Courtney Barnett, Jacob Alon, Sorry, and more to perform across Manchester's independent venues for BBC Radio 6 Music Festival 2026

This year, BBC Radio 6 Music returns to Greater Manchester, where the festival has been permanently based since 2023, with the aim of supporting the city's grassroots music scene by bringing the festival to independent venues, including YES, Band on the Wall, and Eccles Town Hall Ballroom.

The line-up is set to include Bloc Party, Courtney Barnett, The Horrors, Jacob Alon, a DJ set from Kelly Lee Owens, Lynks, Mandy, Indiana, SILVERWINGKILLER, Sorry, Tiberius b, Wesley Joseph and Yard Act, with club night DJ sets from Beth Ditto & Nick Grimshaw, Emily Pilbeam & Nathan Shepherd, Lambrini Girls and Steve Lamacq.

In partnership with underground music promoter FaT OuT and Homobloc and LGBTQ+ nightlife festival Homobloc, there will be performances from Lauren Auder, Naima Bock and R.AGGS, and DJ sets from The Knife’s Olof Dreijer, Aiden Francis and Fig, respectively.

Ahead of the festival, select artists will present a four-part series of Artist in Residence, from Monday to Thursday, which will take listeners on their musical journey, with each episode focusing on a particular mood or theme. The artists taking part are Bloc Party (9-12 February), Courtney Barnett (16-19 February), Kelly Lee Owens (2-5 March), The Horrors (9-12 March), Jacob Alon (16-19 March) and Yard Act (23-26 March).

A new eight-part BBC Sounds podcast titled The Rise and Fall of Madchester, hosted by Steve Lamacq and Music & Cultural PR Creative, Alison Bell, will also be available from 8am on Monday, 16 March, offering a deep dive into the Manchester music movement of the 80s and 90s.