![](\"https:\/\/dss.xinruipiao.com\/uploads\/image\/2026\/5\/08\/49558.jpg\")
<\/p>\nSoundFact Presents<\/p>\n
Looking back to early 2024, British jazz trio GoGo Penguin made their first China tour at the invitation of SoundFact. Their performances in Shanghai and Beijing burned warmly and brightly like candles on a winter night. All three shows sold out, leaving fans with many unforgettable moments.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
\u25b6 From left: pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick Blacka and drummer Jon Scott | \u00a9 Photo by Mark Gregson<\/p>\n
Building on that connection, SoundFact is delighted to invite GoGo Penguin back to China in July 2026, before the band takes the stage at Asia\u2019s leading outdoor festival, Fuji Rock. SoundFact will fulfill its promise from two years ago and bring the \u201cRunning Penguins\u201d to more cities, letting the music flow freely. Tickets for the Xi\u2019an show go on sale on May 8; stay tuned. We look forward to sharing an evening of music that can wash over the soul on a Friday night in midsummer.<\/p>\n
SoundFact Presents
\nShowtime: 2026\/07\/17 Fri. 20:00
\nVenue: Xi\u2019an Concert Hall, Symphony Hall
\nAddress: Mid-section of Datang Everbright City, Qujiang New District, Xi\u2019an
\nOfficial ticket prices<\/p>\n
Full-price tickets: \u00a5180 \/ 240 \/ 300 \/ 360<\/strong><\/p>\n A-category two-person \u201cPenguin\u201d ticket: \u00a5640 (\u00a5360 \u00d7 2)<\/strong><\/p>\n B-category two-person \u201cPenguin\u201d ticket: \u00a5520 (\u00a5300 \u00d7 2)<\/strong><\/p>\n On-sale times<\/strong><\/p>\n 2026\/05\/08\u00a0Fri.\u00a013:30<\/strong><\/p>\n Priority booking for Shaanxi Grand Theatre members<\/strong><\/p>\n 2026\/05\/08\u00a0Fri.\u00a014:00<\/strong><\/p>\n General sale across all platforms<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00b7 The Xi\u2019an show is seated. Please use your paper ticket to find your assigned seat.<\/p>\n ShowStart<\/p>\n \u201cRadiohead of the jazz world\u201d<\/p>\n Electronic breakbeats meet contemporary minimalist jazz<\/p>\n A leading band in Europe\u2019s new-jazz wave<\/p>\n Returning to China with a new album<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc27 07\/16 BEIJING \ud83d\udc27 07\/17 XI\u2019AN \ud83d\udc27 07\/19 GUANGZHOU \ud83d\udc27 07\/22 SHANGHAI<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfb9 \u201cRadiohead of the jazz world\u201d \ud83e\udd41 Electronic breakbeats meet contemporary minimalist jazz \ud83c\udfb8 A leading band in Europe\u2019s new-jazz wave \ud83d\udcbd Returning to China with a new album<\/p>\n Looking back to early 2024, GoGo Penguin made their first China tour at the invitation of SoundFact, playing warm, bright shows in Shanghai and Beijing. All three nights sold out, leaving fans with many treasured memories.<\/p>\n In July 2026, SoundFact is delighted to welcome GoGo Penguin back to China for a new tour before the band takes the stage at Fuji Rock. This time, we will fulfill our promise from two years ago and bring the \u201cRunning Penguins\u201d to more cities, letting the music flow freely.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfab Tickets go on sale through ShowStart on May 8. Stay tuned!<\/p>\n Formed in Manchester, England, GoGo Penguin features pianist Chris Illingworth, bassist Nick Blacka and drummer Jon Scott. Though they keep the trio format simple, their music is expansive. They break through traditional jazz boundaries and draw widely on electronic elements, combining crisp timbres and intricate beats with jazz, electronic music, neoclassical music, minimalism and ambient sounds to create something new. They have been called the \u201cRadiohead of the jazz world\u201d and compared with acclaimed artists such as Aphex Twin, Massive Attack, Four Tet, Brian Eno and Philip Glass.<\/p>\n GoGo Penguin, \u201cErased by Sunlight\u201d<\/p>\n Released as an independent single after the band\u2019s lineup change and signing with a new label, \u201cErased by Sunlight\u201d marked the beginning of a new era for GoGo Penguin. The track distills their signature \u201cacoustic-electronic\u201d aesthetic: bright, clear piano lines, deep double-bass grooves and finely woven breakbeat drumming meet in a vivid, dynamic soundscape. As its title suggests, the song radiates the warmth of moving from shadow into light. It retains the band\u2019s core sound while showing their resolve to explore what comes next\u2014a restorative, compelling piece that reaches beyond their usual audience.<\/p>\n \u25b6 GoGo Penguin, \u201cErased by Sunlight\u201d (live)<\/p>\n \u25b6 GoGo Penguin | \u00a9 Photo by Mark Gregson<\/p>\n In 2012, GoGo Penguin released their first album, Fanfares, on Gondwana, one of the UK\u2019s most important jazz and neoclassical labels. The BBC called them a band \u201cdestined to make great records.\u201d Their follow-up, v2.0, became a surprise nominee for that year\u2019s Mercury Prize, earning authoritative recognition for their approach to new music in the UK and Europe and helping them lead the new-jazz wave across the continent. The band later joined Blue Note and released three acclaimed albums between 2016 and 2021. Popular tracks from that period include \u201cSignal in the Noise,\u201d \u201cBardo\u201d and \u201cProtest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u25b6 Fanfares (2012)<\/p>\n v2.0 (2014)<\/p>\n Man Made Object (2016)<\/p>\n A Humdrum Star (2018)<\/p>\n GoGo Penguin (2020)<\/p>\n Everything Is Going To Be OK (2023)<\/p>\n Search \u201cSoundFact\u201d on NetEase Cloud Music to hear the full playlist \ud83c\udfb5<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc27 As a leading band in Europe\u2019s new-jazz wave, Manchester\u2019s GoGo Penguin have won over fans of jazz, neoclassical and electronic music\u2014and even math rock and post-rock\u2014with their ever-evolving sound since releasing their debut album in 2012.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcbd SoundFact invited 30 friends from different walks of life to share 23 of their favorite \u201cPenguin tracks,\u201d creating the playlist \u201cNecessary Fictions.\u201d It includes both memorable moments fans heard on the last tour and deeper cuts from previous albums. The playlist offers an excellent look at the range of styles GoGo Penguin have explored and how their sound has evolved.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfb9 In July 2026, GoGo Penguin will return to China at SoundFact\u2019s invitation for their second China tour. Watch for tour updates, and see you at the shows!<\/p>\n \u25b6 SoundFact invited 30 people to choose 23 \u201cPenguin tracks\u201d for the playlist \u201cNecessary Fictions,\u201d an excellent showcase of the band\u2019s stylistic range and evolution. Listen to the full playlist on NetEase Cloud Music.<\/p>\n In 2023, GoGo Penguin released Everything Is Going To Be OK on Sony Music, marking the start of a new chapter. Early the following year, they came to mainland China for the first time at SoundFact\u2019s invitation, playing warm, bright shows in Shanghai and Beijing. All three nights sold out, leaving fans with many treasured memories.<\/p>\n \u201cOur first China tour is something we remember vividly. We were completely blown away. We never expected so many fans to follow, listen to and love our music so far from home. The audience had an incredible energy, and that meant the world to us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014GoGo Penguin (SoundFact exclusive interview)<\/p>\n GoGo Penguin: A Look Back at the 2024 China Tour<\/p>\n Now back with their new album Necessary Fictions, GoGo Penguin remain true to themselves as they continue searching for what feels most real in a complicated world. The album finds them making their boldest musical statement yet, bringing modular synthesizers and electric bass into the writing more than before, while moving freely and elegantly between acoustic instruments and electronic music over a drum-driven foundation.<\/p>\n \u201cThe idea of Necessary Fictions is about looking back and asking what still matters to you now, and what you may have been carrying unconsciously for a long time that no longer serves you. It could be something imposed by society, parents or authority. It may have been helpful at one point, but eventually you stop and ask: \u2018This is who I am. But who am I, really? What do I want to keep? What is truly necessary to live more truthfully?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014GoGo Penguin (SoundFact exclusive interview)<\/p>\n \u201cGoGo Penguin\u2019s most adventurous album yet!\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014CLASH<\/p>\n \u201cThe tones and dynamics of the music reach new heights on this record. We hear a band confident enough to break its own patterns.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014All About Jazz<\/p>\n GoGo Penguin, \u201cWhat We Are and What We Are Meant to Be\u201d<\/p>\n GoGo Penguin recorded Necessary Fictions in their own studio in 2025. The album shows how the band came together to shape a distinctive sonic world. A remarkable and unforgettable guest vocal from singer-songwriter Daudi Matsiko, along with collaborations with Manchester Collective and Rakhi Singh, adds even more to this exceptional record.<\/p>\n Speaking about one of the album\u2019s central tracks, \u201cWhat We Are and What We Are Meant to Be,\u201d the band said: \u201cWhen we have explored ideas like this in the past, there has always been a little hesitation. We often asked ourselves at the end: is it really right to write something so different from what we have done before? On this track, the prominent synths and electronic elements are a real step forward. At the same time, in its character, structure and overall approach, we have evolved from our earlier work. The title comes from the idea of letting go of the assumptions and expectations others may place on us and fully embracing who we are and what we really want to say.\u201d<\/p>\n \u25b6 GoGo Penguin, \u201cWhat We Are and What We Are Meant to Be\u201d<\/p>\n With the new-album tour spanning dozens of cities across the UK, Europe and North America\u2014from intimate live rooms to concert halls and opera houses seating two or three thousand\u2014GoGo Penguin will finally return to Asia this summer. Alongside another appearance at Fuji Rock, the band will tour China at SoundFact\u2019s invitation, visiting Beijing, Xi\u2019an, Guangzhou and Shanghai. We look forward to sharing that connection and excitement with you in person.<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc27 Since forming in 2012, the Manchester instrumental trio GoGo Penguin have established a musical language of their own through their inventive blend of jazz, classical and electronic elements, their inspired compositions and their drive to push beyond jazz conventions. The media have called them the \u201cRadiohead of the jazz world.\u201d<\/p>\n \ud83d\udcac Ahead of the band\u2019s second China tour, SoundFact spoke exclusively with all three members about writing the new album, the evolution of their sound, recent bands and albums they recommend, their love of beer and more.<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfb9 In July 2026, GoGo Penguin will return to China at SoundFact\u2019s invitation for their second China tour. Watch for tour updates, and see you at the shows!<\/p>\n Advertisement SoundFact Presents Looking back to early 2024, British jazz trio GoGo Penguin made their first China tour at the invitation […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":121504,"template":"","article_category":[],"article_tag":[],"class_list":["post-122760","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![](\"https:\/\/dss.xinruipiao.com\/uploads\/image\/2026\/5\/08\/49566.jpg\")
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