The inaugural festival was held in Manchester in February of 2014, with the BBC using their music-forward station Radio 6 Music to gather artists that fit their profile of alternative music beyond the typical commercialism of Radio 1. Speaking in 2014, Bob Shennan who was at the time controller of Radio 2 and 6, said “The BBC Radio 6 Music Festival brings a wonderful 6 Music line up of performances to music fans – one which reflects the fantastic range of artists that BBC Radio 6 Music offers listeners every day.”

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In a similar nature to Radio 1’s One Big Weekend event, the 6 Music Festival used to travel to different cities each year. 2014 in Manchester had Damon Albarn headlining, 2015’s in the Newcastle area had locals Maxïmo Park, and the 2016 iteration brought Primal Scream to Bristol. Since 2023, the festival took a permanent residence at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse, with last year’s offering including Ezra Collective and Mogwai.

For 2026, they’ve done things a little differently, moving away from the larger halls to something more intimate. The event is taking place across multiple independent venues around the sprawl of Greater Manchester, including the primary venues Band on the Wall, YES, and Eccles Town Hall Ballroom. Radio 6 DJ Nick Grimshaw, who will also be making appearances throughout the week, said to the BBC “These independent spaces are vital for culture and a space where artists are given the freedom to take risks, grow, and truly flourish. I can’t wait.”

This year’s 6 Music Festival starts at 7PM on Wednesday the 25th of March, running until Saturday the 28th. The biggest name on the bill are London indie rockers Bloc Party, who have undergone a renaissance in recent years and become one of the most in-demand bands on the live touring circuit. Also at the top of the list are The Horrors, who hail from Essex. Their brooding, dark brand of gothic-touched rock has been a big hit with festivals across the UK for years now.

Among the other acts are Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett, Leeds post-punks Yard Act, and this year’s BRITs Critics Choice Award winner Jacob Alon. There are BBC Introducing performances from some of the brightest talents, as well as DJ sets from Nick Grimshaw, Steve Lamacq, Beth Ditto and Lambrini Girls.

The current list of artists, venues, and stage times can be found here. Tickets go on sale on Thursday the 12th of February for each venue from links here, only costing a bargain price of £16 at face value. For audiences at home, coverage will be available on BBC Radio 6 Music and through the BBC Sounds website.

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  Jarvis Cocker and the rest of the band joined Laverne in the studio on Thursday morning to reveal the news, as well as discussing various aspects of its creation, inspiration, and what the future may hold. Asked “Why now?”, Cocker said, “The live shows were a big influence, and the songs seemed to come back to life. We just thought we’d carry on and see what we can conjure up.”  

Fans of the Stone Roses will understand exactly what the single, ‘Spike Island’, takes its name from. The infamous 1990 gig was already the subject of Pulp’s ‘Sorted for E’s & Whizz’, written by Cocker after hearing the phrase from a girl he met, despite not going to the show. ‘Spike Island’ shares a similar inspiration, written after Jason Buckle recounted a story to Cocker about a DJ who repeated the phrase “Spike Island, come alive” between each song.

Along with the album’s title and first single, we also have the tracklist. According to their Instagram announcement, fans will be treated to 11 new tracks, including ‘Spike Island’, though no order has been confirmed as of yet. The album was recorded in three weeks, produced by James Ford, and has contributions from longtime collaborator and occasional tour member, Richard Hawley. Of the announced tracks, ‘Farmer’s Market’ has already been played to fans, debuting at a September 2024 show in Los Angeles.   

Fans could have predicted the announcement, especially after their planned tour dates for 2025 were revealed in February. They posted six shows in the UK as part of the You Deserve More tour, as well as telling fans that dynamic pricing would not be used, with the band saying “We’re doing our best to make this fair and transparent”. They also revealed plans to play in Korea for the first time, as well as potential Australian shows on BBC Radio 6. The radio show also gave listeners a chance to ask questions, one of which was about a return to Glastonbury, to which Cocker said “Glastonbury has a very important place in our hearts, but there are no plans to play there.”

In other news, the new Pulp single is phenomenal. Great to have them back!

— Iain Jenkins (@iainjenkins.bsky.social) 10 April 2025 at 19:27

‘More’ will be Pulp’s first release since the passing of long-time bassist Steve Mackey, who passed away in March 2023. “People who you’re close to, you never forget them,” Cocker said. “But you can do things to remember them by.” The album is dedicated to Mackey’s memory.

 

 

 

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The upcoming release makes Pulp the third out of the Britpop “big four” to release an album in the 2020’s, following on from Suede’s ‘Autofiction’ in 2022, and Blur’s ‘The Ballad of Darren’ in 2023, both of which were well received. Meanwhile, Oasis are less than 100 days away from embarking on their eagerly-anticipated reunion tour, proving that even 30 years on from those heady days, Britpop is alive and well.