The British Music Experience to Mark 50 Years of Rock Against Racism with New Temporary Exhibition
In 1976, a group of activists wrote an impassioned letter to the NME in response to Eric Clapton’s public support for Enoch Powell and his anti-immigration rhetoric.
“We want to organise a rank-and-file movement against the racist poison in rock music” they declared, calling on musicians and music fans to unite against racism, reaffirming the power of music as a force for social change.
The response was immediate. Hundreds of people responded, providing the momentum that would see Rock Against Racism develop into a nationwide movement. Between 1976 and 1982, Rock Against Racism activists organised national carnivals and tours, alongside local gigs, clubs and events across the country, bringing together musicians and audiences from diverse backgrounds in opposition to racism.
One of the movement’s defining moments came on 30th April 1978, when around 100,000 people marched six miles from Trafalgar Square to Victoria Park in Hackney for a huge open-air carnival. Featuring performances from The Clash, Steel Pulse, the Tom Robinson Band, X-Ray Spex and Patrik Fitzgerald, the event also saw Southall-based reggae group Misty In Roots lead the march from the back of a lorry. It became one of the largest and most significant music-led demonstrations against racism of its time.
The event also inspired action closer to home. Travelling back from the London carnival, Rock Against Racism’s Bernie Wilcox and Geoff Brown of the Anti-Nazi League were inspired to bring the same spirit of protest and celebration to the North West. On 15th July 1978, the Rock Against Racism Northern Carnival took place at Alexandra Park in Manchester, attracting an estimated 40,000 people. The line-up featured Steel Pulse, Buzzcocks, X-O-Dus and China Street.
Beyond the carnivals, Rock Against Racism worked alongside the Anti-Nazi League and local campaigners to challenge the National Front and racism across Britain, while its network of gigs, publications and grassroots groups created spaces where music and political activism could come together.
Rock Against Racism changed British popular culture. The movement helped normalise the idea that anti-racism could be part of youth culture rather than something belonging solely to political meetings. Its fusion of punk, reggae, ska and other Black and white musical traditions helped shape the culture of the early 1980s.
The movement’s belief in music’s ability to challenge prejudice and bring people together remains as relevant as ever. Today, organisations including Love Music Hate Racism and Stand Up To Racism continue the fight against racism, with music and culture remaining important tools for mobilisation, solidarity and expression. On 28th March 2026, an estimated 500,000 people gathered in London for an anti-racist demonstration organised by the Together Alliance and supported by musicians and bands. Fifty years after Rock Against Racism emerged, the connection between music, culture and resistance remains as powerful as ever.
To mark the 50th anniversary of Rock Against Racism, the British Music Experience will explore the movement’s history through a new temporary exhibition. Bringing together a selection of powerful photographs captured by photographers Syd Shelton and John Sturrock, alongside original posters, placards and magazines, the exhibition will revisit a pivotal moment in British music and social history - and celebrate the enduring relationship between music, activism and social change.
The exhibition takes place both inside the museum and the Star Café & Bar. The exhibition inside the Star Café & Bar is free to visit. The museum exhibition is included with all general entry tickets.
To purchase general entry tickets, go to www.britishmusicexperience.com
Jo Cester, Collection and Public Programme Manager for the British Music Experience said:
Rock Against Racism occupies an important place in British music history. The extraordinary response to the movement demonstrated that music could provide a powerful platform for activism, protest, solidarity and social change. Fifty years on, these images offer a vivid reminder of the energy and determination of a generation of musicians, activists and music fans who refused to remain silent. For the British Music Experience, this exhibition is an opportunity to preserve and share that history, while highlighting a message that remains as important today as it was in 1976 - music has the power to bring people together.
Alan Brown from Love Music Hate Racism Merseyside said:
Love Music Hate Racism is delighted to be working with the British Music Experience on the exhibition and launch event marking 50 years of Rock Against Racism. Rock Against Racism alongside the Anti-Nazi League was instrumental in opposing racism and the rise of the National Front in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Rock Against Racism made it cool to be anti-racist. Rock Against Racism serves as inspiration for us to be active anti-racists. Rock Against Racism shows us we can win. Reggae soul rock n roll jazz funk punk – our music!
Exhibition Launch Event
50 Years of Rock Against Racism
Film Screening plus Q&A with Roger Huddle and Tom Robinson
Thursday 1st October, 2026, doors 6pm, film 7pm
An evening marking the 50th anniversary of Rock Against Racism, with a screening of the 2019 documentary ‘White Riot’ followed by an in-conversation with RAR founder, Roger Huddle and musician, radio presenter and long-time activist, Tom Robinson.
A ticket to the launch event gives exclusive access to the 50 Years of Rock Against Racism exhibition (other museum galleries closed).
Tickets £10 each.
https://www.britishmusicexperience.com/events/rar-50
Image credits: Carnival, Victoria Park, 30th April 1978, Tom Robinson Band_credit Syd Shelton