On 23 August, Candlelight brings Laufey’s music to St Barts’ Great Hall, closing ‘A Very Laufey Day’ with a live quartet performing in central London. The Icelandic-Chinese singer-songwriter’s swooning classical-jazz sound feels made for candles and strings.
From “From The Start” to her Grammy-winning album Bewitched, recorded with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, her music brings old-school romance into the present.
From matcha stops to live music sets: What is ‘A Very Laufey Day’?
Previous editions of A Very Laufey Day have unfolded through scavenger hunts, bookshop pop-ups, listening moments, thrift collaborations, matcha stops, library gatherings and acoustic sets. The atmosphere mirrors Laufey’s own blend of jazz, classical music, bossa nova and pop, while the visual world leans into bows, cardigans, hair ribbons, independent bookshops, old films and cosy city itineraries. Beneath that golden-age charm sit songs about yearning, wit, heartbreak, awkwardness and the fear of being fully known.
What to expect at Candlelight x Laufey: A Very Laufey Day in London
On 23 August 2026, Candlelight x Laufey: A Very Laufey Day becomes London’s official evening finale to the international celebration. Thousands of flickering candles surround an intimate acoustic performance, giving Laufey’s jazz-pop phrasing, classical textures, cinematic longing and confessional warmth a luminous new setting.
Laufey will not perform live at this concert. Instead, local classical musicians perform string-quartet arrangements of her songs, allowing each melody to unfold with clarity inside the close atmosphere of Candlelight. Expect live-string versions of fan favourites such as “Let You Break My Heart Again,” “Valentine” and “Lover Girl,” each given an extra dose of drama beneath the candlelight.
St Barts in London: a Grade I listed hospital that’s over 900 years old
The concert will take place in the Great Hall at St Barts’ North Wing, part of Britain’s oldest hospital still operating on its original site. Designed by James Gibbs in the 1730s, this Grade I-listed space combines soaring Baroque architecture, gilded plasterwork, historic donor panels and the stained-glass Charter Window; William Hogarth’s monumental paintings on the adjoining staircase add to the sense of occasion.
As candlelight flickers across the hall, all that grandeur becomes something more intimate. With a live string quartet at its centre, the setting feels especially fitting for Laufey’s vulnerable, romantic songs—while the hospital’s 900-year history of care lends a quiet resonance to the resilience threaded through her music.
One of only 10 cities: London joins a global Laufey celebration
London is one of only 10 initial cities selected worldwide for this official collaboration. The first group also includes New York, Paris, Seoul, Berlin and Melbourne, linking a small number of distinctive venues across continents. With limited host cities and intimate capacities, tickets are strictly limited.
Everything you need to know about Candlelight x Laufey: A Very Laufey Day in London
📍 Venue: St Bartholomew’s Hospital, W Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE, United Kingdom
📅 Date: Sunday 23 August 2026
🎶 Concert: A candlelit string tribute to Laufey, featuring a live quartet performing her biggest songs amid the glow of thousands of candles.
♿ Accessibility: Barts North Wing, including the Great Hall, has step-free access to all public spaces via its main entrance, as well as accessible toilets.
🎟️ Tickets: From £21
Candlelight x Laufey: A Very Laufey Day brings live strings, thousands of candles and the historic character of St Barts together for London’s closing chapter of the celebration. Between classical detail, jazz-inflected melodies and the tender uncertainty at the heart of Laufey’s songs, the evening carries the feeling of a historic London space transformed into Laufeyland.
