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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Bloc Party have spent their career making their voice to be distinctive and unique in today’s modern music, known by all for their always evolving sounds. Their first release ‘Silent Alarm’ back in 2005 reshaped the indie world for years to come with ground-breaking fusion of indie, rock, electronica and house.

Kele Okereke, lead singer of Bloc Party, said to The Ivors official website: “To be recognised for songwriting is a very special thing for an artist, and receiving an Ivor Novello award for Outstanding Song Collection is a massive honour. Even before you form a band, play a show or record a note, you’re writing songs – it’s at the core of being an artist. It’s amazing to see people connecting with Bloc Party’s music, from those who’ve loved the band from the start, to more and more young people we’re seeing at our shows over the past few years; inspiring us to push forward as a group whilst also being privileged to look back at everything we have already achieved.”

With an extra five studio albums added to their names, Bloc Party have proved their brilliance both as songwriters and musicians with their rare ability to fuse introspective lyricism with a bold, dynamic sound. Their sophomore album ‘A Weekend in the City’ saw the band expand their sound with atmospheric textures and politically charged themes, earning them a #2 spot in the UK albums chart. In 2008, ‘Intimacy’, another daring shift for the band, embraced electronic production and experimental song structures. Their 2022 release ‘Alpha Games’ was met with widespread critical acclaim, reaffirming Bloc Party’s fearless creativity and ever-evolving artistry.

Roberto Neri, CEO of The Ivors Academy, said: “Bloc Party have made a lasting impact on British music through fearless and innovative songwriting and an unwavering artistic vision. With emotional depth and urgency, their songs continue to inspire fans and songwriters around the world. We’re proud to honour Kele, Russell, Gordon and Matt with the Outstanding Song Collection Ivor Novello Award, recognising their craft and the impact of their work.”

Bloc Party rounds the number of songwriters who have received the award up to sixty-two, following in the footsteps of John Deacon, Brian May, Freddie Mercury and Roger Taylor (Queen), Bono, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jnr and The Edge (U2), Philip Cunningham, Gillian Gilbert, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner (New Order), Nick Banks, Jarvis Cocker, Candida Doyle, Steve Mackey, Russell Senior and Mark Webber (Pulp), Noel Gallagher, Steve Winwood, KAMILLE and KT Tunstall.

This year’s fellow nominees are Lola Young, Charli XCX, RAYE, Ghetts and more.

The box set, which is available to pre-order now, will comprise of four LPs. Two of the vinyl records will contain the original album, with the third including a collection of B-sides and rarities including ‘Little Thoughts’, ‘ Skeleton’, and ‘Storm and Stress’.

It is the fourth LP which may excite fans the most though, as it will comprise of the band’s legendary 2004 John Peel session for BBC Radio 1, as well as seven original demos from this era. 

The deluxe box set is the main attraction, but they will also release a smaller two-LP variant of the album, a two-CD edition, and an Amazon Music Exclusive Vinyl Reissue.

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This announcement comes as the iconic indie band are already well into the swing of celebrating their debut album. Last summer, they played their biggest headline show to date – performing in front of 25,000 people at London’s Crystal Palace Park – as they marked the 20th anniversary of ‘Silent Alarm’.

The era-defining band are gearing up to head on tour throughout the summer, as they have many UK festivals booked including Splendour Festival, Live At Leeds: In The Park, and Bristol’s Siren Festival, which mxdwn covered here. They will also head on a tour of North America throughout May and June.

Frontman Kele Okereke explained how great it has been for the band to celebrate their debut album, saying: “We’ve been having so much fun playing shows over the past year, so it makes sense to do something special for old and new fans, celebrating 20 years of Bloc Party.”

Speaking before their massive Crystal Palace Park gig last summer, Okereke said: “We heard from a lot of people that they couldn’t get tickets for the 2018/2019 ‘Silent Alarm’ gigs, so a one-off summer party playing that and the bangers feels like the right thing to do.”

‘Silent Alarm’ was a huge hit when it came out, a true pioneer of the 2000s indie sound that dominated Britain, along with the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Hard-Fi and The Libertines. NME gave it a glowing 9/10 review and the publication has since named it one of the best indie albums of all time, thanks heavily to its hit singles such as ‘Helicopter’ and ‘Banquet’.

Speaking in 2023 of the albums success, Okereke said: “I’m completely thankful that ‘Silent Alarm’ connected with people; but it’s at that point when I hear any record that we’ve made, I hear the things I’d do differently if I had the opportunity to do it again.”

The 20th anniversary reissue will be released on 26th September and all versions, including the huge 4-LP box set, are available to pre-order now here.

The Siren Festival has become something of a cultural touchstone for Bristol, marrying the city’s maritime charm with a knack for curating acts that span eras and genres. Taking place at the Amphitheatre, nestled on the water’s edge, an idyllic venue—part industrial relic, part modern marvel—the event has cemented itself as a not-to-miss summer weekend staple with its return for the fourth year. Previous headliners have included the Sugababes and Groove Armada.

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As the first act announced for Siren’s 2025 edition, Bloc Party promises a high-energy, emotionally charged set. The festival, known for its ability to juxtapose nostalgia with innovation, will no doubt complement the band’s reflective yet forward-looking ethos.

The band is celebrating 20 years of their seminal album ‘Silent Alarm.’  To say the album defined a moment is to undersell its seismic influence. Released in 2005, the album threaded together angular post-punk energy and dance-floor sensibilities with a self-consciousness that felt, for lack of a better word, modern. Songs like ‘Banquet,’ ‘Helicopter,’ and ‘This Modern Love’ became anthems, not just for the indie faithful but for anyone who loves energetic rhythms and spirited sing-alongs. Bloc Party, led by the mercurial Kele Okereke, were both heralds and harbingers—defining the zeitgeist and subtly hinting at its dissolution.

Now, twenty years later, the band revisits that record in its entirety, not as a museum piece but as a living document. “When we did the Silent Alarm tour, I had to listen to that record from start to finish,” Okereke recently reflected. “I haven’t really done that since it was made.” Performing those songs anew, he says, reshaped the band’s creative DNA, weaving the urgency of their origins into their current sonic fabric. This performance, then, is as much a dialogue with their past selves as it is a gift to both longterm and new found fans.

Tickets go on presale January 13, with general sales beginning the following day. Prices start at £45. One suspects that as Okereke’s soaring vocals echo across Bristol’s waters, for a brief, glittering moment, past and present will coexist, a testament to music’s enduring power to transcend the changes enforced by time.

Kele Okereke, also known simply as Kele, has carved out a notable career marked by both his success with Bloc Party and his more adventurous solo endeavours. Rising to prominence in the mid-2000s with Bloc Party, his fluttering voice and incisive lyrics rocketed the band to early success. Their debut album Silent Alarm was voted Album of the Year for 2005 by NME, and reached number 3 on the UK Albums Chart, before being certified platinum.

While Bloc Party continued to release several more albums, Kele launched a solo career, which saw him begin to branch out into new landscapes. In 2010, he released his debut solo album, “The Boxer,” showcasing a shift from rock to electronic dance music. Tracks like “Tenderoni” demonstrated his versatility and willingness to experimentation with synth pop. His second solo effort, 2014’s Trick, delved deeper into electronic and R&B influences.

In addition to his Bloc Party and solo work, Kele has also written music  for theatre, composing the soundtrack for Leave to Remain, a musical about immigration and relationships. His solo work continued to expand with albums like Fatherland (2017), where he embraced a more acoustic, introspective style.

The electro-inspired track features Kele’s delicate vocals over a  shimmering rhythmic theme of echoey guitar. The lyrics narrate a chaotic late night journey from Bethnal Green to London’s West End, with the singer declaring his love for his home city. The opening verse paints a childhood scene in East London, while the accompanying music video illustrates these themes in in a nostalgic picture-book style.

“My story starts in Bethanl Green / I steal a cigarette from the homeless man / Like the City boys in Liverpool Street / With my 1990s energy,” the opening lines run. But while Kele said he wanted the song to be a “love letter” to London, “Hometown Edge” also acknowledges issues of race that Kele faced growing up, and the complex fabric of emotions this throws up about a city otherwise loved.

“The taxi driver has a bad case of the ‘can’t takes’ / To hold his tongue / Cause I’m young, black, and I’m handsome,” Kele sings.

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And taking to his Instagram account, the singer took the opportunity to connect his messaging to the wave of far-right rioting seen in the UK in the days leading up to the release.

“I wanted hometown edge to be a love letter to my home, London. it feels prescient releasing it today, the morning after my country has shown overwhelmingly that hate has no place on our streets. Seeing what has been happening up and down Britain these last seven days has been hard. it has shaken my core and at times made me question what my place is in this country, but the response from ordinary people up and down the country last night has reminded me how great my country can be when it is united not divided,” Kele wrote.

Latitude Festival: Location, Henham Park in Suffolk
Date: 25-28 July
Headliners: Duran Duran, Kasabian, Keane, and London Grammar.
Alongside the music, the festival also offers comedy and theater performances, making it a diverse and vibrant experience. With a mix of stadium-quality shows and a variety of genres, including disco, dance music, and 80s vibes, there’s something for everyone at Latitude Festival.

Bloc Party reveal their first ever collaboration on the brand new single, “Keep It Rolling”, which features KennyHoopla https://t.co/uwzx6iBWWC pic.twitter.com/TOZ65ErdX2

— THE LINE of BEST FIT (@bestfitmusic) June 2, 2023

The new song, entitled “Keep it Rolling,” is a result of KennyHoopla’s and Okereke’s prolific writing sessions together in London with the Bloc Party singer divulging that the work resulted in many songs being written. “Keep it Rolling” however, was one that Okereke felt partiularly attached to, feeling the song would make a great single for his band.

Speaking about writing songs with KennyHoopla, Okereke said, “I’ve been a fan of Kenny’s for awhile now, so when he came to London I jumped at the chance of getting in the studio together. We wrote a bunch of songs in one afternoon and ‘Keep it Rolling’ was one of those ideas. I always felt quite attached to that idea so I decided I would like to bring it to Bloc Party, so we turned it into a song.” 

Based in Ohio, USA, KennyHoopla has made a name for himself within the indie scene, releasing a number of singles and two EPs. The singer/songwriter has cited Bloc Party as a major influence for him and his close friendship with Okereke made the writing sessions fun and fulfilling. Speaking about the collboration with Okereke, KennyHoopla said, “I’ve always been a huge Bloc Party fan so this has been a bucket list collab for me. I’m happy to call Kele a friend and it was amazing to get to do a song together.”

Formed in 1999, Bloc Party met with considerable critical and commercial success with their debut album Silent Alarm in 2005-  winning the NME award for best album.  After announcing an indefinite hiatus in 2013, the band returned to the scene in 2016, releasing two albums since their reforming-Hymns and Alpha Games.

The band has sought to broaden their fan base even further, currently providing support for pop punk powerhouses Paramore on their world tour in the US and UK. Hayley Williams, frontwoman for Paramore, has cited Bloc Party as huge influences on the band and in particular, the current record.

Kele Okereke is also noted as a successful solo artist outside the popularity of Bloc Party and has released six studio albums to date. Politically and socially aware through his music and lyrics, Okereke has also written a musical entitled Leave to Remain-a Brexit influenced story about an interracial gay couple struggling to live in a culturally bereft Britain.

You can find tickets to Bloc Party dates here.

Bloc Party Tour Dates UK:

20/07/2023 – Standon Calling – Standon
21/07/2023 – Tramlines – Sheffield

The British rock band, Bloc Party, was formed in the 90’s and has a hold on many hearts that grew up in the 00’s. The American rock band Paramore is also one of those bands, formed in 2004 and securing the sound everyone loves from that era.

Kele Okereke came on stage during Paramore’s live show to play a stripped back version of the Bloc Party song. Hayley Williams, the lead singer of the American band, expressed her love for the group and are, to this day, still a great influence on her music; “Bloc Party has been a huge influence on Paramore since we were little kids, you know? Picking up guitars and writing songs for the first time. And we’ve grown up with this band, the same way that a lot of you have grown up with us and probably have grown up with Bloc Party as well. So it only feels right to sing a song together that I used to cry to in my car. And maybe we can all cry together.

The performance turned out to be a very emotional one. Combining Williams angelic voice and Okereke’s unmistakable tone, the outcome created an enthralling harmony and a beautiful version of the song. Their fans feedback was a very welcomed one.

Paramore are currently on tour. Having just finished visiting UK cities, they will be returning to the states. Their next gig is on the 19th of May at the Hangout Music Festival in Alabama. They will be touring their way through until August. Their final destination being in St Paul, Minnesota playing at the Xcel Energy Center.

During Paramore’s tour this year, Bloc Party have been opening as their support act. They will be doing so for the rest of the American post-punk band’s journey around the US, set to kick off next month (May). Alongside Bloc Party, they will be joined by other artists like Genesis Owusu and The Linda Lindas.

THERE YOU HAVE IT

We’ll be bringing this lovely lot to Cardiff from Friday 1st April – Sunday 3rd April and WE CANNOT WAIT!!!

Who’s joining us? pic.twitter.com/uauVHsryyp

— BBC Radio 6 Music (@BBC6Music) February 15, 2022

“The most exciting element about the 6 Music Festival is the coming together, in a physical space, of our beloved 6 Music listeners and the staff at the station, with artists we love,” 6 Music’s Mary Anne Hobbs said in a statement. “Lockdowns have kept us apart since 2020, so this year’s gigs in Cardiff are going to feel super-charged.” The line-up on the first-day does seem to reflect the super-charged initial thoughts; post-punk icons IDLES take to the stage in The Great Hall to supply the Welsh crowd with their usual brand of woke-punk. Singer-songwriter and one part of the indie powerhouse that is Boygenius; Lucy Dacus is going to appear at The Great Hall, with none other than the one-and-only Pixies. St David’s Hall is another venue to be given the BBC treatment, Little Simz will appear alongside Mykki Blanco, Curtis Harding, and Deyah to create a fabulous blend of R&B, Poetry, and generally top tier songwriting. Tramshed will also be hosting a club night with appearances from DJ’s SHERELLE, Overmono, Tom Ravenscroft and many more.

Saturday night in Cardiff see’s appearances from Bloc Party, slightly before the release of their 6^th LP Alpha Games on April 22^nd, Sports Team take another swing at the festival after performing at the 2020 bout too, beabadoobee rounds out proceedings at The Great Hall. Khruangbin, an American psychedelic-dub-soul-trio make their first appearance in the UK since 2019, while Ezra Collective add a 2^nd date to their (currently quite short) touring schedule, Ibibio Sound Machine will also make an appearance to bring their own taste of electronic afro-funk to Wales. Nemone, Craig Charles, and David Holmes will also make appearances at Tramshed.

The final day of the festival brings Johnny Marr, Self Esteem, and Wet Leg together under the same roof; allowing the crowds to get quite the spread of music from only 3 artists, The Smiths singer-songwriter sits in stark contrast to Self Esteem’s experimental-pop aura, and Wet Leg’s post-punk anger. The most anticipated act of the evening however (for me at least), has to be the appearance of Father John Misty with the backing of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales. The new sound of this album has revealed 2 great singles so far, so putting it into a live context can only highlight the glum maximalism he’s going for at the moment. Cat Power, Super Furry Animal’s own Gruff Rhys, and audiobooks round out what could be a very exciting evening.

In an interview with NME, frontman Kele Okereke said of the themes of the song: “There was no specific incident that inspired this song – it was more a composite of lots of things I’ve seen over the years when being in clubs and seeing violence erupt with feuding love rivals… “I’ve always had a slight obsession with those sorts of moments; like a fuse being lit, when actions turn from words into violence. You can learn a lot about who people really are in those moments.”

Okereke added: “I just wanted to capture that moment of going from nought to 10 in an evening, in a sweaty nightclub.” The group have truly captured this vibe from the outset, with a raucous, hypnotic drumbeat and bassline leading the song while rowdy call and response vocalisations ring out in the background, translating the feeling of being surrounded by bright lights and nightlife hubbub into song. The tune has a notably 70s or early 80s feel at times, with the instrumentals sounding like the wilder side of a Roxy Music tune, with a peppering of early punk attitude.

Previous single “Traps” is a no holds barred rock tune that takes Bloc Party’s familiar indie rock and post-punk flair and cranks the dial, resulting in an explosive return for the band following their 2016 record Hymns, featuring a heavy, mesmerising riff and a danceable beat. You can view the music video for “Traps” at the link below.

Bloc Party’s upcoming album Alpha Games will be released on April 29^th of this year. You can find both “The Girls Are Fighting” and “Traps” on all streaming services, and you can find pre-orders for the album here.

The band will also be embarking on an EU and UK tour in May. You can purchase tickets here, and you can view the UK dates down below.

26/05/2022- O2 Academy 1- Birmingham
27/05- Rock City- Nottingham
28/05- Alexandra Palace- London
30/05- O2 Academy- Bristol
31/05- O2 Victoria Warehouse- Manchester
02/06- O2 City Hall- Newcastle
03/06- The Barrowland Ballroom- Glasgow
04/05- O2 Academy- Leeds