Sounds from the Basement

Experience the Sounds of the City exhibition coming to life with a showcase of live and intimate performances from local stars on the rise. Join us in the museum basement with Aris Sabetai (of Mount St. Helen) and Dolly Mavies.

Mount St. Helen solo: Mount St. Helen is the alias of Oxford-based multi-instrumentalist Aris Sabetai. Founded in 2024, the project blends shoegaze, post hard-core, and 2010s indie trops and string attachments. Mount St. Helen is one of the city's fastest-rising alternative acts, with Nightshift Magazine calling it "the next big thing out of Oxford". The acclaimed debut independent EP release 'The Stillness, The Dancing' is out now. More about Mount St. Helen can be found here: https://www.instagram.com/mount.st.helen/?hl=en.

Dolly Mavies: Rising star Dolly Mavies is an ethereal post-folk artist hailing from Oxford, known for blending folk's heartfelt storytelling with rock's driving rhythms and an atmosphere that is both haunting and electric. Dolly Mavies creates a unique sonic tapestry that channels the energy of Fleetwood Mac, the ethereal intensity of Florence and the Machine, and the emotional depth of Daughter. Her new release 'The Calm & The Storm' is out now. More about Dolly Mavies can be found here: https://www.dollymavies.com/.

Tickets to this event includes free entry to the museum and Sounds of the City exhibition. Doors open at 6:30pm, with a chance to explore the museum before the performances start promptly at 7pm.

Access

There is step-free, level entry access to the Town Hall via the entrance closest to Carfax Tower (to the left of the main steps as you face the Town Hall). Inside the Museum, Museum Makers is accessible via a platform lift to the Galleries and then a lift to the basement.

Accessible toilets are available in the Museum (close to Museum Makers) and in the Town Hall on the ground floor, before entering the Museum. Please contact the Museum team if you’d like to talk to a member of staff about your access requirements. Further access information can be found on our page dedicated to access at the museum.