Live music in 2026 feels increasingly out of reach. Ticket prices are constantly surging, with dynamic pricing quietly inflating costs in real time. Meanwhile, grassroots venues continue to struggle; thirty-five UK venues are closing in 2025, and 53% failed to make a profit, according to the Music Venue Trust. The experience of seeing music live has become corporatised and, for many, financially exclusionary.
But while arena shows swallow the spotlight, something far more exciting is happening in smaller-capacity venues across the UK and beyond. Emerging artists are building communities the old-fashioned way: through word of mouth, support slots, and songs that genuinely resonate. If we want a live music culture that feels human rather than transactional, these are just a few of the smaller artists we should be showing up for in 2026.
WESTSIDE COWBOY
Made up of Aoife Anson O’Connell, Reuben Haycocks, James Bradbury, and Paddy Murphy, Manchester-based Westside Cowboy have been steadily carving out their own space in the UK indie music scene. They describe their genre as ‘Britainicana’, a phrase that neatly captures the strange, transatlantic quality of their sound. O’Connell compared their style to The End of the F*cking World in an interview with Rolling Stone: distinctly British in its humour and awkwardness, yet filtered through an American lens. The comparison feels apt.
Their music balances wiry, restless energy with startling moments of vulnerability. After supporting Black Country, New Road on a European tour – and with their track ‘I Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love (Until I Met you)’ named drummer Charlie Wayne’s ‘favourite of 2024’ – the band have already earned the respect of some of the most forward-thinking indie artists working today.
This spring, they’ll support Brooklyn rock band Geese on the European leg of their Getting Killed tour. Two exceptional EPs have already proven their ability to shift seamlessly between chaos and tenderness. The only logical next step feels like a debut album – and it would be no surprise if it arrives sooner rather than later.
KEO
Moving further south, London-based four-piece Keo are quickly becoming one of the UK’s most talked-about emerging bands. Originally formed by brothers Finn and Conor Keogh, the group channels a sharp, emotionally charged strain of alternative rock that feels contemporary while sitting comfortably alongside the grit and dynamism of the 90s rock scene. They first exploded across social media with singles ‘I Lied, Amber’ and ‘Thorn’, with their five-track EP Siren confirming that the virality was deserved. For such a young band, it sounded remarkably cohesive and self-assured.
Keo have already appeared at major UK festivals such as Boardmasters and Kendal Calling, signalling a live reputation that is quickly growing. Moreover, recent news that frontman Finn Keogh has signed to UMPG only adds to the feeling that this is a band on the brink of something bigger. Whether through the band’s next release or potential solo material from Keogh himself, their momentum shows no sign of slowing.
DOVE ELLIS
Irish singer-songwriter Dove Ellis (Thomas O’ Donaghue) delivered one of 2025’s most affecting debuts. His record Blizzard feels reminiscent of artists like Jeff Buckley and Elliot Smith in its tenderness, yet it avoids imitation. There’s a quiet confidence in Ellis’s songwriting, with his lyricism feeling deeply personal without becoming insular, inviting listeners in rather than shutting them out. While much of Blizzard leans into fragile, introspective territory, the track Love Is stands out as a brighter moment. It feels like a lift in Ellis’s discography, allowing his melodic instincts to take centre stage without sacrificing any emotional weight.
Following a sold-out show at The Windmill in Brixton in January, he has recently announced a small string of shows in May, including one at Band on the Wall in Manchester. These rooms are intimate for now, but likely not for long. If you want to say you were there before the inevitably larger venues, now is the time.
HUDSON FREEMAN
Across the Atlantic, Brooklyn-based lo-fi folk artist Hudson Freeman represents a different kind of slow-burn success story. Having released his first EP in 2015, Freeman has spent years quietly building a catalogue of intimate, introspective work. Yet, 2025 marked a genuine breakthrough. In September, he released a voice-memo-style demo (‘If You Know Me’), whose rawness became its strength. The track quickly gained viral traction, even prompting a guitar cover shared by John Mayer. When the studio version followed in November – paired with a fantastic cover of The Rolling Stones’ Wild Horses as a B-side – it confirmed that the initial buzz was more than just algorithmic luck.
Freeman’s broader discography reveals an artist deeply attuned with his craft. The title track from his 2021 sophomore album, I Am All the Ages I’ve Ever Been, is an especially strong entry point into his work, feeling reflective and vulnerable.
He has since announced a US co-headline tour with Newcastle-based band lots of hands, as well as an appearance at Moseley Folk & Arts Festival. Hopefully, a series of UK gig dates may not be far behind.
Grassroots venues are where scenes are born. They are where artists experiment without the pressure of arena-size expectations and where audiences feel like participants rather than consumers. The future of live music will not be shaped solely by stadium tours or rising prices. It will be shaped by who we decide to show up for, especially in these small rooms.
Image Credits: James Stamler via Unsplash