TRNSMT is shaking up one of its longest lasting stages, changing the name of the River Stage to the BBC Introducing Stage and showcasing 20 of the most exciting emerging artists in the country.  

Tucked away at the back of the festival grounds, the River Stage has long been a small platform to introduce emerging artists who’ll graduate to bigger stages in the years that follow. The BBC Introducing Stage will put a more unique spin on that idea, spotlighting the city’s thriving music scene as part of Glasgow’s 850th anniversary celebrations by featuring local rising stars alongside other acts from across the UK. 

Friday’s line-up will be headlined by Scottish rap’s perennial favourite Bemz (main picture), alongside UK hip hop duo Frankie Stew & Harvey Gunn, who’ve enjoyed viral hits like ‘Put It On Me’ and ‘Dream Factory’. Also performing on Friday are Cliffords, Redolent, Indoor Foxes, Fourth Daughter and Becky Sikasa, who won 2025’s BBC Introducing’s Scottish Act Of The Year award. 

Headlining on Saturday is VLURE, who’ll be preceded by Chloe Slater, Guest List, Welly, The Rooks, Fright Years and Alex Spencer. Sunday will welcome indie folkster Matilda Mann as headliner, with Aaron Rowe, Nell Mescal, KuleeAngee, Ben Ellis and Dictator also performing. 

Festival Director Geoff Ellis said: ‘TRNSMT’s bumper line-up just got even bigger with 20 incredible up-and-coming artists added to the bill. We take great pride in providing a platform for the next generation of talent, and it’s always rewarding to see artists start on this stage before going on to great things throughout their career.  

‘Many of these acts have a strong connection to Glasgow, whether they were born and raised here or have played the city’s iconic venues on their journey to success. It’s an honour to celebrate their talent as part of Glasgow’s 850th anniversary and welcome them to Scotland’s biggest music festival.’ 

The announcement injects a healthy indie sensibility into a line-up teeming with major acts, including headliners 50 Cent, Biffy Clyro and Snow Patrol. Alongside the headliners are bands like Fontaines DC, The Script, Wet Leg, Kneecap, Twin Atlantic, The Kooks, Wunderhorse and The Lathums. They’ll be joined by solo performers including Sigrid, Biig Piig, Jamie Webster, Gracie Abrams, Nina Nesbitt and Nieve Ella. 

Despite its ‘safe pair of hands’ approach to headliners, we found a lot to enjoy further down the bill at last year’s TRNSMT, particularly on the River Stage. ‘It’s testament to the busy folks at DF Concerts that we were able to eschew the usual “review the big-hitters” formula of coverage and focus on some legitimately niche and musically diverse acts across the three biggest stages. No one could claim the brand had confounded its conservative image, but there’s much more than meets the eye across TRNSMT.’ Read our full review here. 

Want the lowdown on every headliner to grace the TRNSMT bill so far? Then check out how we ranked them from best to worst. 

TRNSMT 2025, Glasgow Green, Friday 11–Sunday 13 July; main picture: Andy Lowe.