© MBArtists

After a decade of quietly developing into a cornerstone of Manchester’s new music scene, the RNCM’s Popular Music department is finally hosting a multi-stage takeover of their Oxford Road home with a full-on showcase from the next generation of musicians.

Not only have these musicians distinguished themselves enough to earn a place at one of the world’s leading conservatoires, many have also now been handpicked to play the new festival by tastemakers at the BBC’s flagship platform for emerging talent, BBC Introducing.

The new collaborative festival, BBC Introducing @ RNCM, is a grassroots music event featuring more than nine hours of live music and performance across three curated stages. It brings together the ears and expertise of BBC presenters Will Wolstenholme and DJ Roesh as hosts of the main ‘BBC Introducing Presents… Stage’ in the RNCM Theatre, and as champions of a flurry of fresh talent that could end up on your playlist by this summer.

The RNCM has played host to everyone from Steve Reich and Jarvis Cocker to FKA Twigs and Adele. Joining that list will be eleven handpicked new bands and artists: HAMISH, XL Poncho, Róise, bodyroot, Dobbö, Elin Grace, Harry Lines, Bart Zagamé with Izzy Taylor, Lula Gold, Althea, and Moli. Many are already earning their stripes and selling out shows in Manchester, but this event offers further proof of the RNCM’s growing influence, with its Pop department continuing to produce exceptional artists. Exciting things are happening here; recent graduates of the programme include Dove Ellis, BDi Music signing Jack Critchlow, and three members of West Side Cowboy.

Acclaimed jazz-funk-dance duo Toast Club, featuring RNCM alumnus Tommy Villiers (a founding member and contributor to Piri & Tommy, See Thru Hands, and Porij), returns to Manchester to headline the ‘BBC Introducing Presents… Stage’, which reimagines the RNCM Theatre as an intimate performance space for just 300 people.

Elsewhere, in the RNCM Concert Hall and RNCM Café Bar, more ones-to-watch are lined up across the ‘RNCM Presents… stages’: Lottie Gray, Mateo, Sam Pendrill, Lucy Ellen and the Leopards, The Everything Complex, The Prior, Tal-é, and Japanese jazz fusionists Fushigi each get their chance to shine. Tommy Villiers returns later to round off the night with a live DJ set.

The timing couldn’t be more on point. The new collaboration arrives in the 10th anniversary year of the College’s four-year Pop degree, and at a time when grassroots music is fighting for its life. The campaign to save small venues and preserve performance spaces for artists at the beginning of their journeys has resonated particularly deeply in Manchester, where grassroots venues have long served as incubators for some of the biggest bands around.

BBC Introducing @ RNCM is a direct response to the work of industry advocates and is designed as a platform for discovery – one that also invites audiences to experience the music and venue for free.

© Fushigi

Ahead of the event, Will Wolstenholme has expressed his excitement about this new addition to Manchester’s dynamic and diverse music scene – and about the quality of musicians taking part. ‘BBC Introducing is proud to be a platform that supports, nurtures, and spotlights unsigned and under-the-radar UK music talent,’ he says, ‘and we’re excited to be hosting this new showcase at the RNCM of incredible musicians poised to become your favourite songwriters, bands, and DJs.’

His excitement is echoed by RNCM Head of Popular Music Andy Stott, who adds: ‘I’m thrilled to reveal our vibrant new platform celebrating emerging talent, bold creativity, and the future of popular music. This festival embodies our commitment to inspiring the next generation of RNCM artists and showcasing their extraordinary potential.’

BBC Introducing @ RNCM runs from 12pm–9.30pm on Sun 21 Jun. Details of the full line-up are available here.