Trailblazing New York artist Taylor Mac is bringing two groundbreaking performances to London this November and December. On 26 November, 2026, at 7:30 PM, Taylor Mac will collaborate with the Philharmonia Orchestra for the UK orchestral premiere of A 24-Decade History of Popular Music at the Royal Festival Hall. Following this, from 17 December to 23 December 2026, Mac stars in Holiday Sauce live at the Soho Theatre Walthamstow. This will be the first in-person performance of the show in the UK and will feature musicians from the Philharmonia Orchestra as part of the live band.
A 24-Decade History of Popular Music
After bringing the first three decades of A 24-Decade History of Popular Music to the Barbican in 2019, the new orchestral version of Mac’s acclaimed show takes audiences on a journey through the soul of America, reimagining history as a dazzling and deeply personal musical experience. Produced by Pomegranate Arts and Nature’s Darlings, the show challenges social structures, responds to current events, and celebrates the communities and voices that have shaped America’s history.
A 24-Decade History of Popular Music is one of the Philharmonia Orchestra’s three projects this season commemorating the 250th anniversary of American Independence. In this celebration, Taylor and the Philharmonia will host a Thanksgiving Day event focused on history, identity, and humanity.
“Performing A 24-Decade History of Popular Music during the American250 is an act of resistance; it’s a reminder that America, and her parent country, are best when transforming tyranny into freedom. And doing it with songs.”
Taylor Mac
A 24-Decade History of Popular Music enhances the PPhilharmonia’sdedication to cross-genre concerts and artist collaborations. This follows projects such as Gilbert and George: Sex, Money, Race, Religion and Forged in Sound: Heavy Metal Orchestrated.
Mac’s genre-defying work tells a subjective story of America through a fusion of popular song, epic storytelling, theatre, and unforgettable interactive moments. Performing pop ballads, anthems and disco tunes, Mac’s glittery yet poignant exploration of history features fabulous costume designs.
Thorben Dittes, Chief Executive of the Philharmonia Orchestra, told QX: “Taylor Mac’s bold, visionary project, A 24-Decade History of Popular Music, is an extraordinary musical take on American history and identity that will attract a diverse range of audiences to the concert hall. We are thrilled to present the UK premiere of the orchestral version of this project as a special Thanksgiving treat”
Watch the trailer for HBO’s documentary Taylor Mac’s 24-Decade History of Popular Music, based on Mac’s original 24-hour version …
A 24-Decade History of Popular Music is on 26th November 2026 at 7:30 PM at London’s Royal Festival Hall.
Holiday Sauce
Taylor Mac’s Holiday Sauce will be performed live in the UK for the first time at Soho Theatre Walthamstow from December 17 to December 23, 2026. The show will also feature musicians from the Philharmonia Orchestra in the band.
Holiday Sauce is a dazzling, moving, and politically provocative work that irreverently explores the chaos of Christmas. Taylor Mac combines music, burlesque, and unexpected acts of fabulousness in this subversive and cathartic event of the season. The holidays encompass more than just rampant giving; in Taylor’s world, creativity and imagination represent their own form of spirituality.”
“My mantra during the holiday season is: when the sun gives less, the heart gives more. In a time of darkness (greed, fascism, and isolation), we gather to laugh, recognise, and sing the light back to us.”
Taylor Mac
With extraordinary costumes and a spectacular band, Taylor Mac reframes the classic songs you love and the festivities you hate.
Taylor Mac’s Holiday Sauce runs from 17 – 23 December 2026 at Soho Theatre Walthamstow.
