LINE UP 2026
Saturday 3 October | Malvern Cube WR14 2YF
LINE UP offers an opportunity to discover music that sits outside the usual festival formula – an intimate day of adventurous sounds, unexpected connections and artists who refuse to stay neatly within one genre.
Following the success of its 2025 Festival, LINE UP returns to Malvern Cube on Saturday 3 October 2026, once again bringing an eclectic mix of experimental and alternative music to the town.
Now in its fourth year, LINE UP is presented by Severn Arts and Malvern Hills District Council, creating a relaxed, sit-down festival experience that explores the spaces between genres. Expect electronics, folk, jazz, experimental sound, atmospheric compositions and guitar pop, with an intriguing line-up of artists drawn from across the UK’s alternative music scene.
Leading the way are Aster, the duo of poets and experimental sound makers Alex Keramidas and Catherine Norris. Their work occupies an unusual space between poetry, performance and sound, drawing inspiration from everything from perpetual choirs and sacrificial stones to Top of the Pops, all guided by divination.
The Hardy Tree, the musical project of illustrator Frances Castle, brings a distinctive blend of woozy synths, landscape and London’s history. Castle is also the founder of Clay Pipe Music and has created soundtracks for her graphic novels, performing live alongside slow-moving animations.
Fans of tindersticks will know David Boulter, who brings his solo work to LINE UP. His instrumental soundscapes, spoken word and soundtrack compositions explore a quieter, more atmospheric side of his musical world.
Richard Bundy and Anna Phoebe present Dover Unlocked, music from their new album From The Edge. Inspired by the acoustics, history and atmosphere of Dover, the long-form work reimagines the familiar story of the UK coastal town.
There is a darker, more folkloric mood in Bridget Hayden and The Apparitions, whose music draws on classic folk songs and the ghostly atmosphere of Hayden’s acclaimed album Cold Blows the Rain.
Rounding off the line-up are The Clientele, whose hazy, autumnal guitar pop has developed into a sound all of their own, combining chiming guitars, yearning vocals and understated rhythms.