Sparks

On 17 June 2026 at Bournemouth International Centre, Sparks bring the distinctive pop of brothers Ron and Russell Mael to Bournemouth. Formed in late 60s Los Angeles, the duo has spent decades bending rock and pop into sharp, theatrical songs where Russell’s high, agile vocal meets Ron’s precise, minimalist keyboards. From the glam touch of Kimono My House to the synth-pop turn with Giorgio Moroder on No. 1 in Heaven, their catalogue moves between art-pop, disco pulse and the orchestral patterns shaped on Lil’ Beethoven. On stage, that writing turns physical: clipped rhythms, tight narratives, sudden dynamic shifts and a deadpan presence that keeps focus on melody and ideas. Recent chapters appear too, with The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte and Mad! extending their taste for concise hooks, repetition and storytelling. Five decades on, Sparks approach the concert like musical theatre: lean, exacting and tightly arranged.