Throbbing Gristle Celebrate 50 Years with Special TG50 Event at London’s ICA
Film, talks, music and a gathering of fans will mark five decades since the group’s controversial Prostitution performance
London, UK — 18 October 2026
Fifty years after Throbbing Gristle first shocked audiences with their confrontational approach to music and art, the pioneering industrial group is set to be celebrated with a special TG50 event at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA).
Taking place on 18 October 2026, the event will mark 50 years since Throbbing Gristle’s incendiary live performance at the ICA in October 1976, staged as part of the controversial Prostitution exhibition.
The anniversary gathering will bring together fans, artists and those connected with the group for a day of film screenings, talks, music and discussion, offering an opportunity to reflect on Throbbing Gristle’s extraordinary influence on music, performance and contemporary culture.
The event will also see the launch of a new range of Throbbing Gristle merchandise, including items available exclusively at TG50.
Admission to TG50 will be free, with separate paid tickets available for selected cinema screenings and the scheduled conversation.
50 Years Since Prostitution
The original Prostitution exhibition and performance caused an immediate media storm.
The event attracted sensational headlines including “MP’s fury at porn palace” in the Daily Mirror and “Bust-up at Gallery of Porn” in the Daily Express.
The controversy even reached Parliament, where Conservative MP Nicholas Fairbairn famously condemned Throbbing Gristle as “wreckers of civilisation.”
Fifty years later, the performance remains an important moment in the story of British underground culture and the development of industrial music.
TG50 will return to the ICA on the anniversary of that notorious event, providing fans with the chance to revisit the group's history and discuss the impact it has had on generations of musicians and artists.
Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti in Conversation
A key part of the anniversary programme will be a conversation between Throbbing Gristle members Chris Carter and Cosey Fanni Tutti, chaired by writer Luke Turner.
The discussion will look back at the group's history, work and continuing influence, while giving audiences an opportunity to hear directly from two of the people who helped create Throbbing Gristle's distinctive artistic world.
Six Years That Changed Music
Throbbing Gristle formed in 1975 and, over the following six years, established themselves as one of the most radical and influential groups to emerge from Britain's underground scene.
Alongside Cosey Fanni Tutti and Chris Carter, the group featured Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (1950–2020) and Peter “Sleazy” Christopherson (1955–2010).
The band challenged conventional ideas about what music could be, combining sound, performance art, visual culture and confrontation.
Their work pushed beyond the traditional boundaries of rock and punk, exploring noise, electronics, tape manipulation, spoken word and experimental composition.
During their original period, Throbbing Gristle released a series of influential recordings, including The Second Annual Report of Throbbing Gristle (1977), D.O.A. The Third and Final Report (1978) and 20 Jazz Funk Greats (1979).
These records would go on to become key releases in the development of industrial and experimental music.
An Influence That Continues
Although the group's original run lasted only a few years, Throbbing Gristle's influence has continued to grow.
Their approach to sound and performance has