Ezra Collective, Mogwai and Kae Tempest to headline the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival 2025

05 February 2025 - Press release

 

Today on BBC Radio 6 Music, the UK’s biggest digital-only radio station with 2.7 million listeners (Rajar Q3, 2024), Nemone (sitting in for Lauren Laverne) announced the line-up and venues for the 6 Music Festival 2025. The event is the station’s flagship annual music festival, which takes place in Greater Manchester from Wednesday 26^th – Saturday 29^th March.

This year’s festival features headline performances at O2 Victoria Warehouse Manchester from: Ezra Collective, with a special bespoke performance that celebrates the importance of youth clubs across the country; Mogwai, featuring a unique collaboration with KNDS Fairey Acid Brass; and Kae Tempest, with the global premiere of new material.

Also taking to the stage are Fat Dog, English Teacher and Perfume Genius, with 6 Music’s Jamz Supernova, Tom Ravenscroft and SHERELLE all DJing at the venue.

Other events and club nights include a BBC Introducing night, New Music Fix Live, Indie Forever, Rave Forever in partnership with The Warehouse Project, and Morning After Mix Live.

Listeners will hear live music, highlights and interviews across the four days from 6 Music presenters including Nick Grimshaw, the new Breakfast Show host from Monday 24^th February (weekdays 7-10am) and Lauren Laverne, who begins her new mid-morning show (weekdays 10am-1pm) on the same day.

A 6 Music Festival Channel will launch on BBC iPlayer on Monday 17^th March with classic festival performances from previous years. From Saturday 29^th March, the channel will see the station’s presenters bring viewers back-to-back performance highlights and live sets from this year’s event.

Ezra Collective say: “2016 was the first time we ever got played on the station. Gilles Peterson gave us that precious moment. Since then it’s been a deep love for 6 Music, so to be in Manchester headlining their festival is a deep honour. See you on the dance floor.”

Fat Dog say: "Woof, woof 6 Music. Yet again proving your impeccable taste by inviting us to play your festival. We can’t wait. Going beast mode for this one."

Mogwai say: “We are immensely excited to return to the 6 Music Festival and Manchester this year. 6 Music have always been champions of independent music and ourselves and it’s an honour to be part of this year’s celebration.”

English Teacher say: "The band wouldn’t be what it is without 6 Music and without Manchester. This is going to be a very special celebration.”

Kae Tempest says: “I’ve got a new album and I can’t wait for people to hear it. BBC Radio 6 Music have been such a crucial supporter of my music, I can’t wait for listeners to hear this new direction and for me to be able to say thank you to them for giving me so much over the years.”

Perfume Genius says: "I’m so excited to bring these new songs to the UK and especially the 6 Music Fest. Thank you for all your support over the years!" 

Nick Grimshaw says: “I’m really excited for my first 6 Music Festival. I can’t wait to be back home in Manchester to take the new show up there for a few days in March and bring you the most brilliant of line ups.”

Lauren Laverne says: “I’m thrilled to be back in plenty of time for our biggest moment of the year – the 6 Music Festival. The artists always put together something special just for us and the listeners, which is such a privilege. I’m looking forward to another trip to Greater Manchester with my new show to see what they have in store!”

Samantha Moy, Head of BBC Radio 6 Music says: “We’re delighted to bring listeners back to back performances and DJ sets from such a range of local, national and international artists. It’s a joy to host a live experience that reflects the breadth of music we play around the clock on our station and to celebrate the region that it’s rooted in.”

The Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham says: “It’s great to have the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival back in Greater Manchester. Our music scene has always been strong, but right now, there’s an incredible amount of new talent coming through, alongside a thriving independent scene.

"Upcoming and alternative artists need more chances to be heard, and that’s why platforms like this festival matter. BBC Radio 6 Music has long championed new and alternative artists, and it’s great to see more opportunities for emerging musicians to reach new audiences."

Tickets to each event are sold separately and will be available from www.bbc.co.uk/6musicfestival at 10am on Thursday 6^th February.

LINE-UP IN FULL

Wednesday 26^th March - BBC Introducing at YES (7pm): Adult DVD, Renee Stormz, jasmine.4.t

 

Thursday 27^th March  - 6 Music Festival Presents… Ezra Collective + Fat Dog + 6 Music’s Jamz Supernova (DJ set) at Victoria Warehouse Manchester (6.30pm)

New Music Fix Live at YES (10pm): DJ sets from 1-800 GIRLS, Florentino, Marie Davidson and NAINA

 

Friday 28^th March - 6 Music Festival Presents… Mogwai + English Teacher + 6 Music’s Tom Ravenscroft (DJ set) at Victoria Warehouse Manchester (6.30pm)

Indie Forever Live at Band on the Wall (9pm): DJ sets from Sports Team DJs, Lava La Rue, Steve Lamacq, Viagra Boys and Nathan Shepherd

6 Music Festival & The Warehouse Project present Rave Forever at Amber’s - which embraces a ‘no phones’ policy to encourage everyone to engage fully with the music  - (11pm): DJ sets from Ayy Den, nora, Anish Kumar and SBTRKT

 

Saturday 29^th March - Morning After Mix Live at YES (12pm): DJ sets from Jamz Supernova and Emma-Jean Thackray

6 Music Festival Presents… Kae Tempest + Perfume Genius + 6 Music DJ SHERELLE (DJ set) at Victoria Warehouse Manchester (6.30pm)

 

ON AIR AND ONLINE

Highlights from the festival, including live and recorded-live performances will be broadcast on 6 Music and BBC Radio Manchester from MediaCityUK in Salford, as well as on BBC Sounds, BBC Four, BBC iPlayer and BBC Music’s YouTube channel.

The 6 Music broadcast schedule is as follows:

Wednesday 26^th March - Huw Stephens broadcasts from YES ahead of the BBC Introducing night (4-7pm)

Tom Ravenscroft and Deb Grant broadcast live from the 6 Music radio studios in MediaCityUK, Salford, to reflect on the BBC Music Introducing night that’s taking place at YES (7-11pm)

 

Thursday 27^th March - Chris Hawkins (5-7am), Nick Grimshaw (7-10am), Lauren Laverne (10am-1pm), Craig Charles (1-4pm) and Huw (4-7pm) broadcast from MediaCityUK

Tom and Deb broadcast live from YES ahead of New Music Fix Live and bring listeners festival performances from Victoria Warehouse (7-11pm)

New Music Fix Live DJ sets from YES (11pm-2am)

 

Friday 28^th March - Amy Lamé (5-7am), Nick (7-10am), Lauren (10am-1pm), Craig (1-4pm) and Huw (4-7pm) broadcast from MediaCityUK

Emily Pilbeam and Nathan Shepherd broadcast from Band on the Wall ahead of Indie Forever and bring listeners performances from Victoria Warehouse (7-11pm)

Indie Forever DJ sets from Band on the Wall (11pm-2am)

 

Saturday 29^th March - AFRODEUTSCHE presents Morning After Mix (6-8am)

Mark Radcliffe & Stuart Maconie (8-10am) and Craig (10am-1pm) broadcast from MediaCityUK

Jamz Supernova broadcasts live from YES, bringing listeners a special DJ set from Emma-Jean Thackray at Morning After Mix (1-4pm)

Zakia broadcasts from MediaCityUK (4-7pm)

Tom and Deb broadcast live from MediaCityUK, bringing listeners festival performances from Victoria Warehouse (7-11pm)

Rave Forever DJ sets from Amber’s (11pm-1am)

 

Sunday 30^th March - Don Letts presents Morning After Mix (6-8am)

Radcliffe & Maconie (8-10am) and Cerys Matthews (10am-1pm) broadcast from MediaCityUK

Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour (1-4pm)

Amy and Chris present the 6 Music Festival Wrap Up live from MediaCityUK

 

In the lead up to the festival, Ezra Collective (17^th – 20^th February, 11pm-12am), Mogwai (24^th – 27^th Feb, 11pm-12am) and Kae Tempest (3^rd – 6^th March, 11pm-12am) will each present new four-part series of Artist in Residence. Artist in Residence sees musicians invite listeners on a journey into their musical soul, with each episode based around a different theme or mood. In addition, Perfume Genius (Mike Hadreas) and his partner and collaborator Alan Wyffels will present an episode of Love Notes (Monday 10^th February, 11pm-12am), in which they will take listeners through the songs which have soundtracked their relationship, have inspired them and which they want to share with each other.

BBC Radio Manchester will bring listeners festival highlights and more from local artists performing at the BBC Introducing night at YES (Wednesday 26^th March).

All 6 Music and BBC Radio Manchester programmes will be available on BBC Sounds for 30 days after broadcast. Performances and DJ sets will be added to a BBC Sounds collection, joining special editions of 6 Music’s Indie Forever, to be released in the build-up to the festival. Available now is Indie at the 6 Music Festival – a compilation of highlight tracks performed at the event over the years.

From Monday 17^th March, BBC iPlayer will launch a 6 Music Festival Channel, featuring classic performances from previous years. From the morning of Saturday 29^th March, the channel will see 6 Music DJs present coverage of performance highlights from Ezra Collective, Mogwai, Fat Dog and English Teacher, followed by sets from Kae Tempest and Perfume Genius as they happen that evening. Victoria Warehouse sets and highlights will also be available to watch on demand across the weekend and for 30 days after broadcast. Individual tracks will be available on BBC Music’s YouTube channel.

BBC Four will broadcast highlights from the festival on Friday 4^th April.