We’re fairly chock-full of music events here in Manchester, and one annual series we love is BBC Radio 6 Music Festival, which aims to showcase the best in new music, right here in Greater Manchester. BBC Radio 6 Music today announced that its annual live music festival will take place at independent venues across Greater Manchester from Wednesday 25th – Saturday 28th March.
This year the event will shine a well-deserved light on independent grassroots venues, extending its reach across Greater Manchester and celebrating its independent spirit. The festival will be at iconic live music spaces including Band on the Wall and YES, alongside – new for 2026 – the Eccles Town Hall Ballroom, and there will be new partnership events with local promoters FaT OuT and Homobloc.
Who will be performing at BBC Radio 6 Music Festival?
Artists performing across the four days include:
- Bloc Party
- Courtney Barnett
- The Horrors
- Jacob Alon
- Kelly Lee Owens (DJ set)
- Lynks
- Mandy
- Indiana
- SILVERWINGKILLER
- Sorry
- Tiberius b
- Wesley Joseph
- Yard Act
Festival-goers will also have the chance to see DJ sets as part of an Indie Forever club night from:
- Beth Ditto & Nick Grimshaw
- Emily Pilbeam & Nathan Shepherd
- Lambrini Girls
- Steve Lamacq
There will also be DJ sets from The Knife’s Olof Dreijer, Aiden Francis and Fig at a partnership event with Homobloc, and performances from Lauren Auder, Naima Bock and R.AGGS as part of a partnership event with FaT OuT.
Samantha Moy, Head of BBC Radio 6 Music said: “Independent grassroot venues are vital to the UK’s music ecosystem and at 6 Music, we’re proud to support what they do. So, it makes sense for the next evolution of the 6 Music Festival to take place in these special spaces, collaborating with new partners and celebrating Manchester’s incredible music legacy, as well as the next generation of artists.”
Nick Grimshaw said: “So excited to be back at the 6 Music Festival in Manchester. Bringing a whole host of excellent artists and showcasing them at grassroots venues – these independent spaces are increasingly under threat but are vital for culture and a space where artists are given the freedom to take risks, grow, and truly flourish. I can’t wait!”
Full BBC 6 Music Festival 2026 line-up & schedule
Weds 25th March – BBC Introducing
- TTSSFU + Pyncher + Ellen Beth Abdi at Band on the Wall from 7pm
Thursday 26th March
- Kelly Lee Owens (DJ set) + Wesley Joseph at Band on the Wall from 7pm
- Mandy, Indiana + SILVERWINGKILLER at YES from 7pm
Friday 27th March
- Bloc Party + The Horrors at Band on the Wall from 7pm
- Yard Act + Sorry at YES from 7pm
- Indie Forever club night with Steve Lamacq, Beth Ditto + Nick Grimshaw, Emily Pilbeam + Nathan Shepherd, and Lambrini Girls at YES from midnight
Saturday 28th March
- Courtney Barnett + Jacob Alon at Band on the Wall from 7pm
Lynks + Tiberius b at YES from 7pm - 6 Music Festival and FaT OuT present Lauren Auder, Naima Bock and R.AGGS at Eccles Town Hall Ballroom from 3pm
- Homobloc presents 6 Music Festival’s Closing Party with Olof Dreijer at YES from 11.30pm
A new eight-part BBC Sounds podcast, The Rise and Fall of Madchester, presented by Steve Lamacq and Music & Cultural PR Creative Alison Bell, will be available on BBC Sounds from 8am on Monday 16th March.
The series captures the iconic Manchester music movement of the 80s and early 90s, following the rise of Factory Records and the Haçienda, the emergence of The Stone Roses, Happy Mondays and New Order, and the moment guitar music and club culture collided.
Drawing on the BBC’s extensive archive and featuring new interviews with artists, DJs and journalists, The Rise and Fall of Madchester celebrates the music of a city that reshaped British culture and still defines it.
How to get tickets for BBC Radio 6 Music Festival
Tickets to each event are sold separately and will be available here, from 10am on Thursday 12th February.