The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain - 40th Anniversary Tour

The Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain celebrates 40 years on tour and will stop at Die Glocke in Bremen on 15 February 2026. Founded in London in 1985 by George Hinchliffe and Kitty Lux, the ensemble performs exclusively on ukuleles in various ranges as an expanded chamber‑music collective—accompanied by multi‑part vocals and dry humour. Rather than extended solos, the group relies on precise arrangements, tight timing and a collective sound.

Their repertoire casually hops between rock, punk and pop, brushes against classical quotations and film themes, and frames familiar pieces with subtle parody and clear interpretations. On stage everything is deliberately pared back: minimal staging, maximum interaction; the focus is on togetherness and the voices in the room. Over the years the formation has played venues, festivals and theatres across Britain and internationally; releases from the self‑titled debut (1989) through Hearts of Oak (1991) to The Secret of Life (2004) trace this approach. The anniversary tour condenses all of this into a set of many ukuleles, many voices and songs that are familiar—and yet sound different.