Sounds From The Other City (SFTOC), the independent alternative music festival in Salford, has unveiled its lineup for its 21st edition, set for early May Bank Holiday Sunday on 3 May 2026.
The event will take place across 17 stages in venues and unconventional spaces around Chapel Street and The Crescent, from pubs and churches to concert halls and galleries, celebrating emerging talent from the UK and beyond.
Among the artists announced are masked provocateur Lynks, described as a ‘merchant of pure gay chaos’, who will headline Maxwell Hall at Salford University in a first announced show of 2026.
Sharing the bill there are South African future ghetto funk artist Moonchild Sanelly and Manchester’s own jasmine.4.t, recently named BBC 6 Music Artist of the Year and highlighted by The Guardian as one of 2025’s ‘ones to watch’.
Other performances include ambient pop from Pollyfromthedirt at the 300-capacity Peel Hall, and South London art-rock six-piece Blue Bendy at St Philip’s Church alongside ashnymph and Manchester quartet Pyncher.
Manchester venue Brume will host Ellen Beth Abdi and nu-jazz fusion outfit NONUNONU at Salford Museum and Art Gallery.
Islington Mill, a long-standing creative hub and spiritual home of the festival, will feature programming from Band on the Wall, Reform Radio, queer day-rave BENT, and the LGBTQ+ POC collective Swagga, with performances from New York-born artist Sorvina, Manchester hip-hop artist Renee Stormz, and DJ Chimpo.
For the first time, a cohort of early-career promoters who trained with Factory Academy and From The Other will present their own artist line-ups at the Mill.
The White Hotel will host experimental electronic sets from multidisciplinary artist Richie Culver and singer-producer Rainy Miller, founder of FIXED ABODE record label. Outdoor hubs at Bexley Square and the Green outside the University of Salford will return with a lineup of party-focused acts into the evening.
Emma Thompson, co-director of creative producers From The Other, said: “Giving these organisations the space to showcase the artists they champion is vital — not just for discovering emerging talent, but to recognise how important these spaces are for our scene.
“Roll on 3 May when Salford will host another explosion of new music across countless genres, with Chapel Street once again full of people searching for their next musical obsession.”
Tickets go on sale with Early Bird access for mailing list subscribers from 29 January and general sale from 30 January. Prices are unchanged from 2025 and tiers ranging from £30 to £45.
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