It all started when the plug was pulled on SXSW 2020 at the 11th hour due to the Covid pandemic. A full roster of artists, all chomping at the bit to perform, some of them already in Austin, and left with nowhere to play. Step up our mega production partner, Production Park, who quickly put together a stage in the impressive Studio One sound stage on their campus in Wakefield. And the BME sessions were born. Now with BBC Introducing on board, every three months Production Park host three new hopeful acts forging their way through the industry, hoping to claim a spot on one of the BME stages at our events around the globe.
This is the place to discover the best new music coming out of the UK…
16th August 2026 – ARLO PARKS
Raised in Hammersmith, Arlo Parks is a nineteen-year-old artist and poet providing a hopeful new voice for a generation caught up in a wealth of anxieties. Her debut EP ‘Sophie’, recently released on Transgressive Records, has been commended for its honesty and showcases Parks as utterly deserving of her place on the BBC Sound of 2020 longlist.
15th August 2026 – KNUCKS
Knucks is a rapper from North West London. Aged twelve, Knucks started rapping with friends after school, which evolved into him producing his own grime beats. His abilities as both a rapper and producer are showcased nowhere better than in his ten-track EP, NRG 105, which came out in June last year.
12th August 2026 – STEAM DOWN
Steam Down is more than just an artist collective. It is also a weekly event and music community based in Deptford, South London, created to connect London-based musicians and producers. With two Jazz FM awards under its belt, Steam Down is widely recognised for playing a fundamental role within London’s flourishing jazz scene.
9th June 2026 – KATY J PEARSON
Bring together old-fashioned country heartache, effortless pop hooks, acoustic guitar and tales of dancefloor romances, and Katy J Pearson is what you’ll get. She has a unique voice and her melodies are timeless. Rest a while and let her music sweep you off your feet.
8th June 2026 – BLACK COUNTRY, NEW ROAD
Black Country New Road are a weird and wonderful six-piece band formed in Cambridge. Their distinctive, dynamic sound has earned them approval from gig goers all around the country and earned them a place on the BBC Music Introducing Stage at Eurosonic Festival in The Netherlands this year.
7th June 2026 – YARD ACT
Leeds rock band Yard Act are writing the rule book on Brexit era post-punk. Their debut album ‘The Overload’ went straight in at number 2 on the UK Official Album Chart earlier this year, and Yard Act were rightly on the BBC Sound Of 2022 Longlist. One of the week’s must-see bands on the cusp of world domination.