The curators shaping the 2026 programme, with more to be announced.

Audio North

A Northern England music platform launched in July 2024 by The Manc Group, the publishers behind The Manc, The Hoot and The Sheff. Audio North covers local and visiting talent across Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Newcastle and Liverpool through gig reviews, festival coverage and artist interviews, working with venues including the AO Arena in Manchester and First Direct Arena in Leeds. Its series include 'Short Stuff' (60-second videos on local scene histories), 'On The Street' (in-queue interviews) and 'Audio Meets', a strand of industry conversations with rising and established artists.

BBC Introducing

A BBC platform launched in 2007 to discover, support and play unsigned, undiscovered and under-the-radar musicians across the UK. More than 190,000 registered artists have uploaded tracks via the Uploader, and selected music is played on local BBC stations before being forwarded for potential national airplay on Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, 6 Music, Radio 3 and the Asian Network. It hosts stages at major festivals including Glastonbury (since 2007), Reading & Leeds and Radio 1's Big Weekend. Early-career artists played via the platform include George Ezra, Ed Sheeran, Jake Bugg, Florence + the Machine and Olivia Dean.

FOCUS Wales

An international multi-venue showcase music festival and BAFTA-qualifying film festival held annually in Wrexham, North Wales. The 2026 edition was the 16th, with more than 250 artists from 26 countries across 20 stages, 434 industry delegates and over 25,000 festival-goers, and the 2027 edition returns from 6 to 8 May. It was co-founded by Andy Jones and Neal Thompson, with industry, conference and partnerships directed by Sarah Jones, and carries an annual editorial theme; in 2026 it was 'A Fairer Future for Music'. FOCUS Wales also runs year-round international export work under the #WelshMusicAbroad banner, including showcases at ESNS, SXSW and The Great Escape.

Heist or Hit

An independent record label, artist management company and music publisher, based in a warehouse space in Manchester's Northern Quarter. Founded in 2008 by Mick Scholefield, it has carried the tagline 'Tied to the tracks since 2008' ever since. Its genre-spanning roster centres on extraordinary pop cut with indie sensibilities. Current artists include Pyncher, Cutscene, cruush, Georgian, Ladylike, Makeshift Art Bar, MLEKO, Nature TV, The Slow Country and two blinks i love you, while past signings span its flagship band Her's, plus Pizzagirl, Brad Stank, JWestern, Westside Cowboy, Eades, Honey Moon, Hannah's Little Sister, SKIA, Tungz, Indigo Bay, Guest Singer and Orpine.

Melodic

A British independent record label founded in Manchester in 1999 by David Cooper. As one of the city's longest-running independents, it celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2024. The current roster includes Strawberry Guy, W. H. Lung, The Cool Greenhouse, Nightbus, Shaking Hand, Lili Holland-Fricke and Minotaur Shock, and Melodic also runs an arm, Melodic European Labels, that distributes and promotes overseas labels throughout Europe. Strawberry Guy's 'Mrs Magic' has surpassed 700 million Spotify streams.

Raise The Bar (RTB)

A Manchester underground rap collective and open mic / cypher night. Raise The Bar (RTB) drives the city's grassroots rap scene, hosting monthly events at venues including Aatma, Stage and Radio, and The Old Abbey Tap House. It is built on the principle of bringing rap back to its roots: open mic slots give each rapper nine minutes to win a paid champion set at the next event, with the first ten through the door acting as judges. RTB regularly works with Crop Radio and Treehouse on cross-collective Manchester hip hop and grime events.

Studio 88

A high-spec recording studio housing a 360-degree creative agency, based in Salford and playing a key role in Manchester's music underground. Beyond recording, Studio 88 offers artist development, engineering and creative direction, and has a track record of working with Manchester's underground party scene, alongside radio residencies with Reform Radio and Unity Radio.

SXSW

SXSW London is the first international edition of South by Southwest, the legendary festival and conference that has convened music, film, technology and culture since 1987. Held across Shoreditch each June, it brings the SXSW model — a week of showcases, screenings, talks and ideas — to the heart of East London. BTM's relationship with SXSW grew out of its 2023 launch event at the original Austin show, and the 2026 partnership now places BTM's curators alongside one of the most influential creative-industries gatherings in the world, on home turf.

Treehouse Manchester

A Manchester music platform and grime collective. Treehouse MCR runs a podcast, freestyle series, music videos and vlogs from 'our house to yours,' and broadcasts its bi-weekly grime show on Unity Radio (Thursdays, 9-11pm), hosted by founder Walshy. It hosts Treehouse Live events across Manchester and takes its sets to radio stations and venues across the country, regularly platforming artists like Blakey Boy, Rory, Niftz, Adzman and KIME.

OpenLab

OpenLab is a forward-thinking, multidisciplinary platform operating out of Ibiza and broadcasting globally, combining a 24/7 radio station with digital arts and creative design. The platform blends alternative, electronic, ambient, and experimental music, alongside high-end visual art, design, and architecture. Established as a culturally innovative hub, it focuses on connecting independent talent with audiences worldwide via their FM frequency, apps, and live events.

The Line of Best Fit

A UK-based independent online music magazine, founded in London in February 2007 by Richard Thane and currently edited by Paul Bridgewater. One of the largest independent music publications in the UK, it focuses on new and alternative music, with fresh content daily from writers and photographers around the world. It also runs the record label Best Fit Recordings, hosts its own annual London festival Five Day Forecast (running since 2015), and presents stages at SXSW, Iceland Airwaves, The Great Escape and End of the Road. Its album reviews feed into Metacritic and AnyDecentMusic?.

Dot to Dot Festival

A multi-city UK new-music showcase festival, held across the late May bank holiday weekend in Bristol and Nottingham. Programmed by DHP Family (booker Conrad Rogan), the festival celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2025 and platforms emerging artists across grassroots and mid-sized venues in each city. It has a track record of booking future headliners early, with Idles, Hard Life and London Grammar all playing Dot to Dot before going on to much larger venues. Its sold-out 2026 edition was led by Lambrini Girls, Fcukers and NewDad, and the festival returns for 2027.