Deansgate Mews Festival returns to The Great Northern Warehouse with this year’s edition placing an even greater spotlight on Manchester’s grassroots music scene and the independent artists shaping the city’s cultural identity.
Returning for its sixth year from this Friday 22nd to Sunday 24th May 2026, the free festival will once again transform the pedestrianised Deansgate Mews into an open-air celebration of live music, creativity and community in the heart of Manchester city centre.
Building on the momentum of the city’s recent BBC 6 Music Festival, Mews Fest continues Manchester’s wider celebration of independent venues, emerging talent and DIY music culture, creating a platform for artists developing their audiences outside the mainstream circuit.
Hosted by three different venues and music spaces, Lion’s Den, Low Four Studios and The Mews Bar, the festival’s multi-stage programme will showcase a packed line-up of rising bands, breakthrough artists, solo performers and DJs from across Manchester and beyond.
This year’s line-up reflects the diversity and energy of the UK’s independent scene, with performances spanning indie, alternative, post-punk, psych, electronic and guitar-driven live music. Across the weekend, artists performing include Redearth, The Rolling People Cutscene Sad Sells, Big Society, Tulpa, Gold Cup, All Girls Arson Club, Ishango Bone, Rhys Wade, Scatterchild, TJ Buckley, Rebecca Spooner and Lily Rae Grant, alongside many more emerging acts. Mews Fest also creates opportunities for artists to connect directly with audiences in an accessible, community-led setting that is completely free to attend.
New for 2026 is the launch of Mews Fest Fringe, an expanded creative programme designed to further support independent culture in Manchester. The Fringe will provide dedicated space for artists, designers, record labels, illustrators, makers and musicians to showcase and sell their work, while artists and bands will also be encouraged to sell merchandise directly to festival-goers as an additional source of grassroots income and exposure*.
As always, Mews Fest will raise money for Forever Manchester, supporting community projects and initiatives across the city. There will be an opportunity to win two tickets to Lily Allen at the AO Arena (Sat 20 June) via a special raffle.
The event remains family-friendly, with the return of Mini Mews in partnership with Little Northerners on the Saturday, offering activities for younger visitors, while the Great Northern Ping Hub will also remain open daily from 9am–9pm with free table tennis available throughout the weekend. Throughout the weekend, visitors can expect food, drink and outdoor dining across the Mews, including Siam Smiles, Another Hand, and a new pop-up Salvi’s Italian. Plus there will be the launch of brand new Deansgate Mews cocktail bar, Frank’s.
“Manchester’s music scene has always been built from the ground up — from independent venues, promoters and rehearsal rooms through to the bands putting the hours in before anyone’s heard of them,” said David Foran, owner of Lion’s Den and music curator for Mews Fest.
“What’s exciting about Mews Fest is that it gives those artists a proper platform right in the middle of the city, while keeping the atmosphere welcoming, grassroots and accessible. There’s so much incredible emerging talent in Manchester and beyond at the moment and this festival is about celebrating that community and giving people the chance to discover their next favourite band.”
The Great Northern team is currently inviting independent Manchester-based traders, artists and creatives to be part of Mews Fest Fringe and the wider festival line-up.
*There is still time to reserve a stall at the Mews Fest Fringe – for stall enquiries, please email: emma.james@
