Our Head of Live, Leon, put it simply: “By steeping yourself in the city, you naturally gravitate towards communities and people that are already doing interesting things in their field, whether it's art, music, or fashion. Finding who to work with should feel organic, without overthinking it.”

Shina, our Community Programming Lead, described it as watching for connecting threads: “As you dive into the city and the culture, what starts happening is you begin to see organic trends and threads”. One conversation leads to another, a collective introduces you to someone else, and before long, you start to get a sense of who is really shaping the scene around them.

That same instinct shapes where we set up. We're looking beyond the places a city is already known for, towards the areas where culture is being lived, and communities are growing naturally. Places that may not be the obvious choice, but where something’s already happening that lets us become part of it, rather than trying to create it.

That's exactly what’s bringing us to Peckham for TONES of London. Rather than showcasing one of the city's more established creative areas, we're heading south to a part of London with its own distinct character.

Every TONES looks different by design. We don't arrive in each city with a fixed idea to recreate somewhere new; the programming grows out of the people, places, and cultural threads we find once we're there.

So, what does that look like when it lands in South London?

It’s a neighborhood where completely different scenes are constantly crossing paths, and this year’s TONES has given us plenty of opportunities to follow those connections.

Balamii will broadcast live from Copeland Gallery, a contemporary industrial-style gallery in Peckham, in the heart of Copeland Park, throughout three days of the event. For over a decade, they've offered a window (literally) into South London's music scene; their booth has hosted everyone from Dave and Central Cee to Greentea Peng and M Huncho. They champion local talent, showcasing artists' skills on their channel before the rest of the world catches on. Their tagline says it all: "London to the world”, expect that sound at TONES in South London.

The Oracle Collective, a community-driven culture and media collective built on improvisation to bring an interactive and contemporary take on jazz through soulful sounds and thought-provoking vocals, will return to TONES for a second year. This time with more time to plan and more surprises in store. Last year, they joined with barely 24 hours' notice, turning a last-minute gig into a three-hour jam session of freestyles and instrumentation, with COLORS alumni turning up to sing, unannounced. Watch as they bring together handpicked artists from across their creative network to perform a show that blurs concert and jam session.

We’ll be celebrating the launch of Dialled In’s new record label with a night that shows off how wide South Asian sound stretches. What started as a platform for South Asian music has grown into something much bigger: festivals, a radio show and now a label of their own, representing everything from traditional sounds to electronic, R&B and beyond. At TONES, they’ll pull together a curated lineup from their label, spanning that same range live.

There's more happening across the days: Gold Thread's vintage marketplace, COLORS x Levi's talks and listening sessions, Florence Road's studio conversations, with Ballantine’s at the bar.

And did we mention that all of the community-based events are free entry?

Then, to close, at Outernet Live, an underground venue in central London, M Huncho, Bawo, JayaHadADream, Olympia Vitalis, Sparklmami and Saint Demarcus will take the stage for a night of UK rap and alternative R&B.

That’s what makes each TONES different. London isn’t meant to look like Mexico City, Madrid, or New York. Each city has its own unique blend of people, subcultures, and scenes, and we let that mix decide what TONES becomes.

We hope to see you in Peckham!