A ‘00s baby growing up in Vegas, Hykeem Carter couldn’t be any less interested in a City of Sin devoid of a hip hop scene. But, maybe, it was that very boredom that fuelled the budding Grammy Award winner’s hunger to explore new horizons; working on his craft largely under the radar; purposely not reaching out or revealing his connection to his cousin – a one Kendrick Lamar – until he reached at least an adequate level of prowess. Baby Keem’s debut album, The Melodic Blue, came in 2021, a forceful, mostly self-produced statement of intent from the burgeoning artist. Trap bangers high on ‘durag activity’ with the likes of Travis Scott pierced through wistful, cinematic moods akin to indie song-making, all the way to number five on the Billboard 200. The now LA-based rapper also had the confidence to stand proudly beside Lamar. Enter ‘family ties’, a combative, horn-laden showstopper of a track from the album, and the cousins’ first official collab. Nominated for two Grammy Awards, the single won them Best Rap Performance the following year. While shedding the layers to allow a new vulnerability shine through, Baby Keem bolstered his resume with high-profile collabs on either side of his first studio release: he got production credits on Beyoncé’s The Lion King: The Gift, Jay Rock’s Redemption and Schoolboy Q’s Crash Talk. He joined Kanye West’s ‘Praise God’, alongside Travis Scott, on the chart-topping Donda in 2021, and Lamar’s conscious hip-hop opus Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers in 2022, winner of Best Rap Album at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards. Still in his early 20s, a break for this life-long student of hip-hop was long overdue. But, even away from the spotlight, Baby Keem is always writing his next chapter. Hear him roar.

Released to widespread critical acclaim in December 2013, El Camino debuted at number two on the Billboard Top 200 and has already been certified Platinum in Australia, Canada, Ireland and New Zealand, and Gold in France, the UK and US. Produced by Danger Mouse and The Black Keys El Camino includes the hit single 'Lonely Boy', the video for which was nominated for an MTV Music Video Award, as well as 'Gold On The Ceiling', which the band performed with Johnny Depp at the 2012 MTV Movie Awards.

One of pop’s most exciting new voices Freya Skye has announced her first ever UK tour. The rising star returns for a series of headline shows. The actress and singer-songwriter will tour her latest and standout singles such as 'Gold’s Gone,' 'Who I Thought I Knew' and 'Can’t Fake It'. Each track showcasing Freya’s powerful voice and unique blend of pop melodies and heartfelt lyricism.

As the only woman to win the iconic song contest twice, with Euphoria in 2012 and Tattoo in 2023, Loreen has more than two billion streams to her name and knows precisely what energy and creative vision she wants to share with the world.

The Pogues are a Celtic folk rock band from London, formed in 1982 and fronted by Shane MacGowan. The band reached international prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. MacGowan left the band in 1991 but the band continued first with Joe Strummer and then with Spider Stacy on vocals before breaking up in 1996. The band reformed in 2001, and has been playing regularly ever since, most notably on the US East Coast around St Patrick's Day and across the UK and Ireland every December.

British singer-songwriter and poet whose debut studio album, Collapsed in Sunbeams, was released in 2021 to critical acclaim and peaked at number three on the UK Albums Chart.

Following the overwhelming response to their live return last year, Hard-Fi have announced a full nationwide tour of the UK. The influential band returned to the stage in 2022, selling out the O2 Kentish Town Forum in under 10 minutes while also playing Manchester's Neighbourhood Festival before headlining Stand Up To Cancer's annual charity show with an intimate set. Now Hard-Fi have confirmed they will hit the road for a full, 13 date UK tour, their first in over ten years. This is an 14+ event.

Expansive progressive metalcore band hailing from Orange County, California.

English musician Frank Carter serves as the charismatic, high-energy frontman for the Sex Pistols.

Jalen N'gonda is one of the most captivating performers on today’s soul scene. His voice, equal parts raw feeling and elegance, exudes confidence and charm. Most recently, Jalen thrilled audiences and garnered rave reviews with his powerful solo performance in support of Thee Sacred Souls’ US tour. Now with a pair of widely revered singles under his belt at his new home, Daptone Records, Jalen prepares for the release of his debut LP, Come Around and Love Me. 

Hard rocking New York quartet fronted by ex-Gossip Girl star Taylor Momsen The Pretty Reckless formed in NYC in 2009 under the guidance of former actress and model Taylor Momsen. Famed for her roles in Gossip Girl and How The Grinch Stole Christmas, Momsen turned her back on acting to focus on a music career. Specialising in a swaggering hard rock sound that drew on influences from Led Zeppelin to Hole, the band toured as opener for The Veronicas before releasing their first song ‘Make Me Wanna Die’ on the soundtrack to the film Kick-Ass. The Pretty Reckless’s first two albums saw their audience grow exponentially, with 2013’s Going To Hell landing at No.5 in the Billboard Top 200 off the back of singles ‘Messed Up World’ and ‘Follow Me Down’. The band’s third album Who You Selling For, landed them a slot opening for Soundgarden, whose drummer Matt Cameron went on to produce their fourth album Death By Rock And Roll. Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello guest appeared on the album, which was released in early 2021.

Three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter, New York Times best selling poet, and critically acclaimed actress are only a few titles held by Jill Scott. Before having the #1 album in the country with "The Light Of The Sun", performing at The White House, being named People Magazine's Top TV Breakout Star of 2010 and appearing on VH1 Divas alongside Aretha Franklin, the triple threat began her career collaborating with musical icons, The Roots, Will Smith, and Common in the late 90s. In 2000, she released her much anticipated debut record, Who is Jill Scott? Words & Sounds, Vol. 1, a double platinum album that earned Scott several Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist. Two more critically acclaimed albums followed, Beautifully Human: Words & Sounds, Vol. 2 and The Real Thing: Words & Sounds, Vol. 3 which garnered two more Grammy Awards and spawned multiple worldwide tours. Never limited to music, Jill Scott is a true multimedia brand across books, clothing, TV and film. Most recently, Jill starred in Get On Up: A James Brown Biopic, as DeeDee, the wife of James Brown. She also starred alongside Tyler Perry & Janet Jackson in the #1 national movie series Why Did I Get Married? (Pt. 1 and 2), Baggage Claim, Steel Magnolias and Sins of the Mother which aired on Lifetime and became the second-most watched premiere in the network's history. Jill was casted as the lead character in the HBO/BBC mini series filmed on location in Botswana, The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, a Peabody Award-winning show directed by the late Oscar Award-winning director Anthony Minghella. A consummate writer at heart, she penned The Moments, The Minutes, The Hours, a compilation of poems that instantly became a New York Times bestseller. Scott also developed an intimates line for Ashley Stewart and founded Blues Babe, a registered 501(c)3 foundation that has raised over hundreds of thousands dollars to support minority students pursuing college degrees. Jill released her highly anticipated 5th studio album WOMAN on July 24, 2015 which opened on the music charts at #1 giving Jill her 2nd consecutive number one album. Her “Woman” tour was a successful nationwide sold out tour in the Summer 2015 and she toured both internationally and domestic in the Summer of 2016.

Producer, singer, and songwriter James Blake became known for his unique style, which wrapped aching, gently sung R&B vocals around the deep bass and minimal rhythmic elements of dubstep. He arrived in 2009 with a series of 12" singles and achieved both critical acclaim and worldwide fame following his self-titled 2011 album. His renown continued to rise over the next several years, and he collaborated with pop icons like Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, and Bon Iver. His second album, 2013's Overgrown, earned him the prestigious Mercury Prize. Commercial success worldwide came in the mid-2010s, with high chart placings (as well as critical praise) for 2016's The Colour in Anything and 2019's Assume Form. 2021 saw Blake issue his fifth long-player, Friends That Break Your Heart, which included features from SZA, JID, SwaVay, and Monica Martin.

Stephen Wilson Jr. is a singer/songwriter from rural Southern Indiana. Wilson was raised by a single father who was a boxer and had him boxing from age seven through adulthood as an Indiana State Golden Gloves finalist.

A co-headline showcase of two iconic indie bands, blending The Wonder Stuff’s anthemic charm with Inspiral Carpets’ Madchester groove.

Yard Act formed in Leeds in September 2019 when Ryan Needham found himself temporarily living in James Smith's spare bedroom. The two had been pub associates for years, but their new living circumstances served as a catalyst for their friendship and creative partnership which saw them fuse James' interest in spoken word with Ryan's primitive proto-punk demos using an ancient drum machine and borrowed bass guitar. They released their first material in March 2020, coinciding with you-know-what, and with just three singles (The Trapper's Pelts, Fixer Upper and Peanuts) and three gigs to date, Yard Act have staked out a territory all their own. Setting up their own imprint Zen F.C. they released their debut 7 which can now only be found for exorbitant sums on Discogs, they've scored two 6music playlists, and they've won a growing fanbase with their coruscating, narrative driven, spoken word dance-punk. Now girding their loins for a 2021 filled with new music, new recordings, debut novels, and (fingers crossed) plenty of live shows, Yard Act have most definitely marked our cards as one of UK's most exciting prospects.

Metric were founded in 1998, when vocalist/keyboardist Emily Haines met British-born guitarist James Shaw in Toronto. Discovering they shared similar tastes in music, the duo set out to work together and began writing music which quickly became Metric’s debut EP Mainstream. Following the project’s release, the duo moved to Brooklyn, New York before being sent by their label to work with London-based producer Stephen Hague. Within months, the band had completed what they believed would be their debut album. Label troubles, however, meant that the album was pushed to the backburner and by the time the label was ready to give the album the attention it deserved, the band (who had since added drummer Joules Scott-Key and bassist Joshua Winstead to their ranks) decided it was no longer representative of their sound. In 2003, Metric finally released their first feature length project in Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?. The album was a huge critical and commercial success, projecting the band to the fore of early 2000’s rock. Since their debut, Metric have released 7 more albums, most recently this year’s Formentera, their most far-reaching and grand album yet. Written through the pandemic, the album’s warring emotions and crushing instrumentation perfectly capture the unrest and uncertainty of the era; and show once more why Metric continue to dominate hearts and minds across the world.

South Arcade's energy fills the room to the point of bursting. This is a band to keep an eye on in the future and one you definitely don’t want to sleep on. With their incessant vigour and with the music to back it all up. Even when they take things to slower and more heart-wrenching territories, it’s hard to take your eyes off them.

The twisted fantasy of two freaks of the new music scene in Buenos Aires picks up where it left off. Life after the Apocalypse holds a new opportunity for the deviant: new songs and a world tour, presenting the premiere of their psychotic adventure with the new sound of Argentina. Presented by Kili. This is an 16+ event - physical photo ID required.

Indie superstars Shed Seven can boast four Top 20 albums and fifteen Top 40 singles. The band from York burst on to the Britpop scene in 1994 and quickly shot to fame. Their hits include Disco Down, Chasing Rainbows and Going For Gold. Shed Seven is made up of drummer Alan Leach, guitarists Joe Johnson and Paul Banks, lead vocals from Rick Witter and Tom Gladwin on bass.

Gen Z’s working-class heroine belts out her grisly childhood experiences as though venting to a friend. Like Amy Winehouse before her, Skye Newman’s frank, bare-teethed truth-telling shines in an increasingly exclusive music industry.

Their latest single ‘Heart Attack’ marked their first new music since 2019, and the debut release in their latest incarnation with Ivor Novello winning composer and producer Benjamin John Power, aka Blanck Mass, who joins the band as a full time member. With its pulsating electronic intensity, sweeping 80’s inspired synths and epic, driving drum pads, ‘Heart Attack’ is the perfect introduction to Editors’ new era, whilst also fitting seamlessly into the band’s songbook; its gothic sonics and Tom Smith’s brooding vocals making it instantly recognisable. “Heart Attack is a song of obsession, about losing yourself in someone, a love song, a morbid love song,” says Smith. Having previously collaborated with Editors, bringing additional production to their sixth album, Violence, Benjamin John Power joins Smith, Justin Lockey, Elliott Williams, Russell Leetch and Ed Lay and ushers in another bold chapter for a band who have never stood still creatively. A band that has refused to stay still over the course of their 17 year career, ‘Heart Attack’ kicks off the next era of one of the UK’s most intriguing and enduring musical success stories. All 6 of Editors’ studio albums have charted in the UK top 10, with 2 scoring number 1’s, and their debut, The Back Room, being shortlisted for the Mercury Prize.

Fat Dog’s particular brand of chaos seems a fine antidote to the remains of pent-up lockdown frustration. The collective scream has found a mouth; the potential energy has been activated. Joe’s singing, his words slurred and distorted in the time-honoured tradition of delta bluesmen, melds to Jazz’s wordless vocals, high and keening like some punk banshee princess, equal parts Grace Slick and Yoko Ono.

Songer is a popular British artist/band, better known with the songs: "Warm Up Session".

Ebba Tove Elsa Nilsson, known professionally as Tove Lo, is a Swedish singer, songwriter, and actress who has been called "Sweden's darkest pop export" by Rolling Stone. She is known for her raw, grunge-influenced take on pop music.

Beartooth began as an emotional exorcism. Conceived, constructed, and unleashed by one man in a basement studio. Now, even as the band has grown to become a headlining festival act; cracked Billboard’s Top 25; lit up SiriusXM radio; and were crowned Breakthrough Band at both the Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards and Loudwire Music Awards, Beartooth’s music and message remain intensely personal.

UK-based singer, songwriter, and producer known for his viral, genre-blending pop hits like "i like the way you kiss me". His music is characterised by a moody, alternative sound that mixes 80s synth-pop, grunge, and dark R&B with catchy, self-produced hooks.

Following the release of their debut EP 'King of Terrors' and a string of rallying live appearances, President now embark on 'The Campaign Trail' — their inaugural U.K. headline tour. The run marks a pivotal moment in the movement, calling citizens across the country to stand united beneath the banner of belief, volume, and resistance. Each night will be more than a performance — it will be a statement.

Forming in Hampshire in 2006, metalcore outfit Bury Tomorrow rapidly propelled the genre into the British mainstream. Following the release of their The Sleep Of The Innocents EP in 2007, and their Portraits debut full-length two years later, the six-piece signed to Nuclear Blast for their breakthrough album The Union Of Crows. Although not breaking into the official UK album chart, the record saw them land on the the UK rock and metal list, as well as on the stateside Heatseekers rundown, hinting at things to come.

Now Wave present the American singer-songwriter, Kelela live in Manchester

Hailing from the midlands and west of Ireland, the trio take inspiration from artists such as John Prine, Paolo Nutini, Ye Vagabonds, Talos, as well as others, and despite being in their infancy, they have already gained a strong core following from playing intimate live gigs.

The Mary Wallopers are a folk group from Dundalk, breathing new life into both well known & rare ballads. Travelling the length & breadth of the country singing & collecting songs, they exude a raw energy that could be described as the Clancy Brothers meet John Lydon.

Florida band marked by yearning, emotional post-hardcore and the vocal acrobatics of singer Kellin Quinn.

Rizzle Kicks is a highly successful British hip-hop and pop-rap duo formed in Brighton by childhood friends Jordan "Rizzle" Stephens and Harley "Sylvester" Alexander-Sule. Known for their sharp lyrics, cheeky demeanor, and infectious, feel-good tracks, they defined the UK music scene in the early 2010s before taking a lengthy hiatus.

The three-piece band performs blackened death metal.

RØRY is a London-based singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. Ex-circus clown and fire eater. A one man soulband, poet and storyteller, singing his own unique upbeat dance stories. A modern travelling troubadour using tap shoes, acappella, harmonica, guitar, trombone, spoons, finger cymbals, bandorea, djembe and various percussion instruments.

Guitar-bending instrumental group Polyphia have distinguished themselves as prog rock mavericks, playing a style that falls somewhere between blisteringly fast metal-god virtuosity and pure pop. They first grabbed attention with their 2013 EP Inspire after the track "Impassion" went viral. Since then, albums like 2014's Muse and 2016's Renaissance have found them further honing their technically brilliant instrumental sound, combining sophisticated pop hooks with face-melting guitar solos.

Black Veil Brides is an American hard rock/glam rock band based out of Hollywood, California and formed in 2006 in Cincinnati, Ohio . The group is composed of Andy Biersack (vocals), Lonny Eagleton (bass), Jake Pitts (lead guitar), Jinxx (guitar, violin) and Christian (CC) Coma (drums). Released on StandBy Records, the band's debut album, We Stitch These Wounds was released in July 2010 and sold nearly 100,000 copies in its first week, ranking at #36 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, and #1 on the Billboard Independent chart. Black Veil Brides are known for their distinct appearance, mainly being inspired by Kiss's famous stage persona as well as numerous 1980s glam metal acts.

Saskatchewan is how it sounds: A province in the prairies of Canada. Double the size of Germany, but with less than one million residents. Lots of nature, and lots of silence. Perhaps lots of time to fill the silence with natural sounds, too. This is where the quartet The Dead South comes from, and fits perfectly within this description. The debut album “Good Company” revealed the four hatted, hairy and bearded fellas, with singer Nate Hilts as a focal point. The album is a perfect fit to the genres Folk, Neo-Folk and Bluegrass-Folk or even alternative Country with refreshing tunes to it. With impact, humor and a kind of bold manner of putting words into sound. The instrumentation stays knowingly pure: guitars, cello, banjo, kick drum, mandolin – building the acoustic fundamentals for full lead vocals and harmonies. The first album really was a promise that is now fulfilled with the upcoming UK release of the second album titled “Illusion & Doubt”. No doubt the four piece from the prairies has matured, not only because the banjo is now being played by a lady. Harmony changes as well as excellent and virtuosic instrumental parts have been added to their incredible energetic, passionate and sometimes surprisingly catchy melodies. But Hilts and company are far from being tame: “We are definitely closer to the Pogues than to Alison Krauss. Unfortunately, we do not possess much of the delicate elegance so we try and bring more energy and entertainment to our side. You could say we are a mix of Nu-folk with a few different styles mixed in between. We tend to add elements of classical, punk, rock, alternative, bluegrass, folk and everything in between.”

The Snuts are already beginning to craft an undeniably magnetic following, having captured the imagination of fans across Scotland with their early demos and infamously anthemic, all-encompassing live show.

Led by the self-assured vocals of songwriter Juliette Jackson, London indie rock outfit the Big Moon take their lead from the grunge and Brit-pop groups of the 1990s. After debuting in 2015 with EP The Road, they released their first album, Love in the 4th Dimension, in 2017.

Icelandic indie, folk and blues outfit.

A pioneering force in the djent scene, English progressive metallers TesseracT weld the technical to the conceptual in sprawling yet well-articulated recordings. The band issued a handful of demos and EPs before releasing their debut album, One, in 2011. They found commercial success in 2015 with the arrival of Polaris, which appeared on both the U.K. and U.S. charts, and continued to tighten their brutal and cerebral sound on 2018's Sonder and 2021's career-spanning concert LP Portals.

Maverick Sabre (born 12 July 1990) is an English/Irish vocalist and rapper, born in Hackney, London. Associated with genres such as R&B and folk, Sabre is known for his eerie vocals and guitar playing. In January 2011, Sabre appeared on Professor Green's single "Jungle", which peaked at number 31 in the UK Singles Chart. His debut EP, The Lost Words was released on 7 March 2011, with the single "Look What I've Done" preceding that release the week before.

Reggae and Dancehall icon Capleton comes to Birmingham this September with special guest Luciano Presented by Punch Records This is an 18+ event

Before the pandemic struck, Ezra Collective were on fire. A world tour awaited them following years of hard graft, the critically acclaimed release of their 2019 debut album You Can’t Steal My Joy, and an explosive Glastonbury performance that brought UK jazz to unseen heights. “Then a big pause button was pressed,” says Femi Koleoso, the drummer and band leader. Ezra had been touring relentlessly for more than half-a-decade, stopping only occasionally to record. “The pandemic was how we entered this transition phase,” he continues. Ezra Collective’s new era, a venture in discovered maturity and raised stakes, will be defined by the anticipated second album. Where I’m Meant To Be is a thumping celebration of life, an affirming elevation in the Ezra Collective’s winding hybrid sound and refined collective character. The songs marry cool confidence with bright energy. Full of call-and-response conversations between their ensemble parts, a natural product of years improvising together on-stage, the album-which also features Sampa The Great, Kojey Radical, Emile Sande and Nao - will light up sweaty dance floors and soundtrack summer dinners in equal measure.

Jacaranda Records presents a live performance from Melanie C in support of her new album 'Sweat'. Presented by Jacaranda Records. This is an 18+ event

Fuzzy indie from the reformed shoegaze pioneers.

Dylan Gossett is an American country and Americana singer-songwriter and producer from Austin, Texas. Known for his raw, acoustic style and gravelly vocals, he rose to viral fame in 2023 with his breakout double-platinum single "Coal". He is signed to Big Loud Texas and Mercury Records.

Celebrate Lil Peep's 30th birthday with an unforgettable night dedicated to his music and the community he inspired. Fans can expect a career-spanning set and a celebration of Gus's life, music, and legacy. Presented by Live Nation. Standing: 14+ / Post 11pm Curfew Events - 18+ Only Seated: 8+ (u14 must be accom