The 2026 Mercury Prize Fringe will return to Newcastle this October with its biggest programme yet, bringing more than 30 events to venues across the city as the Mercury Prize returns to the North East for a second successive year.
Taking place from 15 – 22 October, the week-long Fringe will transform Newcastle into a celebration of music, with live performances, listening parties, screenings, workshops, talks and one-off events bringing together artists, music fans and the wider industry.
Almost 30 venues across Newcastle will take part, creating new ways for thousands of people to experience the excitement of Mercury Prize week while providing a major platform for emerging North East talent and creating opportunities for the region’s next generation of artists and music industry professionals.
Presented and funded by Newcastle City Council as a core element of the Mercury Prize celebrations in Newcastle, and the BPI who organise the Mercury Prize, the Fringe is programmed and led by Generator, the North’s leading music development agency. Building on the success of the first-ever Mercury Fringe in 2025, Generator has worked with artists, venues and partners across the city to develop an even more ambitious programme for 2026 – showcasing the strength of Newcastle’s music scene, creating new opportunities for emerging talent and ensuring the impact of the Mercury Prize is felt far beyond the awards ceremony itself.
Highlights from this year’s Mercury Prize Fringe include:
Sam Fender: Live at London Stadium Premiere, Tyneside Cinema, Sat 17 Oct: Catch local hero Sam Fender’s landmark 2025 London Stadium performance on the big screen. The special screening will be accompanied by a panel exploring Fender’s artistic journey, the cultural impact of his music and the creative process behind the film.
Tommy Caulker: A Life in Records, Public House HiFi, Sat 17 Oct: Join Newcastle music legend and World Headquarters founder Tommy Caulker for a journey through the records, stories and sounds that have shaped his life in music, before experiencing one of the UK’s leading sound systems right here in Newcastle’s Ouseburn Valley.
Grainger Market Unplugged, Sat 17 Oct: Grainger Market Unplugged is returning for the Mercury Prize Fringe, showcasing acoustic sets from some of the most exciting emerging North East artists throughout the day.
Mini Mercury x First Gigs, The Grove, Sun 18 Oct: Budding musicians aged 12–18 will get the chance to take over a professional music venue, working with venue staff and sound engineers before performing live in front of an audience.
BBC Introducing Live, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music, Mon 19 Oct: BBC Introducing comes to the Mercury Fringe for a special live edition spotlighting some of the North East’s most exciting emerging talent, headlined by Sunderland’s own Tom A. Smith.
An Evening With Knats, John Marley Centre, Tue 20 Oct: Mercury Prize-shortlisted Knats return to Newcastle’s West End for a special homecoming, joining fans for an intimate listening party and conversation exploring the stories behind their shortlisted album and how growing up in the area helped shape their sound.
The Mercury Prize Fringe takes place across Newcastle from 15-22 October 2026.
Tickets and full programme information are available from generator.org.uk/mercuryprizefringe
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