Sound City has done what it’s always done best: stuck its neck out, ignored the algorithm, and backed the next wave before anyone else dares to. With a fresh stack of emerging artists added to the 2026 line-up, Liverpool’s inner-city discovery festival is once again positioning itself as the place where future headliners are spotted before they explode, not after.
Already boasting headline names like Jalen Ngonda, Keo and Westside Cowboy, the festival now welcomes a thick, chaotic, exciting spread of new talent that feels less like a safe playlist and more like a genuine snapshot of what’s bubbling under the surface of UK and international guitar music. Newly confirmed names including The Rolling People, TIDETIED, Brooki, Tom Rowley, Adult Leisure, Basht and a long list of equally intriguing newcomers turn Sound City into a kind of musical laboratory — messy, unpredictable, and absolutely necessary.
If you’re looking for the next guitar band with actual teeth, Stockport’s The Rolling People are hard to ignore. Their momentum has been building through relentless gigging and tracks like Disguise, and they carry that familiar British indie hunger that feels one big moment away from boiling over. Dublin’s Basht arrive with a sharper, more abrasive alt-rock edge, while Dirty Circus inject colour and chaos with post-baggy grooves that feel tailor-made for sweaty basement venues rather than polite playlists.
Elsewhere, Adult Leisure bring Bristol’s upbeat pop shimmer, Brooki deliver emotionally charged grit from Dublin, and Tough Cookie arrive from London armed with melody, emotion and bass-heavy hooks that hit harder than they should. Bleech 9.3 push things darker and moodier, while Vancouver’s PISS promise confrontation, urgency and a refusal to play nice — exactly the sort of band Sound City has historically thrived on championing.
There’s also a quieter, more introspective side to the line-up. Jamie McIntyre, Ben Ellis and Zander represent the ever-growing wave of UK solo storytellers, while Talia Rae’s expressive R&B adds texture beyond guitars and distortion. Acts like Little Grandad, The North and Girl In The Year Above blur genre lines further, mixing Americana, slacker rock, vulnerability and mystery into something that feels refreshingly unpolished.
What makes this announcement land isn’t just the names — it’s the philosophy behind it. Sound City has never pretended to be a greatest-hits festival. It’s always been about catching artists at that dangerous moment just before they break, when the songs still feel risky and the crowds still feel intimate. That’s why its alumni list — from The 1975 to Stormzy — reads less like a PR stunt and more like a prophecy that keeps coming true.
Managing director Becky Ayres’ comments about spotting talent on the brink feel less like marketing copy and more like a mission statement the festival has actually lived by. In an industry increasingly obsessed with data, metrics and TikTok virality, Sound City still backs instinct, taste and gut feeling — which is precisely why it matters.
Beyond the music, Sound City remains more than just a weekend of gigs. The Sound City+ conference continues to act as a meeting point for the industry, while initiatives like Apply To Play keep the door open for grassroots artists who would otherwise never get near a festival stage. It’s one of the few events that still feels connected to the ecosystem it claims to represent, rather than hovering above it.
Set across Liverpool city centre from Saturday 2 to Sunday 3 May 2026, with the conference kicking off on Friday 1 May, Sound City once again proves that discovering new music isn’t about trends — it’s about taking risks. And judging by this line-up, the festival isn’t just predicting the future of guitar music. It’s actively shaping it.
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