Independent Venue Week 2026
The greatest week in all the land returns to Future Yard for a sixth year running, as we once again participate in Independent Venue Week – running from 23rd Jan to 1st Feb 2026. Following packed out shows from the likes of The Bug Club, Awesome Friends and Girlband! Last year’s IVW may be hard to beat; but we’re going to give it a heck of a good go…
FRIDAY | ONOMATOPOSTER WITH PULLED APART BY HORSES
+ Hazmat and Two Tonne Machete support.
23.01.26
The Onomatoposter exhibition returns in 2026, with Toucan Tango showcasing global flatstock gig poster art from January to March in the Future Walls gallery. Expect rare, limited-edition prints, live screen printing, and a special show piece. The launch features Leeds alt-rock band Pulled Apart By Horses. Their intense stage presence has earned them the reputation as one of the most electrifying live bands in the UK. Their shows teeter the line between precision and total mayhem, they blur the line between band and audience curating an adrenaline fuelled cult built on trust, intensity and shared scars.
SATURDAY | TWELVE BELLS #JINJÉ
+ Benji Aitch + Lee Reed support.
24.01.26
An electronic music party. Seven hours of beautifully crafted beats to escape with.
Step away from the noise and into a groove. Lose yourself in the music, body moving, no phones, no distractions. Doors open early, we finish by midnight and the 12th bell.
The journey is short but the memories will linger.
MONDAY | TAMER NAFAR
Support TBA
26.01.26
Godfather of Arabic hip-hop and co-founder of DAM, is a pioneering Palestinian rapper and activist whose work confronts life for Palestinians in Israel. Celebrating his debut English album, he brings his powerful blend of protest and poetry to Future Yard as part of a new chapter of artistic freedom.
TUESDAY| THE PILL
27.01.26
In a world still shaken by online misogyny and narrow ideas of femininity, The Pill are the defiant, irreverent voice Gen Z punk has been waiting for. Formed by Lily Hutchings (vocals/guitar) and Lottie Massey (vocals/bass), the Isle of Wight duo have spent the past few years honing their riotous blend of satire, sarcasm, and spitfire punk into something entirely their own.
WEDNESDAY | YOUTH SECTOR
Hailing from Brighton, Youth Sector’s music is a coiled spring of urgency and unpredictable energy; while lyrically offering a sense of catharsis for the confusion of modern adult life.
Taking influence from art school greats DEVO and Talking Heads, the Brighton 5 piece never revel in bleakness, managing to twist everyday narratives into music that is quite the opposite being upbeat, full of energy and with irresistible choruses you can’t help but sing along with.
28.01.26
THURSDAY | MAD PROFESSOR
+ The Oliphant Man b2b Sister Irie supports.
A disciple of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’, Mad Professor stands as one of the leading producers in dub reggae’s second generation. One of the most respected figures in the genre’s transition into the digital age, Mad Professor soon found himself in demand as a remixer for rock, R&B, and electronica acts. Over the course of the ’90s and into the new millennium, he would remix tracks by Sade, The Orb, The KLF, The Beastie Boys, and Depeche Mode, among others. His best-known project, however — and the one that truly established his credentials — was 1995’s No Protection, a completely reimagined version of trip-hop collective Massive Attack’s second album, Protection.
29.01.26
FRIDAY | DRAGGED ACROSS THE MERSEY 2 (WITH BAGA CHIPZ)
+ Joey & The Hot Tub Boys.
30.01.26
SATURDAY | FUTURE PROOF WITH INSECURE MEN
+ Workstuff
+ More TBA
Future Yard’s IVW 2026 All Dayer lands Saturday 31 January, headlined by Insecure Men. Returning with new album A Man For All Seasons, Saul Adamczewski brings his melodic, reflective project back after years of personal upheaval, following the acclaimed, genre-blurring debut that marked his reinvention.
31.01.26
SUNDAY | CORTO.ALTO
Scottish composer-producer Liam Shortall, aka corto.alto, brings a bold, genre-blurring sound to Future Yard for IVW 2026. Fusing jazz with club culture, electronic experimentation, hip-hop, soul and funk, his Ninja Tune releases showcase intricate horn writing, heavy grooves and fearless production, earning global radio support and widespread critical acclaim
01.02.26
Get to know all the artists performing this Independent Venue Week here.
Celebrating the spirit of independence + the culture of live music
Independent Venue Week is a seven-day celebration of music venues around the country and a nod to the people that own, run and work in them, week in, week out.
These venues give artists their first experience of playing live in front of an audience. They give fans somewhere to get up close to artists that one day, may well be playing stadiums and festival main stages. They also provide those wanting a career in music, off the stage, the chance to learn their craft up close in a small venue.
Independent Venue Week is unique in that it is a nationwide initiative with a completely local feel.
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