After the summer break of 2026, I'm back with a bunch of my favourite NPR Tiny Desk concerts.
What are NPR Tiny Desk Concerts, and how did they come about?
The first Tiny Desk Concert came about in 2008 (after All Songs Considered host and producer Bob Boilen and NPR Music editor Stephen Thompson left a bar show frustrated that they couldn't hear the music over the crowd noise. Thompson joked that the musician, folk singer Laura Gibson, should just perform at Boilen's desk. A month later (on April 21st, 2008), Boilen arranged for her to do just that, making an impromptu recording and posting it online. Even the name of the series is connected to Boilen: it was taken from his 1970s psychedelic dance band called Tiny Desk Unit.
Fast forward to August 2026, today, this series includes 1'442 concerts viewed by more than 42 million people only on YouTube, and with 16 to 20 million monthly viewers across different platforms.
NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concerts were always one of my favourite things to listen to, but with the pandemic, my interest turned into an obsession. In 2020, I did two shows dedicated to them: Obsessed with Tiny Desk 2020 Part I and Part II. I did one more in 2021, another in 2022, and two more in 2024: one regular show and another one as my special Xmas show. I skipped the last year because I had too much other material to cover, but as I listened to many cool sessions over the summer, I decided to bring *Obsessed with Tiny Desk* back.
So what is it about NPR Tiny Desk Concert series that I love?
It is very simple: this series brings an intimate concert vibe through approx 20-minute video performances, recorded either live at the desk of Bob Boilen or, during the pandemic, at someplace that feels like an artist's home. The latter unsurprisingly called Tiny Desk (home) concerts. Bob Boilen retired in the meantime, but he created music history with NPR Tiny Desk Concerts, and his legacy continues.
During the pandemic, we couldn't attend gigs or music festivals, so, for me, NPR Tiny Desk Concerts were the closest thing I had to live gigs. Even today, this is still my favourite place when I need to do something that requires deep concentration. Also, when I am craving a live and more intimate experience, and I don't feel like leaving my house.
Let's be honest, how often are you able to see your favourite (or newly discovered favourite) artist performing in a small, intimate venue? Unfortunately, not that frequently.
For all these reasons, my yearly Obsessed with Tiny Desk is here to stay 😍, and it will continue coming back to you, listeners of Gimme A Beat, at least once per year!
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Tune in tonight to Gimme A Beat (17.08.2026) to hear my selection of NPR Tiny Desk Concerts performed by female artists. For NPR, you can donate here.
Obsessed with Tiny Desk 2026
from 22:00 - 00:00 on:
webradio LoRa
featuring:
obsessed with tiny desk - 2026 - on youtube
Kisses, Babymonster
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It can take up to 24 hours for the show to be available on other platforms.
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