Following the details of its upcoming third edition and new venue at MediaCity, Salford, Beyond The Music has revealed the first 21 artists to perform across its festival programme spanning 7th, 8th and 9th October 2026.
Running alongside its acclaimed 3-day global forum for the music and creative content industries, Beyond The Music's new music festival will take over spaces across the MediaCity campus and Salford, from outdoor stages and dock10 studios to disused shops and much-loved local music venues.
Curation
Programmed by Oli Wilson, co-founder and lead music programmer of Beyond The Music, the festival has built a reputation as one of the UK's most diverse and immersive showcases through its commitment to finding, booking and nurturing talent both new and established. It champions underrepresented and undersupported genres, scenes and individuals, particularly those from Greater Manchester, and gives them equal opportunities to grow their fanbases and professional networks, whatever their level of experience in the music industry.
I'm proud to present such a mix of musical genres — from rap to classical, punk to RnB — that defines the modern Manchester sound. There is another music revolution pending here, and we are proud to be platforming it; not only by showcasing new artists, but by connecting them with the networks and tools they need to build a career. Manchester is once again at the forefront of music culture, serving as both a tastemaker and the forge for a new industry created by and for the artist. I'm looking forward to welcoming artists, music fans and industry to MediaCity in Salford this October — to be part of and shape the future of the music and content industries.
Established talents and returning artists
Amongst the lineup's more established talents are Lady Ice, who gained national recognition on BBC One and BBC Three's The Rap Game UK (with Krept, Konan and DJ Target), where her viral performance showcased her commanding delivery and genre-blending style; West London MC Bawo; and returning local star OneDa, who has become a key figure for Beyond The Music, performing early-career slots in previous editions and hosting 2025's INSPIRE "Beyond The Band" education event at Co-op Live, supported by Ignition Music.
Also returning for 2026 are self-proclaimed punk limbo-ers Loose Articles, whose career has grown with Beyond The Music since their 2023 launch event at SXSW in Austin, Texas. These names will share the Beyond The Music stages with the talents of the future, from new LAB Records signees and buzz band Mouth Ulcers and North East pop-riser Loren Heat, to Manchester's own new prospects Nico Harmony, Che3kz, Teleshopping and many more.
Full first wave
Bawo · Che3kz · Cutscene · Ewan Sim · Getner · Hana Lili · Holly Head · Jayahadadream · Lady Ice · Loose Articles · Loren Heat · Migraine Mowgli · Mouth Ulcers · Naomi Kalu · Nico Harmony · OneDa · Roukaya B · Superlative · TeeZandos · Teleshopping · Third Kulture.
Submissions open
Today also marks the opening of the festival's artist submission programme, which invites grassroots artists from the North West and across the globe, including those without teams or booking agents in place, to submit their music for the chance to perform at one of Beyond The Music's key 2026 venues.
Early bird tickets for Beyond The Music 2026 are almost sold out, so grab the remaining tickets before the deadline on Monday 13th April at 5pm. 3-day music tickets start at £44 and full delegate tickets from £183.