Few cities in the world are as synonymous with music as Manchester. With that said, it’ll come as little surprise that 2026 is another year packed full of fantastic festivals to sieve through.
From weekend-long celebrations of punk, jazz extravaganzas, boundary-defying blockbusters and late-night showcases of next-generation talent, here are the best festivals to book in and around Manchester for 2026.
The quite brilliant Sounds From The Other City (SFTOC) is back this May Bank Holiday. Lynks, Moonchild Sanelly, Blue Bendy, Rainy Miller, Sorvina, jasmine.4.t and over 100 other artists will perform across 17 stages in Salford, ranging from pubs and churches to historic concert halls an galleries.
The 21st edition is curated by some of the most exciting and renowned promoters, record labels, radio stations, magazines, and tastemakers in the North, including: community music venue The DBA, record label FIXED ABODE, DIY station Steam Radio, music magazine SEEN, queer Sheffield venue Gut Level, and Manchester’s own Now Wave.
It seems the lineup for Manchester Psych Fest gets bigger and bigger every year, and the 2026 edition is mightily impressive. Heading up the bill this year are The Beta Band and Stereolab, which is huge on its own. Add the likes of Ty Segall, Working Mens Club, The KVB, Anna von Hausswolff, Allah Las and GHOSTWOMAN into the equation, and the organisers deserve a very, very big pat on the back.
This year’s shows will be taking place across a handful of iconic Manchester venues: Manchester Academy, o2 Ritz, Projekts Skate Park, Gorilla, YES, Deaf Institute, Circle Square, Sandbar, Lass O’Gowrie and The Bread Shed.
Outbreak Festival has cemented itself as the go-to celebration of counterculture and underground music, and this year its celebrating its 15th anniversary with a frankly ludicrous lineup.
Headlining this year’s event at the B.E.C Arena (Bowlers to most of us), are the legendary Alexisonfire, who will be performing their seminal record Crisis in its entirety on Saturday night. On Sunday, Ipswich post-hardcore icons Basement take on headline duties, while The Front Bottoms top Friday’s bill.
Elsewhere, there are sets from Touché Amoré, La Dispute, PUP, High Vis, Trash Talk, Converge and Balance & Composure, to name a few.
Now a fixture amongst the UK’s mega festivals, Parklife returns to Heaton Park this June, bringing with it Calvin Harris, Sammi Virji and Skepta as headliners.
Zara Larsson, Chris Stussy, Josh Baker, NIA Archives, Rudim3ntal, Wilkinson, East End Dubs, Armand Van Helden, ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U and Shy FX are just some of the other acts stopping by across the weekend.
Manchester Folk Festival is an urban multi-venue festival based across the Northern Quarter. The festival brings together a diverse range of artists who represent the broad definition of contemporary folk music from all around the world.
Names announced so far include Fairport Convention, Seth Lakeman, John Bramwell, Angeline Morrison, The Young’uns, Fanny Lumsden, Skinny Lister and more.
Gigs take over a variety of venues like Band on the Wall, Gullivers, Hallé at St Michael’s, Hallé St Peter’s, New Century, Night & Day, RNCM and The Castle.
Staged for the first time in 1996, Manchester Jazz Festival is one of Mancheser’s longest-running festivals, and celebrated its 30th birthday last year.
The 10-day event takes over some of the city’s most legendary venues, celebrating the latest up-and-coming talent from across the North, and the best names in contemporary jazz.
The first wave of acts for Manchester Jazz Festival 2026 is expected to be announced Fri 13 Feb.
Hosted across the Easter weekend, Manchester Punk Festival is packing a whopping 140 acts into seven venues across the city this year.
Dead to Me, Strike Anywhere, Laura Jane Grace, Fucked Up, Ignite, Chewie, Dave Hause and Inner Terrestrials will be performing this time out. Stages will be hosted at The Union, Gorilla, The Bread Shed, YES (Pink Room & Basement), Rebellion, Sandbar, Flour & Flagon and The Salutation.
Early bird tickets are already gone, but standard tickets are still available.
Sounds of the City is back in July 2026, taking over Castlefield Bowl for a series of open-air concerts. This year’s shows come courtesy of The K’s, The Streets, Wet Leg, hometown hero Johnny Marr, Sex Pistols with guest vocalist Frank Carter and Hacienda Classical.
Nestled within the picturesque surroundings of Stockport’s Etherow Country Park, on Whitebottom Farm, Moovin Festival is a three-day celebration of music, arts and culture.
Previous artists have included Orbital, Groove Armada, De La Soul, Basement Jaxx, Laurent Garnier, Leftfield, Lee Scratch Perry, Big Daddy Kane, Moodymann, Naughty By Nature, Sampa The Great, Morcheeba, Soul II Soul, Jazzy Jeff, Yellowman, Souls Of Mischief and Sister Nancy.
The Moovin 2026 lineup is expected later this month, but tickets are on sale now if you want to plan ahead.
- Words:
- Bradley Lengden
- Published on:
- Thu 5 Feb 2026
Green Island Festival returns with its three-chapter format, with festivals taking place on 6 Jun, Sat 25 Jul and Sat 5 Sep against the unique backdrop of Hulme Garden Centre and cultural institution NIAMOS.
Renowned for showcasing sounds of the globe, community-led programming, accessibility, inclusivity and the championing of grassroots music culture, the event has become a beloved fixture in Manchester’s music calendar.
Amongst the names already confirmed for this year’s events are local legends DJ Paulette, 808 State, and A Guy Called Gerald. Elsewhere, there’s Grammy Award–winning duo, Blue Lab Beats, acclaimed South African band BCUC (Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness), DJ Mag Awards Breakthrough Vocalist of the year JayaHadADream, and loads more.