A week of events ahead of this year’s Mercury Prize has been announced across Newcastle.
The winner will be revealed on October 22 at Newcastle’s Utilita Arena, returning after hometown hero Sam Fender bagged the prize last year for his third album ‘People Watching‘.
The shortlist for the Mercury Prize 2026 includes Paul McCartney, JADE, Nia Archives, Dave, Suede and the War Child ‘Help(2)‘ compilation all among this year’s nominated albums.
Ahead of the ceremony a week long series of more than 30 events at venues across the city will be held for what is known as the Mercury Prize 2026 Fringe.
Highlights include a screening of Sam Fender‘s ‘Live At London Stadium’ concert film at Tyneside Cinema on October 17. It will be accompanied by a panel exploring Fender’s artistic journey, the cultural impact of his music and the creative process behind the film.
Sam Fender ‘Live At London Stadium’. CREDIT: PRESS
Newcastle DJ Tommy Caulker will also hold a talk at Public House HiFi and Grainger Market will stage acoustic sets from upcoming artists in the North East on the same day.
BBC Introducing will also hold a special live edition at the Glasshouse International Centre For Music on October 19 while Mercury Prize-shortlisted Geordie jazz and poetry outfit Knats will join fans for an intimate listening party and conversation exploring the stories behind their shortlisted album ‘A Great Day In Newcastle’ at the John Marley Centre the following day (October 20). For more information and to purchase tickets head here.
Dr Jo Twist OBE and CEO of the BPI, organisers of the Mercury Prize, said of the forthcoming week of events: “We’re so delighted to be bringing the Mercury Fringe back to Newcastle in October, with a bigger and bolder programme than ever thanks to our partners at Generator and Newcastle City Council.
“Newcastle is a true music city, and we’re grateful to its incredible music ecosystem for welcoming the Mercury Prize. We know this year’s Fringe will offer the local community an important opportunity to connect, inspire and create a lasting legacy together.”
Adam MacDonald, Generator project manager, added: “Last year, we headed into the unknown with the creation of the first-ever Mercury Fringe, and the response from music lovers and the wider music industry across the North East completely blew us away.
“What made it so special was the collective enthusiasm of artists, venues, partners and audiences across the city. It showed exactly why Newcastle is such a brilliant home for the Mercury Prize.
“This year we’ve taken that energy and built on it. The programme is bigger and more ambitious, with even more opportunities to discover new music, see brilliant artists, and get involved in Mercury Prize week. We can’t wait to see the city come alive again.”
Big names that made this year’s 12 ‘Albums of the Year’ list included Dave with ‘The Boy Who Played the Harp’ after he won in 2019 with ‘Psychodrama‘, Florence + The Machine being nominated for a fourth time with sixth LP ‘Everybody Scream’, Olivia Dean landing a second Mercury nod but this time for the hugely successful ‘The Art Of Loving‘, RAYE returning this time for ‘THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE.’ and Beatles icon Paul McCartney‘s reflective ‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane’ finding him on the Mercury shortlist for the first time.
This year’s victors will join the likes of English Teacher, Ezra Collective, Little Simz, Dave, Arlo Parks, Wolf Alice, Young Fathers and more, as well as legendary past winners such as Arctic Monkeys, Elbow, Pulp, Portishead, PJ Harvey and Franz Ferdinand.
The winner will be decided by a judging panel made up of music writer and broadcaster Sophie Williams, The Times‘ rock and pop critic Will Hodgkinson, composer, DJ and radio broadcaster AFRODEUTSCHE, and broadcaster and musician Danielle Perry.
Alongside them will be Radio 2’s Jamie Cullum, Jeff Smith, Lea Stonhill, MistaJam, Kerrang‘s creative director Phil Alexander, Sian Eleri, with Jeff Smith The Chair of the judging team.
Tickets to the Mercury Prize 2026 are on sale and available here.
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