Cellist and Singer Abel Selaocoe to Perform at 2025 Glastonbury Festival

Selaocoe will be performing at the festival with the Bantu Ensemble this summer on June 29, 2025

The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts has announced the 2025 musicians lineup for its West Holts Stage including the acclaimed cellist Abel Selaocoe alongside artists such as Doechii and Parcels. 

He is headlined as Abel Selaocoe & The Bantu Ensemble, a group he formed in 2022 that fuses classical, traditional, and jazz elements alongside his own original works. (His latest album, “Hymns of Bantu”, was recently released on Warner Classics, where he is an exclusive recording artist).

Comprising Selaocoe (cello and vocals), Alan Keary (electric bass), Fred Thomas (piano), and Dudù Kouaté (African percussion), the Bantu Ensemble has since performed at venues including the Vienna Konzerthaus, Berlin Konzerthaus, Luxembourg Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, and more. 

More musicians joining the Bantu Ensemble at Glastonbury will include Bernhard Schimpelsberger (percussion), Eva Thorarinsdottir (violin), Max Baillie (violin), Will Newell (violin), Alessandro Ruisi (violin), Ruth Gibson (viola), Nick Bootiman (viola), Peteris Sokolovskis (cello), Toby Hughes (bass), Alice Zawadzki (vocals), and Irini Arabatzi (vocals). 

“GLASTONBURY, LET’S GO! So excited to be hitting the West Holts stage with The Bantu Ensemble this year!” Selacoe shared on Instagram. “This one’s gonna be special — see you in the fields!”

“[An] outstandingly engaging performer … Selacoe occupies a unique place in music bridging the gap between African and classical traditions,” Glastonbury wrote on its website. “His deeply visceral performances feature virtuosic playing, body percussion and vocals that soothe and soar, even embracing Xhosa throat singing. Its powerful, deeply emotional and comes very highly recommended.”

Hailing from South Africa and now based in the UK, Selaocoe is currently artistic partner of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, artist in association with the BBC Singers, and artist in residence with Kölner Philharmonie. He is also founder of the Chesaba trio specialising in African music, including many of his own compositions. 

His recent career highlights include the world premieres of two works written by him for the Signum Quartet and The Hermes Experiment at the Kölner Philharmonie and Wigmore Hall, respectively.

A Royal Northern College of Music graduate, Selacoe performs on a copy of a c.1735 Montagnana cello crafted by Robin Aitchison in 2020, supported by the Alan Powell Trust.