Emily Portman & Friends
Surreal. Beguiling. A sprinkling of magic.
Emily Portman’s an award-winning singer and songwriter with a passion for traditional songs. She’s toured widely for over 15 years as a band leader, with The Furrow Collective, the folk chart-topping Sea Song Sessions, and in a duo with Leveret’s Rob Harbron. Emily was awarded a BBC Folk Award for Best Original Song and has released three critically acclaimed albums of original songs that recast old ballads and fairytales into new shapes.
In 2026, Emily returns to the road with an inspired new live show previewing songs from her forthcoming solo album Dominion of Spells, due for release in May 2026, alongside selected material from across her acclaimed catalogue.
Audiences can expect an intimate, spellbinding performance as traditional influences meet contemporary stories in the room. This preview tour offers an early glimpse into Dominion of Spells: an evening of vivid songs where mythic imagination meets contemporary song.
Need to know
Venue: Sage Two Theatre Layout
Price: £22.30
Stage Times: Announced closer to show time.
Age: Under 14s must be accompanied by an adult.
What they say
‘one of the new British folk scene’s most beguiling presences’
– Uncut
‘Entrancing and unsettling. A marvellous, original work’
– The Observer on Emily’s album Coracle
‘A tribute to her powerful imagination’
– Living Tradition on Emily’s album Coracle
About Dominion of Spells
Dominion of Spells marks a bold new chapter in Emily Portman’s songwriting. Drawing on ballads and folktales, it weaves lived experience with rich mythic imagery, charting a heroine’s midlife journey through dark woods in search of transformation and wonder. Shape-shifting selkies, fairy queens, foxes, and owl goddesses are woven through contemporary story-songs exploring parenthood, home, burnout, grief, and the transformative power of creativity.
Emily’s new songs are brought vividly to life in performance with a new live line-up featuring sought-after guitarist Louis Campbell and acclaimed cellist Lucy Revis (Before Breakfast). Together they create a richly layered yet understated sound world, with Emily’s luminous vocals, banjo, and piano at the centre, woven through crystalline harmonies, lush strings, and interweaving electric and acoustic guitars.
