BBC Introducing LIVE will return for its biggest ever showcase, with an array of events and performances set to take place across the UK.
The annual music discovery event will take place across nine UK cities throughout October, including (in alphabetical order):
- Belfast
- Bradford
- Cardiff
- Glasgow
- Lancaster
- London
- Liverpool
- Manchester
- Newcastle
The event will showcase an array of live performances, workshops, open mic sessions and networking opportunities for aspiring musicians, DJs and music creators.
Since its inception, BBC Introducing has championed unsigned British musicians through the BBC Introducing Uploader, with 23 local radio shows and six national shows on BBC Radio 1, 1Xtra, Asian Network, and 6 Music. Many successful artists, including Ed Sheeran, Raye, Olivia Dean, Sam Fender, and Loyle Carner, began their careers with support from BBC Introducing.
Introducing LIVE will head across the UK including hosting a gig in Bradford, as part of the UK City of Culture 2025, returning to Liverpool, following the success of Big Weekend, and for the first time, hosting a special takeover event in London at BBC Maida Vale Studios, with a day of panels, workshops, open mics and an industry feedback centre planned, all designed to support and inspire the next generation of musicians and music industry professionals.
BBC Introducing LIVE 2025 highlights:
London – Thursday 2 October
BBC Introducing LIVE will kick off in London at The Lower Third on Thursday 2 October for a night of live music, featuring three acts, Better Joy, Arkayla and Beattie, all curated by BBC Introducing.
Cardiff – Wednesday 8 October
BBC Introducing in Wales, Horizons and Beacons Cymru will join forces to present COPA, an exciting evening of genre-spanning Welsh talent including performances from Wrkhouse, Adjua, Casper James, Bruna Garcia and more at The Gate in Cardiff, as part of the Cardiff Music City Festival, a month-long festival celebrating the Welsh music scene.
Highlights from the night will be broadcast by BBC Radio Wales and BBC Radio Cymru after the gig.
Liverpool – Wednesday 8 October
BBC Radio Merseyside will host an exclusive BBC Introducing LIVE session from an Introducing artist in front of a live audience. The session will be available to hear on BBC Introducing in Merseyside 8-10pm on Thursday 9 October.
Following the success of the outreach open mic nights ahead of Radio 1’s Big Weekend Liverpool, BBC Radio 1 and BBC Introducing will join forces for a day of panels and networking, including a masterclass. The date and location for the legacy event will be announced soon.
Bradford – Friday 10 October
A special Introducing LIVE event, as part of the UK City of Culture 2025, will take place at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford. The event will feature two panels, a feedback session and an open deck for emerging DJs.
Glasgow – Saturday 11 October
Teaming up with Tenement Trail, BBC Introducing LIVE will celebrate emerging talent from Scotland by hosting a special takeover at Barras 2 on Saturday 11 October with seven artists, The Rooks, Tanzana, waverley., Mercy Girl, Theo Bleak, Matt White and The Emulsions, performing, all curated by BBC Introducing.
Highlights will be available to listen to on BBC Introducing in Scotland on Friday 17 October.
Lancaster – Saturday 11 October and Sunday 12 October
BBC Introducing LIVE will be at The Storey in Lancaster for two nights, partnering with BBC Radio Lancaster and Lancaster City Council. Six regional artists will perform across two intimate shows with Callinsick, Moody Brew and Tilda Gebhardt performing on Saturday and Charlotte OC, Super Market, Peggy and The Good News performing on Sunday. Alongside the performances, an afternoon workshop for 15-25 year olds will run on Sunday 12 October, offering the opportunity for attendees to explore careers in music.
Highlights from the event will be broadcast across BBC Radio Lancashire.
Newcastle – Tuesday 14 October
As part of The Generator Live Conference in Newcastle, BBC Introducing will take part in a panel at the Civic Centre, offering advice and insider knowledge to inspire and equip the next wave of music talent and industry leaders.
BBC Introducing will also host a three act showcase the same evening at The Glasshouse in partnership with Generator and Mercury Prize Fringe with performances from upcoming local artists ERNIE, Nadedja and Isabel Maria.
London – Saturday 18 October
BBC Introducing will take over BBC Maida Vale Studios on Saturday 18 October for a day of panels, workshops, open mics and an industry feedback centre. Ticketholders will get the chance to network with key players within the music industry and receive personal feedback on their music with key festival bookers, major and independent record labels, managers as well as producers and presenters from the BBC all set to attend the day.
The day’s programme includes three panels, five hands-on workshops, including a DJ session and vocal masterclass, a dedicated feedback centre where artists can receive tailored advice from industry professionals and some open mic slots, offering performers a chance to showcase their music in front of a live audience.
All sessions will be recorded and broadcast for BBC Introducing.
Tickets will be free and available to those over 16 from Monday 15 September at 9am from the BBC Website.
Manchester – Monday 20 – Friday 24 October
BBC Introducing LIVE in Manchester will see BBC Introducing, PRS for Music and singer-songwriter Jin Jin, who has worked with Raye, Jess Glynne, David Guetta & Sabrina Carpenter, join forces to host a five-day song writing workshop. The invite only event will bring an unparalleled experience for artists and creatives at the BluePrint Studios in Salford, Manchester, offering the opportunity for emerging artists to develop skills and collaborate with industry professionals.
Interviews from the event will be broadcast on BBC Introducing alongside a special play of the song live on air.
On Tuesday 22 October, BBC Introducing will also host a special show at Ambers in Manchester featuring performances from Akemi Fox, Alt Blk Era, DBLA, DellaXOZ, OneDa and Prido.
Belfast – Friday 24 October
Partnering with the Belfast International Arts Festival, BBC Introducing will host a special gig at Limelight 2 in Belfast. The gig will celebrate Northern Ireland’s music scene recorded for BBC Introducing in Northern Ireland with Taylor Johnson and will feature three Irish acts.
More information about BBC Introducing LIVE, including ticketing information for each event can be found on the BBC Introducing Homepage.