The Smile, Young Fathers and Gossip to headline BBC Radio 6 Music Festival 2024

The Smile, Young Fathers and Gossip are set to headline BBC Radio 6 Music’s 2024 festival in Manchester.

The festival will come to the O2 Victoria Warehouse on the weekend of March 7-10 and begin with a unique set from Young Fathers with the NIA community choir from Hulme and Moss Side in the city. Support will come from Hak Baker and SHERELLE.

Gossip will then headline the venue on March 8, premiering new music from comeback album Real Power and International Women’s Day. Playing with them will be CMAT and AFRODEUTSCHE.

The third and final show at the Victoria Warehouse will welcome Radiohead side-project The Smile, who will play a special show with the London Contemporary Orchestra with support from Jordan Rakei and a special hybrid DJ set from Mary Anne Hobbs with live violin and viola from Anna Phoebe.

Also featured in the line-up will be a BBC Introducing event of new talent at the Band on the Wall venue featuring Porij and more, and DJ sets and live radio mixes across the weekend. Get full details below.

Discussing their set, Young Fathers said: “A 6 Music stage has been given to us and the door of endless possibilities has been opened. Beyond anything else it will be a night to celebrate a wide mix of folk coming together. GERONIMO!!”

Gossip added: “We’re so excited – Manchester is going to be the first to hear our new record live! Such a special crowd, we’ve missed you so much and can’t wait to be back!”

The Smile said of their one-of-a-kind orchestra show: “ARRGGGH – we’ve got a lot of work to do to prep for the 6 Music Festival as it’s one thing to do it in the studio, but it’s another thing to do it live. We’ve decided to work with the London Contemporary Orchestra on the performance but as they’re all incredibly versatile musicians, we’ll figure it out!”

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham spoke of the importance of the festival coming to the city, saying: “It’s fantastic to see the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival returning to Greater Manchester this year. We’re immensely proud of our musical heritage, but also the phenomenal depth of talent and the exciting independent scene across our city-region right now. As BBC Radio 6 Music has always supported new and alternative artists, it’s a perfect fit for the festival to have its permanent home here for years to come.

“There’s so much new Greater Manchester music out there right now that deserves to be heard, which is why it’s so important to develop platforms for emerging artists. That’s precisely what we’ve been celebrating with the Mayor’s Artist of the Month on BBC Radio Manchester, and like BBC Radio 6 Music, we want to help those acts get on and reach new audiences.”