Zaid Hilal UK Tour 2026 Phoenix Exeter 2nd SHOW
Exeter Phoenix, Exeter, EX4 3LS
Sunday 28th June 2026
Zaid Hilal UK Tour 2026 2ND SHOW OF THE EVENING
Songs of Memory, Stories of Wonder, and Music that Bridges Worlds
An Evening of Music & Stories from Palestine
Due to the SOLD OUT 6pm performance we're welcoming a 2nd show today, this time also with spellbinding Palestinian folk-rock, storytelling and cultural connection as part of the UK tour from Zaid Hilal.
Zaid is a singer and composer from Bethlehem, carrying forward a living musical heritage shaped by memory, everyday life, and evolving tradition. His work blends folk roots with modern sonic storytelling, weaving in field recordings and voices from elders to create something both intimate and expansive.
“As Palestinian artists, we don’t only preserve heritage, we build on it. We create new music that grows from it, music that reflects our present reality and the struggles we continue to live through.” — Zaid Hilal
This special performance will feature Zaid alongside storyteller Michael Loader. There is also Ali Elmubarak on oud, a Soudanese musician who works with Michael in schools and in acclaimed duo Nabra.
Michael and Zaid first met in Palestine in 2018 through Bristol-based Chai For All during a British Council tour exploring the legacy of the 1917 Balfour Declaration. The following year, Michael returned to Palestine with three musicians to gather stories that were later retold across the UK, helping to amplify Palestinian voices and experiences. Since then, Zaid and Michael have collaborated on a number of UK tours, bringing together song, music and storytelling for audiences of all ages, including performances in primary and secondary schools across North Somerset.
The evening will feature Zaid’s powerful live music, accompanied by backing tracks incorporating field recordings of elders’ remembered songs of resistance, alongside Michael’s captivating stories of wonder, wit and wisdom from Palestine and the wider Arabic world.
Together they create a unique performance that is at once moving, uplifting and thought-provoking.
Expect something immersive: part concert, part storytelling, part collective memory.
Set inside our community taproom, this is a space built for connection - good music, good people, and great beer brewed with care for the planet. Expect a warm, welcoming atmosphere and a seriously good pint selection while the music unfolds.
Zaid’s 2025 UK tour was received with real emotion and connection from audiences. One moment from Elementary Festival captured it beautifully:
“There are moments when music becomes more than sound, it becomes collective prayer. This set at Elementary Festival deserves its own story. When Zaid took the stage, his voice carried more than melody, it carried memory, longing, resistance, and love.
As we chanted back ‘Hala lala layya’ with him, we weren’t just singing, we were remembering.
In that moment, we sang not just for one another, but for all who long to be free. For Palestine. For the ones whose songs are interrupted. For the voices that rise even when silenced.
It was joy. It was resistance. It was ancestral rhythm meeting modern grief. And it was holy.
May we keep singing. May we never forget. May our voices carry around the world. How wonderfully blessed to be present with this.”
- Maggie
A rising star in the Middle East and beyond, Zaid has attracted over a million YouTube views and a growing international audience drawn to his unique blend of heritage, innovation and powerful storytelling.
Website: zaidhilal.com
Songs of Memory, Stories of Wonder, and Music that Bridges Worlds
An Evening of Music & Stories from Palestine
Due to the SOLD OUT 6pm performance we're welcoming a 2nd show today, this time also with spellbinding Palestinian folk-rock, storytelling and cultural connection as part of the UK tour from Zaid Hilal.
Zaid is a singer and composer from Bethlehem, carrying forward a living musical heritage shaped by memory, everyday life, and evolving tradition. His work blends folk roots with modern sonic storytelling, weaving in field recordings and voices from elders to create something both intimate and expansive.
“As Palestinian artists, we don’t only preserve heritage, we build on it. We create new music that grows from it, music that reflects our present reality and the struggles we continue to live through.” — Zaid Hilal
This special performance will feature Zaid alongside storyteller Michael Loader. There is also Ali Elmubarak on oud, a Soudanese musician who works with Michael in schools and in acclaimed duo Nabra.
Michael and Zaid first met in Palestine in 2018 through Bristol-based Chai For All during a British Council tour exploring the legacy of the 1917 Balfour Declaration. The following year, Michael returned to Palestine with three musicians to gather stories that were later retold across the UK, helping to amplify Palestinian voices and experiences. Since then, Zaid and Michael have collaborated on a number of UK tours, bringing together song, music and storytelling for audiences of all ages, including performances in primary and secondary schools across North Somerset.
The evening will feature Zaid’s powerful live music, accompanied by backing tracks incorporating field recordings of elders’ remembered songs of resistance, alongside Michael’s captivating stories of wonder, wit and wisdom from Palestine and the wider Arabic world.
Together they create a unique performance that is at once moving, uplifting and thought-provoking.
Expect something immersive: part concert, part storytelling, part collective memory.
Set inside our community taproom, this is a space built for connection - good music, good people, and great beer brewed with care for the planet. Expect a warm, welcoming atmosphere and a seriously good pint selection while the music unfolds.
Zaid’s 2025 UK tour was received with real emotion and connection from audiences. One moment from Elementary Festival captured it beautifully:
“There are moments when music becomes more than sound, it becomes collective prayer. This set at Elementary Festival deserves its own story. When Zaid took the stage, his voice carried more than melody, it carried memory, longing, resistance, and love.
As we chanted back ‘Hala lala layya’ with him, we weren’t just singing, we were remembering.
In that moment, we sang not just for one another, but for all who long to be free. For Palestine. For the ones whose songs are interrupted. For the voices that rise even when silenced.
It was joy. It was resistance. It was ancestral rhythm meeting modern grief. And it was holy.
May we keep singing. May we never forget. May our voices carry around the world. How wonderfully blessed to be present with this.”
- Maggie
A rising star in the Middle East and beyond, Zaid has attracted over a million YouTube views and a growing international audience drawn to his unique blend of heritage, innovation and powerful storytelling.
Website: zaidhilal.com
