Concert News
MOBO ANNOUNCE FRINGE 2026 IN MANCHESTER
As the MOBO Organisation marks its landmark 30th anniversary and the MOBO Awards heads to Manchester for the first time, MOBO Fringe 2026 returns with its biggest and most exciting programme to date, transforming Manchester into a city-wide celebration of Black music, culture and creativity.
Running from Thursday 19 March to Tuesday 24 March, the free weeklong programme will bring together live performances, industry conversations, cultural activations, workshops and talent development initiatives across the city, building momentum ahead of the 2026 MOBO Awards at Co-op Live on Thursday 26 March.
For the first time in its history, the MOBO Awards is coming to Manchester, a city globally recognised for shaping musical movements and cultural conversations. MOBO Fringe 2026 extends that moment far beyond the awards ceremony, spotlighting Manchester’s vibrant creative communities while creating meaningful opportunities for artists, young people and cultural leaders across the region.
Delivered with support from Manchester City Council in partnership with Manchester Music City, the MOBO Fringe programme has been developed in collaboration with more than 50 community leaders, creatives, grassroots platforms and industry representatives, ensuring the Fringe reflects the voices and energy of those already shaping culture in the city.
Across the week, attendees can expect a dynamic programme spanning live music showcases, industry panels, education programmes, heritage activations and community-led events, hosted in some of Manchester’s most loved cultural venues.
At the heart of the programme is the MCR MOBO Fringe Assembly 2026, a delivery-led fellowship placing Manchester’s Black music commissioners, producers and cultural operators at the centre of programming during Awards week. The assembly commissions and produces events across the city, ensuring MOBO Fringe is shaped by the people already building scenes, audiences and opportunities locally.
The 2026 cohort brings together a range of leading Manchester-based platforms and organisations working across the city’s music and creative sectors. This includes Studio 88, Aaspire Records, SHIMRISE Selects, Habitat, FARO Presents, Melophile, 54 Agency and Black Creative Trailblazers and journalist Amelia Fearon. Together, they represent expertise spanning management, live events, media, artist development and community-led initiatives.
A major highlight of the programme is the MOBO Summit in association with Amazon Music, taking place on Tuesday 24 March at Aviva Studios, home of Factory International.
The summit will bring together artists, executives and emerging creatives for a day of panels, workshops and networking focused on the future of music, culture and creative careers. Highlights from the programme include the MOBO30 Legacy Spotlight, with iconic artists (to be announced) celebrating 30 years of the MOBO movement and its cultural impact. The Getting Seen and Heard panel with industry figures will discuss how artists break through and build audiences today. The Independently Done panel features artists sharing how they sustain careers outside major labels. Cultural discussions featuring Red Bull, the playmaker group and BBC Music Introducing also spotlight the growing influence of Northern music scenes, with a conversation examining how cities like Manchester are driving new energy and opportunities in the UK industry, alongside a wider discussion on the future of diversity in music.
MOBOLISE x Salesforce AI will host discussions exploring AI, inclusive leadership and future-ready skills, with networking facilitated by Afrosocial UK. The evening will conclude with the MOBO x PPL Manchester Talent Development Programme showcase, presenting ten emerging Manchester artists to an invited industry showcase.
Education and youth engagement also sit at the heart of MOBO Fringe 2026. Activity will include school tours at Co-op Live and a recording session at the adidas x Abbey Road Studios space inside the arena, where young people from Contact Theatre’s Studio School will record new verses inspired by Nas’ classic track “I Can.” Alongside this, led by One Education Music MCR and supported by Sing Up Music, more than 70 primary schools and the gospel choir from Trinity High School have been learning “Optimistic” by Sounds of Blackness.
Building on the success of MOBO Fringe 2025 in Newcastle, which attracted thousands of attendees and generated an estimated £1 million in combined economic and social impact for the North East, the Manchester edition expands the model through deeper local collaboration and commissioning.
MOBO Fringe 2026 positions the programme not just as a festival, but a city-wide cultural moment that connects grassroots creativity, industry opportunity and community celebration.
Kanya King CBE, Founder and CEO, MOBO Awards, said: “Bringing the MOBO Awards to Manchester in our 30th anniversary year is incredibly meaningful for us. Manchester is a city with a proud history of shaping music, culture and movements, and MOBO Fringe allows us to celebrate that energy in a way that goes far beyond one night.
Over the course of a week, the city will become a platform for artists, creatives and communities, from grassroots talent to industry leaders, all coming together to share ideas, create opportunities and celebrate the power of Black music and culture.
What makes MOBO Fringe special is that it is built with the city and by working with local creatives, organisations and community leaders, we are creating something that reflects Manchester’s voice while opening doors for the next generation.”
Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “As a proudly diverse city known around the world for our music, creativity and talent, we’re thrilled to be hosting both the MOBO Awards and this year’s MOBO Fringe here in Manchester as they mark an incredible 30 years of celebrating Black music and culture.
“Supporting emerging talent and our grassroots music scene in Manchester is really important to us and the MOBO Fringe is set to provide some amazing opportunities that do just that in the run-up to the awards for our schools, young musicians, and others, alongside an unmissable wider programme of free activities across the city for our local communities and visitors to get involved in.“
To register for free tickets and view the full programme, please visit: mobo.com/fringe. Follow @mobofringe on social media and download the MOBOLISE app for live updates throughout Awards week.
Programme Highlights:
Thursday 19 March – The Black Sound Gala (Whitworth Gallery)
The official launch of MOBO Fringe 2026, delivered in partnership with Black Creative Trailblazers. The evening celebrates the journey of Black music through choir performance, saxophone, tribal drumming, spoken word and more at one of Manchester’s most popular galleries.
Friday 20 March – SHIMRISE Selects (Deaf Institute)
SHIMRISE Selects returns for its fourth instalment as part of MOBO Fringe week, continuing powerhouse Mancunian DJ and production duo Shimrise’s mission to spotlight the Black talent shaping the future of UK house music. Curated by SHIMRISE, the night brings together an exciting cross-city line up spanning Manchester, Birmingham and London featuring sets from SHIMRISE alongside Omari, Kieron Dacapo and Meeshy – artists pushing the sound of house forward while staying rooted in its Black origins.
Saturday 21 March – MOBØRIGINS (Renae)
54 Agency, broadcaster Amelia Fearon (transmission/archive.) and We Generate’s Adele Tondu (Melophile) present a multidisciplinary collaboration at music-led bar Renae. The evening features transmission/archive. in conversation sessions with Ellen Beth Abdi, Art Not Evidence and legendary DJ Paulette, lead by Amelia Fearon with additional contributors to be confirmed, alongside an exploration of self exhibition curated by Jahqira (54 Agency), a soundscape by Josh Inyang (Space Afrika), plus an indie, alternative and neo soul live lounge, and a Melophile club night with back to back DJs.
Saturday 21 March – Habitat x MOBO Fringe (Cupra City Garage)
Manchester club brand Habitat, led by Tone Rarri and AK Gramm, takes over Cupra City Garage with a showcase featuring a special secret headliner (a MOBO nominee & one of the biggest names in Funky House & UK music.) Full renowned Habitat club energy to be expected with Faro holding down hosting duties, alongside bright emerging talents in Pooch and Sharari.
Saturday 21 March – Manchester Made: Roots, Rhymes & The Future (Niamos Centre)
Studio 88 will deliver a live cultural legacy event, headline showcase and MOBO Fringe cypher celebrating Manchester’s past, present and future; a heritage, emerging talent and future creative focused activation at the Niamos Centre, an iconic venue where Nina Simone once performed, which is now an important community run hub. Here, Studio 88 will be highlighting its role as Manchester’s leading independent recording studio and creative enterprise supporting emerging and established Black talent across the region.
Sunday 22 March – Aarchive House & Crib Sessions with Faro (Side Street)
Presented by Aaspire Records, Aarchive House is an interactive listening session with a house party element, showcasing unreleased music directly from artists’ vaults, featuring live feedback and audience Q&A alongside feature writer and broadcaster Amelia Fearon.
Later in the evening, Crib Sessions with Faro takes over Side Street bringing house party energy with a curated kickback where attendees can chill, connect, play games, and enjoy live entertainment. Top DJs will spin a no‑skip soundtrack, creating a space for emerging talent, established creatives and music lovers to experience the city’s sounds in an intimate and high‑energy setting. The event will also feature host of the Pyjamas Club and content creator Romy Gama and host of Crib Sessions, Manchester creative Faro, in conversation.
Tuesday 24 March – MOBO Summit in association with Amazon Music (Aviva Studios, home of Factory International)
A day of panels, workshops and networking bringing together artists, executives and emerging creatives, including Amazon Music partner programming, alongside MOBOLISE x Salesforce AI sessions. The evening will see the MOBO Fringe x PPL Manchester Talent Programme Showcase, presenting ten Manchester artists to invited industry.
For three decades, MOBO has championed Black music and culture across the UK and beyond, advocating for greater diversity and inclusion within the music industry. Bringing the MOBO Awards to Manchester for the first time reflects the city’s cultural influence and its role in shaping national music conversations.
MOBO Fringe 2026 ensures the awards extend far beyond a single night. Through live performance, education, industry engagement and community led programming, the initiative creates lasting opportunity, amplifies underrepresented voices and strengthens pathways for emerging talent across the region.
The MOBO Awards takes place at Manchester’s Co-op Live on Thursday 26 March. Tickets are on sale now.
Amazon Music will livestream the 2026 MOBO Awards live from Co-op Live in Manchester as the Official Digital Music Streaming Partner. The ceremony will be available to watch on the Amazon Music UK channel on Twitch from 8.00PM GMT on 26 March. For more information, including the livestream and playlists, visit the event detail page here.