New releases, music videos and album news — indie, rap, rock and pop. Always covering Ren, Chris Webby, Sam Tompkins, bbno$, CHINCHILLA, Muse, Yungblud and more.
Dove Ellis, Squid, Working Men’s Club lead 71 names added to Brighton’s Mutations Festival
Brighton's Mutations Festival has revealed 71 additional acts for its 2026 edition, joining previously announced headliners Fat Dog and Beastie Boys' Mike D. The two-day event, described by organisers as its "most ambitious and exciting edition yet", will run across 10 grassroots venues in the city on 23 and 24 October, with more than 100 breakthrough and established artists set to perform in total.
Mercury Prize-shortlisted Dove Ellis headlines the newly confirmed Saturday bill alongside Alex Cameron, TTSSFU and Pulled Apart By Horses, while Brighton band Squid and Yorkshire's Working Men's Club lead the Friday additions, joined by Bdrmm, Insecure Men and Lip Critic. General sale tickets go live at 10am BST on Friday 7 August, and Dove Ellis has also announced a separate UK and Ireland headline tour.
In short
- Mutations Festival adds 71 acts to its 2026 Brighton line-up
- Dove Ellis, Squid and Working Men's Club headline new additions
- Festival runs 23-24 October; tickets on sale Friday 7 August
Explained simply
Mutations is a multi-venue music festival in Brighton, with performances spread across independent venues rather than held on one main stage. Its 2026 edition is planned for two days in October, and the full line-up is expected to include more than 100 artists.
The bill brings together newer acts and established bands from different parts of the UK and beyond. Squid formed in Brighton, while Working Men’s Club are from Yorkshire; both are part of a wider independent music scene that often gives emerging artists a platform.
The festival’s scale and range matter to the city’s live music venues, which host the shows, and to audiences looking for new acts as well as familiar names. It is one event in Brighton’s wider cultural calendar, rather than a single-artist concert.