2023: Nabihah Iqbal

Nabihah’s debut as a recording artist came in 2017 with the release of her album Weighing of the Heart on the UK’s Ninja Tune label. Garnering huge praise from The Guardian, Dazed and BBC Radio, it was described by Pitchfork as ‘some of the finest, most viscerally satisfying electronic pop music of the year’. She is currently a resident artist at London’s Somerset House Studios, where she is writing and recording her second album due for release next year.

Nabihah will be Brighton Festival’s 14th Guest Director, following in the footsteps of Anish Kapoor, Brian Eno, Laurie Anderson, Kae Tempest, Lemn Sissay OBE and, in 2022, architect Marwa Al-Sabouni & theatre-maker Tristan Sharps.

On becoming Guest Director of Brighton Festival 2023, Nabihah said: 

'It is an absolute honour to take on the role of Guest Director for Brighton Festival 2023. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to bring together artists and thinkers whose work I truly admire, to culminate in a celebration of creativity, ideas and community. It’s so important to support each other, to nurture the spaces and scenes in which we operate and to work together and be open-minded - these are the things which have inspired my vision for the Festival. Looking back on my early days of organising DIY music shows in libraries and launderettes with my friends, and now with this incredible curatorial opportunity in front of me, the whole journey of getting to this point feels even more poignant. I’m looking forward to putting together a festival that is beautiful, memorable and inspiring.'