El Niño de la Pili Brings Spoken Word and Storytelling to Brighton
Brighton audiences will have the chance to experience one of the most distinctive new voices on the UK spoken word scene when MSB Mario, El Niño de la Pili, performs at The Folklore Rooms on 27 June.
The Spanish performer arrives in the city following a warmly received appearance at Newcastle’s Cluny earlier this month, where audiences were introduced to his unique blend of spoken word, storytelling and rhythm.
Built around personal stories, cultural observations and carefully crafted live pieces, Mario’s performances rely on little more than language, timing and presence. The result is a show that feels intimate, energetic and difficult to place neatly into one category.
Spoken word has continued to grow in popularity across the UK, but Mario’s work reaches beyond traditional poetry audiences. Rather than treating words as something confined to the page, he turns them into a live experience, using rhythm, humour, feeling and storytelling to draw people into the moment.
Those who attended his Newcastle performance saw that connection first-hand. As the evening unfolded, the relationship between performer and audience became one of the defining features of the show, creating an atmosphere that stayed with people long after the final piece.
His Brighton appearance carries extra significance, taking place as part of the cultural activity surrounding the England v Panama World Cup fixture. As football supporters gather in the city, audiences at The Folklore Rooms will have the chance to experience a different kind of live event, one centred on storytelling, rhythm and the shared energy of a room.
The connection feels fitting. Football and live performance both depend on atmosphere, anticipation and collective experience. A good warm-up event is not simply about filling time before kick-off. It is about bringing people together and creating a sense of occasion.
Mario’s work, built around audience engagement and emotional connection, makes him a natural fit for that kind of setting.
“Every audience changes the performance in some way,” says Mario. “That’s what I love about spoken word. No two nights are exactly the same because every room brings its own energy. I’m looking forward to bringing that experience to Brighton.”
The Folklore Rooms, known for its intimate setting and carefully curated live programme, provides an ideal home for a performer whose work depends on direct connection rather than spectacle.
Part spoken word performance and part storytelling experience, the show moves between personal reflection, cultural observation and rhythm-driven pieces that invite audiences to listen closely. It is a format that has helped Mario stand out within a busy live arts landscape, attracting people who might not usually see themselves as followers of poetry or spoken word.
What makes his rise particularly notable is the consistency with which audiences respond to his performances. Whether appearing in intimate venues or as part of wider cultural events, he has shown an ability to bring spoken word into spaces where it is not always the main attraction.
At a time when audiences are surrounded by endless entertainment options, Mario’s ability to hold attention through the power of language alone has become one of the defining features of his growing reputation.
When he takes to the stage at The Folklore Rooms on 27 June, Brighton audiences will be witnessing a performer whose reputation has been built on authentic audience connection, memorable live shows and a belief that words, when delivered with conviction, remain one of the most powerful tools in contemporary performance.
As part of Brighton’s World Cup warm-up celebrations, MSB Mario, El Niño de la Pili, promises to bring something thoughtful, energetic and refreshingly different to the city’s summer cultural calendar.
