Green Island Festival has announced its first wave of names as the event returns in its usual three-chapter format for 2026.
Taking place on Sat 6 Jun, Sat 25 Jul and Sat 5 Sep, the festival will continue its commitment to showcasing sounds of the globe, community-led programming, accessibility, inclusivity and the championing of grassroots music culture in the heart of Hulme.
Each date, the festival will run from 12pm – 9.30pm, with tickets now available from £26.25. Group tickets are also available to purchase, and free entry for children aged 13 or under.
Situated within Hulme Garden Centre and the cultural institution NIAMOS, the festival is integrated in an abundance of flora and sprawls across Warwick St and the community centre.
The Street Stage
This year, special homage will be paid to Manchester’s electronic music heritage on the Street Stage, situated on Warwick Street. The block party will feature pioneers – DJ Paulette in June, 808 State in July and A Guy Called Gerald in September.
The NIAMOS Stage
Over the past few years The NIAMOS stage has hosted a blend of internationally recognised artists and boundary-pushing performers. This June will see Grammy Award–winning duo, Blue Lab Beats take to the stage, known for blending jazz, hip-hop, soul, electronic and Afro-influenced sounds.
In July, BCUC (Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness), the acclaimed South African band known for powerful, immersive live performances, will be bringing their fusion of punk, funk, indigenous rhythms and politically conscious messaging to Green Island Festival 2026. This year marks three years since their debut at the festival, where they shut down the main stage.
One of the most exciting talents to emerge from the UK right now, JayaHadADream is locked in for September. 2025 saw her win Breakthrough Vocalist at the DJ Mag Awards for her distinct, emotive vocals layered over futuristic electronic production. Uniting the worlds of club culture and live performance, the genre-crossing duo Raz & Alfa will showcase their contemporary electronic sounds and experimental approaches in the autumn chapter.
The Bandstand Stage
The Bandstand Stage spotlights local collectives and curators, who each draw a lineup from their expert knowledge of Manchester’s expansive scene. In June, Ruf Dug returns to present Ruf Kutz – the producer, DJ, label boss and NTS selector with deep roots in the city’s underground scene, is back again for his annual takeover – with years of digging, collaboration and international sets under his belt, he creates one of the festival’s most loved spaces.
ROJAK MCR x Dance Policy – the city staple queer party and cultural magazine link up in July to present a very special collaborative takeover bridging club culture and commentary.
The third and final takeover in September will be presented by Manchester’s original dub soundsystem, Freedom Masses Soundsystem – expect heavyweight selections inspired by an incredible 41 years in the scene.
The Selector Stage
The Selector Stage will again house some of the finest selectors, from Léna C in June – a vinyl-led selector whose sound moves between Afrobeat, Zouk, jazz, funk, soul and
psychedelia.
Beloved Mancunian partystarters Supernature Disco x Out Since Friday will run July. The dedicated house and disco collective fuse with O.S.F selectors Julie Wills, Rina Ladybeige,
Laura Jackson and Jimmy Turnbull to bring the ultimate party to Green Island Festival.
SIT & BUN vs HIT & RUN, will see legendary Manchester-based promoter Hit & Run take the reins for September, championing forward-thinking bass heavy music, raw energy and a cutting-edge line-up.
The Marquee Stage
The Marquee Stage remains dedicated to the best live emerging vocalists, rappers and bands. June boasts Moli, the Welsh singer-songwriter’s art is rooted in soul, funk and RnB. In addition to Zawedde, who creates folk-rooted music, with lyricism shaped by inherited memory, political consciousness, and intimate storytelling. Singer-songwriter Anna Lynch will also take to the stage with her honest, heartfelt music and soulful arrangements.
July welcomes The Thiara Collective, infused with the innovative ethos of the UK’s new-wave jazz scene, the collective is a dynamic fusion of rhythmically audacious grooves and neo-soul harmonies.
For the final chapter in September, jazz-fusion, neo-soul collective Midnight Matters, will present a high-energy set of groove-led songwriting, jazz harmony and R&B vocals. Plus, Flat Moon, a wonderfully bizarre 6-piece whose sound crash-lands between funk and punk.
Elsewhere, Z-arts will be leading a brand-new family area with a dedicated daytime programme, and once again, the festival will partner with Play It Green so that every ticket sold contributes to reforestation, with 10% of each donation passed to MIND, their chosen charity
- Words:
- Bradley Lengden
- Published on:
- Wed 4 Feb 2026
