Luke Jerram's GAIA to Hang at Royal Festival Hall with BBC Concert Orchestra

Luke Jerram's seven-metre-diameter GAIA sculpture will be suspended above the stage of London's Royal Festival Hall from 28th–30th August 2026, as part of a weekend of performances by the BBC Concert Orchestra. The artwork, created from high-resolution NASA imagery, replicates the experience of viewing Earth from space. The programme opens on 28 August with 'Sounds of the Earth' conducted by Chloé van Soeterstède, featuring works by Ralph Vaughan Williams and Hildur Guðnadóttir. On 29 August, Grammy-winning composer Eric Whitacre presents 'Eternity in an Hour' with the Eric Whitacre Singers. On 30 August, the artwork remains on display with a surround-sound composition by BAFTA-winning composer Dan Jones, allowing visitors to experience the 'Overview Effect'. GAIA debuted in 2018 and has travelled to Liverpool Cathedral, Australia's Gold Coast, and COP26 in Glasgow. The installation is part of the Southbank Centre's 75th anniversary programme, created in partnership with NERC, Bluedot, and the UK Association for Science and Discovery Centres, with supporting partners Culture Liverpool and Liverpool Cathedral. Jerram, based in Bristol, established the Jerram Foundation in 2024.