Young Fathers, Gossip and The Smile have been unveiled as headliners for the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival in Manchester.
This year’s edition of the festival takes place from Thursday, March 7 to Sunday, March 10 in Greater Manchester. It was announced live on air this morning by Lauren Laverne.
The station’s flagship live music festival, which is now based permanently in Greater Manchester, will feature new music debuts, unique collaborations and surprise guests.
The line-up includes:
Thursday, March 7: Young Fathers, performing a unique collaboration with the Hulme and Moss Side-based NIA community choir, supported by Hak Baker and Sherelle (DJ set)
Friday, March 8: Gossip’s first UK show in four years, supported by CMAT and Afrodeutsche (DJ set)
Saturday, March 9: The Smile and the London Contemporary Orchestra, supported by Jordan Rakei and Mary Anne Hobbs & Anna Phoebe (a hybrid performance featuring a DJ set from Hobbs and Phoebe playing live violin and viola)
6 Music presenters – including Deb Grant and Tom Ravenscroft (pictured), Chris Hawkins, Craig Charles, Mary Anne Hobbs, Don Letts, Amy Lamé, Lauren Laverne, Stuart Maconie, Cerys Matthews, Gilles Peterson, Jamz Supernova and Mark Radcliffe – will all be broadcasting live from MediaCityUK in Salford and the festival venues.
Further shows include a BBC Music Introducing night at Band on the Wall and New Music Fix Live at YES. Club nights will include Indie Forever at Band on the Wall and Rave Forever at Archive, Depot Mayfield Manchester in partnership with the Warehouse Project.
DJs playing across the city at the festival during the weekend include Lolly Adefope, Space Afrika, 96 Back, Daphni, Lily Fontaine (English Teacher), Mary Anne Hobbs, I. Jordan, Femi Koleoso (Ezra Collective), Amy Lamé, LCY, Mica Levi, Rainy Miller, Not Bad For A Girl DJs, DJ Paulette, Emily Pilbeam, salute, DJ Seinfeld, Nathan Shepherd, Iceboy Violet, Yyre and Children of Zeus.
Highlights from the festival will be broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio Manchester, as well as on BBC Sounds, BBC Four, BBC iPlayer and BBC Music’s YouTube channel.
Tickets for each separate event will be available from 10am on Thursday, January 18 via the festival website.
Lauren Laverne said: “We can’t wait to kick start the 6 Music Festival and find out what some of our favourite artists have in store for us – in a busy festival season this is a chance to see and hear something brand new! See you there!”
Samantha Moy, head of 6 Music, said: “The 6 Music Festival is always a very special moment in our year and we can’t wait to bring our audience some truly unique performances. Come and join us!”
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “It’s fantastic to see the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival returning to Greater Manchester this year. We’re immensely proud of our musical heritage, but also the phenomenal depth of talent and the exciting independent scene across our city-region right now. As BBC Radio 6 Music has always supported new and alternative artists, it’s a perfect fit for the festival to have its permanent home here for years to come.
“There’s so much new Greater Manchester music out there right now that deserves to be heard, which is why it’s so important to develop platforms for emerging artists. That’s precisely what we’ve been celebrating with the Mayor’s Artist Of The Month on BBC Radio Manchester and, like BBC Radio 6 Music, we want to help those acts get on and reach new audiences.”
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