David Byrne

David Byrne is on tour — 22 upcoming shows; next: Jun 25, 2026 in Lucca, Italy.

• Rock

David Byrne was born on May 14, 1952 in Dumbarton, Scotland, and is best known as the frontman of the influential American art rock band Talking Heads. He began playing music in high school, and it was while studying at the Rhode Island School of Design in the mid-1970s that he co-founded Talking Heads. The band quickly became one of the most important names in punk and new wave, but it was their artistic boldness that truly set them apart. Remain in Light from 1980 is generally regarded as their artistic breakthrough — a record that combines African rhythms and dense, emotive soundscapes with some of Byrne's sharpest lyrics. The album features "Once in a Lifetime," which became an MTV classic, and "This Must Be the Place." Even at the peak of Talking Heads' popularity, Byrne pursued other creative projects. He collaborated with Brian Eno on the album My Life in the Bush of Ghosts (1981), and his contributions to the score of The Last Emperor (1987) earned him an Academy Award. In 1988 he established the record label Luaka Bop to introduce American audiences to various forms of world music. His solo career has been as eclectic as you'd expect from such a relentlessly creative mind. As a festival-goer you can expect something out of the ordinary: Byrne has been subverting the conventions of rock concerts since the Stop Making Sense tour in the 1980s, and his shows are as much theatre and dance as they are music. Bring an open mind and good shoes — it's nearly impossible to stand still.

<div data-gigora-artist="david-byrne"></div>
<script async src="https://gigora.live/widget/artist.js"></script>