On The Table Read Magazine, “the best arts and entertainment magazine UK“, London alt-rock sensations Keo will headline Liverpool Sound City 2026’s Saturday night with soul star Jalen Ngonda closing the festival on Sunday.
Keo
London alt-rock quartet Keo have been confirmed as the Saturday night headliners for next year’s Sound City festival, marking a meteoric rise from a 200-capacity basement show in 2025 to the 3,500-capacity Grand Central Hall stage.
Just one year after packing out the underground EBGBs venue during Sound City 2025 – with fans spilling onto the street – the band will return on Saturday 2 May 2026 to close the main stage at Liverpool’s historic Grand Central Hall.
The rapid ascent follows the release of their acclaimed summer EP Siren and the breakout success of the single I Lied, Amber, which has surpassed one million Spotify streams. Keo’s emotive, distortion-heavy sound and frontman Finn Keogh’s raw vocal style have drawn favourable comparisons to Wunderhorse and Fontaines DC.
Sound City 2026: Festival and Conference Details
- Dates: Saturday 2 – Sunday 3 May 2026 (festival)
- Sound City+ Conference: Friday 1 May 2026
- Location: Multiple venues across Liverpool city centre
- Weekend and day tickets are now on sale at www.soundcity.uk.com after early-bird allocation sold out almost a year in advance.
Contemporary soul artist and former Liverpool resident Jalen Ngonda, who first appeared on intimate Sound City stages in 2017 and 2018, will headline the Sunday night slot. A graduate of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), Ngonda’s return completes a strong headline pairing for the weekend.
Sound City
Sound City has a long track record of showcasing acts at the earliest stages of their careers, with previous alumni including Charli XCX, The 1975, Ed Sheeran and Stormzy. The festival continues its mission of spotlighting tomorrow’s headliners today.
The accompanying Sound City+ Conference returns on Friday 1 May 2026 with support from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), PRS, PPL, PRSF, AIM and UK Music.
The festival’s Apply To Play platform, powered by TuneCore and Amplead, will open soon, giving grassroots artists the chance to perform at the 2026 edition.
Sound City remains the UK’s lead festival for the global Keychange initiative, working toward full gender balance across line-ups, panels and all festival activities.
Partners and Funding
Sound City 2026 is supported by Arts Council England (thanks to National Lottery players), along with principal creative education partners SAE Institute and ICMP. New partners for 2026 include Leeds Conservatoire and the Scottish Alternative Music Awards (SAMA). Off Axis, SESAC, and the not-for-profit gig-swap network continue their involvement, while The Shipping Forecast stage will be named in memory of the late SESAC Vice President John Sweeney.
Find more from Sound City now:
www.instagram.com/liverpoolsoundcity
www.tiktok.com/@liverpoolsoundcity
www.facebook.com/liverpoolsoundcity
We strive to keep The Table Read free for both our readers and our contributors. If you have enjoyed our work, please consider donating to help keep The Table Read going!
3 thought on “Keo Announced as Saturday Night Headliners for Liverpool Sound City 2026”
Comments are closed.
This made me rethink some of my assumptions. Really valuable post.
Your content never disappoints. Keep up the great work!
Just tried zo88app and I’m digging the user experience. Easy to navigate, and the games are popping! If you’re lookin for something fresh on your phone, give it a shot: zo88app