Wyclef Jean has been announced as the headline performer for the British Museum Ball 2026, taking place on Saturday 17th October.
The Grammy Award-winning artist, producer and composer will perform in the Museum’s Great Court as part of an evening conceived by Es Devlin, who returns as Artistic Director for this year’s Ball.
A founding member of the Fugees, Jean helped create the group’s landmark 1996 album The Score, which won two Grammy Awards and became a global success. His solo career has included eight albums, while his work as a producer and songwriter stretches from Shakira’s Hips Don’t Lie to Santana’s Maria Maria.
This year’s Ball takes its cues from three major moments in the British Museum’s 2026 programme: the loan of the Bayeux Tapestry from France, a display marking the 250th anniversary of the United States, and an exhibition exploring 2,000 years of Korean creativity.
The visual identity for the evening will centre on red, described by the Museum as the earliest pigment known to have been used by humans in artistic expression.
Wyclef Jean said:
“I’ve always believed that to understand where we’re going, we have to understand where we come from. History and music both carry the stories of humanity. To bring them together at the British Museum is something very special”.
Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE, Director of the British Museum, said:
“Wyclef Jean’s music embodies the spirit of cultural connection at the heart of this year’s Ball. His pioneering approach to music and culture over the past 40 years has brought together influences, traditions and audiences from across the world. We are delighted to welcome him this year to perform in the Great Court, where his music will bring the Ball’s themes of creativity and connection to life”.
The inaugural British Museum Ball in 2025 welcomed almost 900 guests and raised more than £2.5 million. Proceeds from this year’s event will support the Museum’s wider Masterplan.
About the artist
Wyclef Jean is a Grammy Award-winning artist, producer, and composer with over two decades of pioneering influence in the music industry and culture. As a founding member of the Fugees, their 1996 album “The Score” achieved monumental global and chart-topping success, in addition to two Grammy Awards and a nomination for Album of the Year. He has released eight solo albums, including “The Carnival,” which sold nearly nine million copies worldwide and was Grammy Nominated.
As a producer and writer, he is responsible for hits like “Hips Don’t Lie” (Shakira), “Maria Maria” (Santana) and more. In 2020, Wyclef launched the podcast “RunThatBack”. As a leader in music tech he co-founded SodoMoodLab, composing music for Showtime’s “The Chi,” is Chief Creative Officer of OpenWav, and a consultant for Google DeepMind, where he focuses on AI technology. Now Global Culture Advisor of Circle, his goal is to help bring stablecoin innovation to the world stage and promote financial literacy across communities.
As a philanthropist, he is deeply committed to honouring his home country of Haiti, recently sponsoring and mentoring Haitian students in a robotics program that achieved global accolades. He is a Global Ambassador for Global Citizen, is on the National Advisory Board for Music Will, and was honoured with their 2025 Innovator Award. He remains a dynamic cultural force, seamlessly integrating music, education, and technology to drive meaningful social change.This year, Jean is set to release his most ambitious body of work yet, Quantum Leap. A seven album, seven genre musical exploration of his three decade long influence in music. “Clef Notes” and his first Jazz album “Q Theory” are out now.
