured in many other publications such as The Guardian. 

‘Grassroots events such as these are so important for helping artists like myself to develop their practice & song writing.’  - Flo Lines

‘I think it’s more important than ever to have platforms like this where people of all ages can come together to enjoy live music in special places - it’s an essential part of local communities’. - Monique Recknagel (Sonic Pieces)

Now for over 400-something outings, Daylight has been ‘there’ in the background supporting London’s live music scene, with a constantly evolving mix of music, sound and words, Pay-What-You-Can entry and delicious quiche and cake (including with vegan and gluten free options).

We often introduce you to a new favourite artist, a new area of music or an instrument that confuses and delights in equal measure. Here are a handful of artists from the thousands who have risen early for soundcheck and afternoon performance -  the London Bulgarian Choir, Blick Bassy, Albaster DePlume, Frank Sidebottom, Nils Økland, Lula.xyz, Radie Peat (Lankum), Frank Chickens, Lætitia Sadier, Alexis Taylor, Catherine A.D (Anchoress), Jherek Bischoff, Gold Vox, Poppy Ackroyd, Nick Heyward, Hiss Golden Messenger, Laura Cannell, Terry Edwards, Haiku Salut, James McVinnie, Trans-Siberian March Band, Kathryn Williams, Darren Hayman, Andrew Wasylyk, Charles Hayward, Keith Tippett, Ed Dowie, Nils Frahm, ISAN, School of Noise and a whole pack of the finest eggs from Isle of Eigg's Lost Map label. Who has been your favourite?

‘I think it’s more important than ever to have platforms like this where people of all ages can come together to enjoy live music in special places - it’s an essential part of local communities. - Monique Recknagel (Sonic Pieces)

‘I met composer David Julyanwhen he was invited to perform his reimagining of his score for Christopher Nolan’s Memento with a string quartet at the Daylight Music series of concerts.David Julyan ended up writing a new commission for the Iskra String Quartet album, ‘Heliopause’. This has led to many years of musical exchanges. Recently we have started composing together and released The Orrery EP.’ – James Underwood

‘One of the reasons I wanted to play Daylight was I saw my trumpet teacher's band do it...It feels exciting to be here and it's been such a journey!’– Robyn Stewart (aka Robyn Rocket)

“I first performed at Daylight Music in 2010, as Pictish Trail —and since then I’ve had the pleasure of returning many times, both as a performer and as a curator through my label, Lost Map Records. Our first Lost Map takeover was in 2015, not long after the label was founded, and the following decade has seen a large number of musicians from our roster appearing as part of the series. For Glasgow’s electronic synth-pop project Kinbote, Edinburgh’s ambient experimentalist Alliyah Enyo, and Norwegian singer-songwriter Sara Wolff, Daylight Music provided their first opportunity to perform in London, and certainly their first chance to play to audiences in Faversham —a stunning venue, with sold-out shows, that would otherwise not likely have featured on anyone’s touring schedule.

The impact of these shows is hard to overstate. Performing in a beautiful church space during the day, to an all-ages audience of curious and attentive listeners, is a rare and refreshing experience. The donation-based ticket model makes the events accessible to people who might not normally attend gigs —parents with young children, older music-lovers, and curious newcomers looking to discover something fresh without a hefty price tag. These audiences are among the most engaged and expressive we’ve encountered, and that response can be incredibly affirming for an artist.

Beyond the atmosphere, Daylight Music offers practical opportunities that are usually out of reach elsewhere: a well-attended London show for emerging acts, professional audio-visual documentation, and the freedom to experiment. Many of our artists have used their sets to debutnew material or reinterpret existing songs in different arrangements. The 30-minute format is ideal for introducing new listeners to your sound and demonstrably encourages them to buy records and return for future headline performances. It’s a space that fosters artistic growth, builds confidence, sparks collaborations and widens an artist’s audience —all while providing a genuinely enjoyable, low-pressure performance experience.

In a time when live performance opportunities —particularly for emerging or independent artists —are increasingly precarious, Daylight Music continues to provide a rare and vital platform. Its longevity is testament to its quality, care, and consistency. It’s a project that continues to evolve while staying deeply connected to the communities it serves, and I sincerely hope it receives the support it needstocontinue.” – Johnny Lynch / Pictish Trail (Lost Map)