David Byrne, who co-founded Talking Heads, gives a new solo talk on why great ideas lie dormant, drawn from his forthcoming book Sleeping Beauties.
David Byrne, who co-founded Talking Heads in 1975, gives a new solo talk drawn from his forthcoming book Sleeping Beauties at the Hackney Empire on Sunday 8 November 2026.
Byrne was born in Dumbarton, Scotland, and grew up in Baltimore. He formed Talking Heads in New York with Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, and the band released eight studio albums before it parted.
His score for The Last Emperor, written with Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su, won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and a Grammy. On stage he made American Utopia, which received a Special Tony Award and became a Spike Lee film.
He has released more than 20 studio albums, the latest Who Is The Sky? in 2025. His books include Bicycle Diaries, How Music Works and Arboretum.
Sleeping Beauties asks why some ideas take hold at once while others stay hidden for years. His examples run from continental drift and dark matter to the work of Bach, Vermeer and Melville.
London is the first of five British dates. Byrne gives his fee for the evening to the Rocksteady Foundation.