NME’s top 10 shows from Beyond The Music 2026

For its third edition, Beyond The Music rang in some changes. The Manchester industry showcase and conference departed the city’s Northern Quarter, relocating to Salford’s MediaCity. While the event has its sights firmly set on the future of music – whether in terms of industry issues or the artists who could dominate – it gave its new home some signposts to the past, with each stage named after a beloved venue from Manchester’s past.

Over the week, Beyond The Music brought together thought-provoking panels and artists at different points in their careers, all with huge promise for the next level. NME was there to catch all the action – here are the top 10 shows we caught at Beyond The Music 2026.

Where most artists performing in the MediaCity building let the festival-provided visuals tell audiences who they are, London rapper and singer Bawo did things his own way. Glitchy lo-fi visuals flanked the stage, immersing you in his world as he delivered a laidback set. Bounding around isn’t his M.O. – instead Bawo slinked across the stage, keeping things low-key energetically, but still utterly compelling. And when you’ve got songs with hooks as infectious as ‘Wrestlemania’’s, you can let the music do the talking. RD

Big trousers and bigger anthems came courtesy of the impeccably dressed Manchester-via-County Durham post-punk four-piece Cutscene . Delivering a wall of sound with an effortless cool, their late-night set rewarded those who stuck around with the shamelessly epic misery of Fontaines D.C. , the skyward instrumental ambition of Mogwai and the sharp gut-punch paranoia of early Radiohead . The towering ‘Concrete Line’ captured this best as a set highlight, so go get that in your ears right now. Here’s hoping the scene is set for these lads to smash 2027: “ ACTION! ” AT

“Can we get 10 beers please? That’s only two each” – a seemingly reasonable request if you’re playing an Irish bar on a Friday night, but no dice. Manchester five-piece Dead Stilettos responded by bringing the sound of a punk rock barroom brawl. With the sleazy glam look and attitude of The Cramps and The Stooges , and falling somewhere between a more groove-based Gilla Band via the dirtier corners of Viagra Boys ’ garage rock, with a sprinkle of Maruja sax-punk for good measure. Their recent debut ‘Bodge Job’ is worthy of your attention, or at least someone buying them a round. AT

Of all the local artists on the bill at Beyond The Music 2026, four-piece Holly Head are one of the acts who’ve been gaining a decent amount of attention already. There’s good reason for that, as their Wednesday night set proved – a propulsive, raw explosion of feeling set to intricate, twitching riffs. Debut single ‘No Gain’ built up to frontman Joe Moss howling lines like “ Born into the power you have ”, while ‘No Country Is An Island’ provided a searing highlight in a thrilling performance. RD

“We make happiness from agony”, offered the NME 100 alum and 2024 Glastonbury Emerging Talent Competition winner , JayaHadADream . Everything’s pointing to this former criminology teacher becoming a pretty big deal, but as she pulled a passionate crowd on Friday with her radio-ready beats and smooth and fearless flow, you got the sense she’s aligning her own stars. This is manifesting greatness. AT

“All that we ask is that your mind is here in the now, and you’re not thinking about any problems in the past or future,” Kofi Stone ’s DJ instructed the crowd before the Birmingham MC bounded onto the Electric Circus stage. Fresh off the release off his fourth project ‘The Last Flower To Bloom’, the “Mayor of Brum” closed out Beyond The Music 2026 with a set full of reflective, measured rap that shared stories from across his back catalogue. ‘Stories In Pyjamas’ contemplated Stone’s beginnings, while the soulful swoon of ‘Lavender’ followed a relationship’s journey. Stone’s healing energy was plentiful, making it easy to do as his DJ said and stay fully in the moment. RD