BBC Radio 6 Music Festival announces line-up for its virtual 2021 edition

BBC Radio 6 Music Festival has announced plans for its 2021 edition, with live performances from Michael Kiwanuka, Laura Marling and Bicep promised.

Set to take place over the weekend of March 26-28, this year’s festival will be digital-only due to the coronavirus-enforced shutdown of live music in the UK.

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Nine brand new performances, as well as 18 sets from previous 6 Music Festivals (which will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer from March 22), will be broadcast on BBC Sounds and iPlayer, with highlights being played on BBC Radio 6 Music across the weekend. You can see the full line-up here.

Kiwanuka, Marling and Bicep all recorded their respective performances at Alexandra Palace in north London, while Poppy Ajudha, Black Country, New Road, Dry Cleaning, Nubya Garcia, Shame and Working Men’s Club have all recorded sets at the BBC Radio Theatre in BBC Broadcasting House. All of the 2021 performances were filmed and recorded in a socially distanced environment and in accordance with UK Government guidelines.

A special TV programme featuring separate Cerys Matthews-conducted interviews with Kiwanuka and Marling will air on BBC Four at 11pm on March 26.

For this year’s #6MusicFestival we’re bringing you 9 brand new performances recorded at Alexandra Palace and BBC Radio Theatre alongside some of our favourite archive performances from previous years.

26th-28th March.

Watch on @BBCiPlayer and listen on @BBCSounds. pic.twitter.com/QunY9Ib55e

— BBC Radio 6 Music (@BBC6Music) March 12, 2021

“With venues closed across the UK, we are determined to celebrate live music, as we know 6 Music listeners are missing gigs as much as we are,” Samantha Moy, Head of BBC Radio 6 Music, said in a statement. “So, we’ve raided the 6 Music Festival archives and moved heaven and earth to record some new performances, to ensure that the festival will go on!”

Kiwanuka added: “It feels great to be playing the 6 Music Festival this year, especially because I missed last year – I was so sad and gutted not to perform.

“This year is a special year because there are very few opportunities to get to play live, with the situation we’re in in the world. So it’s great to be able to express myself the way I know how and with the 6 Music family. It means a lot.”

You can find out more about BBC Radio 6 Music Festival 2021 by heading here.

Michael Kiwanuka recently postponed his upcoming UK tour due to the live music shutdown, with the dates now set to take place in 2022.

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