Fire in My Mouth
A semi-staged concert of epic proportions, the Philharmonia Orchestra and a 146-strong all-woman choir present Julia Wolfe’s highly anticipated act of protest.
Fire in my Mouth is a powerful semi-staged elegy honouring the victims of New York’s 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire.
Trailblazing Principal Guest Conductor Marin Alsop joins the Philharmonia Orchestra for this ‘monumental achievement in high musical drama’ (The Nation).
Set against the rise of the workers’ movement, the piece commemorates the deadliest industrial disaster in New York’s history, delivering a powerful message on labour, immigrant and women’s rights that resonates with striking urgency today.
This multimedia production includes cutting-edge scenic lighting and video design. A vividly choreographed work, it represents the 146 garment workers who lost their lives – most of whom were young women – through a towering chorus of exactly 146 singers dressed in historically-inspired garments.
Their voices intertwine with sweeping orchestral forces, Yiddish and Italian folk songs, the mechanical roar of the factory, and the visceral terror of the inferno to create an epic, haunting soundscape that demands to be heard.
Performers
Philharmonia Orchestra
Marin Alsop conductor
Repertoire
Julia Wolfe: Fire in my Mouth (London premiere)
Need to know
Box package
You can buy an exclusive box package for this event. More details of our Royal Festival Hall exclusive box package.
Director: Anne Kauffman
Designer – projection, lighting, scenic: Jeff Sugg
Associate director: Asher Ehrenberg
Associate lighting designer: Mike Higgs
Producer: Kenny Savelson
Choral director: Patrick Barrett
Reviews
‘ambitious, heartfelt, often compelling’
The New York Times
Image gallery
Times & tickets
Dates, times and prices
Dates & times
22 Sep 2026, 8pm
Run time
1 hour (approx)
All timings are approximate and subject to change
Standard entry
from £18 + £4 booking fee
Ticket prices may be adjusted without notice to reflect demand.
Concessions
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Refunds and exchanges
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Multi-buy Autumn/Winter 26/27 discount
3 – 4 events: 10% discount
5 – 7 events: 15% discount
8 – 10 events: 20% discount
11 – 14 events: 25% discount
15+ events: 30% discount
Discounts apply to selected events, September 2026 – January 2027 inclusive. Offer can’t be combined with the Spring/Summer 2026 multi-buy.
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For your visit
This event is held at the Royal Festival Hall Southbank Centre
The Royal Festival Hall is open six days a week.
Tuesday – Sunday, 10am – 11pm
Monday, closed.
Plan your visit
The Royal Festival Hall is home to our largest auditorium as well as The Clore Ballroom, National Poetry Library, Members’ Lounge, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe and Skylon restaurant.
Getting here
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
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Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Food & drink
On Level 2 of our Royal Festival Hall you can grab a slice of life by the Thames with drinks and freshly made pizza at our Festival Bar & Kitchen which opens out onto our Riverside Terrace. You can grab a coffee and a slice of freshly made cake from our Ballroom Cafe. Or alternatively enjoy destination dining in the restaurant at Skylon.
From coffee to cocktails, filling favourites to fine dining, plus some of London’s best street food – it’s all here at the Southbank Centre.