Beyond The Music has confirmed a second wave of performers for its 2026 edition, with Tom A Smith, Gans and The Slow Readers Club among the names added.
The festival runs across multiple spaces within MediaCity in Salford between October 6 and 9. Unlike most events of its size it is built as much around discussion as performance, with a stated aim of raising and trying to solve the problems facing the creative industries, and a programme that pulls in figures from music, tech, film, gaming and politics.
The rest of the new wave spreads wide. The Scottish art rock band Walt Disco and the London goth rock outfit Moth Ulcers are on the bill, along with Cody Frost, Another Country $$$$, SILVERWINGKILLER, Ch3ekz, Holly Head, Boo Kickz and TELESHOPPING. JD Cliffe, Migraine Mowgli, Superlative, ALT BLK ERA, Bruise Control and 40,000 Leagues also perform, with more still to be announced.
The 2026 edition opens with a screening rather than a set. A 24th anniversary showing of Steve Coogan's 24 Hour Party People precedes the 2002 film's 4K rerelease in cinemas, which ties the event back to the city's own history rather than treating Manchester as a backdrop.
At the other end of the four days, Andy Burnham convenes an All Content Global AI Summit to close the conference on October 9. Burnham helped found the festival and confirmed its 2026 return in the spring, saying it would keep examining the issues facing the industry through keynote conversations, showcases and networking.
His stated reason for it is the same one he gave in 2024, when he used the event to press the case for grassroots venues and new artists. Greater Manchester, he said then, has always been willing to take a stand on the issues that matter, and on making sure the people behind the music can build sustainable careers.
The festival's first names, Steve Coogan and Michael Winterbottom, were announced earlier in the year. The bill leans indie, rock and pop, and the dates are on the festival tracker.
The facts
- Beyond The Music runs across MediaCity in Salford from October 6 to 9
- Tom A Smith, Gans and The Slow Readers Club lead the second wave
- Walt Disco, Moth Ulcers, Cody Frost and ALT BLK ERA also perform
- The festival opens with a 24th anniversary screening of 24 Hour Party People
- Andy Burnham convenes an All Content Global AI Summit on October 9
- Burnham helped found the festival
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