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BBC Radio 6 Music Festival reveals 2026 line-up across Greater Manchester grassroots venues

Yard Act + Sorry at YES is the most BBC 6 Music thing ever

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 10th February 2026

The BBC Radio 6 Music Festival has today revealed its line-up for this year’s event, which will feature some massive names performing at intimate grassroots venues in Greater Manchester.

This year’s inner-city music festival will take place between Wednesday 25 and Sunday 28 March, at venues including Band on the Wall, YES, and even the Eccles Town Hall Ballroom.

And the headliners are huge, including Bloc Party, Courtney Barnett, The Horrors, and BRIT Award Critics’ Choice winner Jacob Alon.

Ticket-holders will also have the chance to see DJ sets from the likes of Beth Ditto and Nick Grimshaw, Emily Pilbeam & Nathan Shepherd, Lambrini Girls and Steve Lamacq as part of an Indie Forever club night.

Samantha Moy, Head of BBC Radio 6 Music says: “Independent grassroot venues are vital to the UK’s music ecosystem and at 6 Music, we’re proud to support what they do.

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“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 says: “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!”

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Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, says: “Greater Manchester’s music scene has always been driven by its grassroots venues and independent spirit. They’re vital to nurturing new talent and keeping our cultural life vibrant.

“It’s fantastic to see the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival celebrating those spaces and shining a spotlight on the creativity that continues to flourish right across our city region.”

BBC 6 Music Festival line-up in full

Weds 25 March – BBC Introducing

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  • TTSSFU + Pyncher + Ellen Beth Abdi at Band on the Wall from 7pm

Thursday 26 March

  • Kelly Lee Owens (DJ set) + Wesley Joseph at Band on the Wall from 7pm
  • Mandy, Indiana + SILVERWINGKILLER at YES from 7pm

Friday 27 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 28 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’s Festival’s Closing Party with Olof Dreijer at YES from 11.30pm

The festival will extend to the BBC 6 Music broadcast schedule too, with some shows broadcast live from MediaCity and plenty of highlights shared from the festivalt oo.

All 6 Music and BBC Radio Manchester programmes will be available on BBC Sounds for 30 days after broadcast. Performances and DJ sets will be added to BBC Sounds during the festival.

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Headliners will each present a four-part series of Artist in Residence, inviting listeners on a journey into their musical soul, in the lead-up to the festival (Bloc Party (9-12 Feb), Courtney Barnett (16-19 Feb), Kelly Lee Owens (2-5 Mar), The Horrors (9-12 Mar), Jacob Alon (16-19 Mar) and Yard Act (23-26 Mar)).

In addition, 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 16 March.

Tickets to each event are sold separately and will be available from www.bbc.co.uk/6musicfestival at 10am on Thursday 12 February.

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Featured image: BBC Radio 6 Music

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Kaytranada announces huge Manchester gig at Co-op Live on new tour

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Kaytranada announces huge Manchester gig at Co-op Live on new tour

Kaytranada will be performing a huge show in Manchester as part of his newly-announced 2026 European tour.

The Montreal-based producer is set to bring his unmistakable dancefloor sound to the Co-op Live arena this June, marking the only northern date on the UK run alongside London and Birmingham.

From huge hits like ‘BE YOUR GIRL’, to his latest song with Pink Pantheress, Kaytranada’s run has been nothing short of iconic, and his live shows are guaranteed to be non-stop movement from start to finish.

The news follows his co-headline tour with Justice last year, and the release of his album AIN’T NO DAMN WAY!, which features songs including Grammy-nominated SPACE INVADER.

The 10-times-nominated, two-times Grammy award-winning artist will be heading to cities including London, Paris, and Birmingham.

Kaytranada will be supported in Manchester and on all European dates by Uncle Waffles.

Tickets will go on sale from 10am on Friday 13 February HERE, with a pre-sale live from 10am on Tuesday 10 February.

Kaytranada European tour dates in full

  • 1 June – Amsterdam, NL @ Ziggo Dome
  • 4 June – Berlin, DE @ Uber Arena
  • 5 June – Warsaw, PL @ Sektor
  • 9 June – Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion
  • 11 June – Munich, DE @ Olympiahalle
  • 14 June – Belgium, BE @ ING Arena
  • 16 June – Paris, FR @ Accor Arena
  • 18 June – London, UK @ The O2
  • 20 June – Birmingham, UK @ Utilita Arena Birmingham
  • 23 June – Manchester, UK @ Co-op Live
  • 25 June – Milan, IT @ Unipol Forum

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Featured image: Liam McCrae

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Swedish pop icon Robyn to play huge Manchester gig on European tour this summer

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant Robyn

Generational Swedish pop icon Robyn is heading out on a big European tour this summer, and she’ll be stopping off in Manchester.

This is Robyn’s first major tour since 2019, and it will feature 20 dates as well as her biggest ever headline shows – including London’s 20,000 capacity O2 Arena, and three consecutive hometown nights at Stockholm’s Avicii Arena.

And, of course, a night at Europe’s largest indoor arena – Co-op Live, here in Manchester.

Having provided some of the biggest moments in pop culture over the last three decades, Robyn is currently in the eye of one of the year’s most celebrated musical returns, as 2026 has seen her announce her ninth studio album, and her first since 2018, titled Sexistential, produced with longtime collaborator Klas Åhlund, and reuniting her with Max Martin for their first co-writes since 2010.

It’s said to be the ‘most ecstatic’ record Robyn has ever made, and is tipped to be the sound of one of contemporary music’s most influential artists ‘coming home’.

This upcoming tour will feature an exciting lineup of special guest openers across the UK and Europe dates – with 808 State and Zhala on the bill for Manchester‘s gig, bringing together a mix of boundary-pushing artists who are either friends of Robyn or among the voices that inspire her.

Robyn – The Sexistential Tour UK & EU 2026

  • Wednesday 24 June – 3Arena, Dublin
  • Friday 26 June – OVO Hydro, Glasgow
  • Saturday 27 June – Co-op Live, Manchester
  • Tuesday 30 June – ING Arena, Brussels, Belgium
  • Wednesday 1 July – Adidas Arena, Paris, France
  • Friday 3 July – The O2, London
  • Wednesday 8 July – Uber Arena, Berlin, Germany
  • Saturday 11 July – Unity Arena, Oslo, Norway
  • Tuesday 14 July – Royal Arena, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • Thursday 16 July – Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
  • Friday 17 July – Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
  • Saturday 18 July – Avicii Arena, Stockholm, Sweden

Following on from the UK and European tour, Robyn will then head over to the US and Australia for another run of huge dates in major cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Mexico City, before the tour draws to a close in Melbourne in Australia on 24 November.

Robyn will bring The Sexistential Tour to Co-op Live in Manchester on Saturday 27 June 2026, and tickets officially go on sale this week.

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There are two separate pre-sales happening this week before tickets then go on general sale this Friday 13 February – there’s the Co-op Presale, which starts tomorrow (Tuesday 10 February) at 10am, and then the Spotify Presale, which starts on Thursday 12 February at 10am.

You can get tickets when they go live on general sale this Friday at 10am here.

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