Contemporary soul sensation, and formerLiverpool resident, JALEN NGONDA has been announced as the first headliner to play at Sound City 2026, returning to Merseyside to play the festival and the ornate Grand Central Hallnext spring. The UK’s pioneering multi-venue festival of new music discovery, having offered early-career showcases to the likes of The 1975, Charli XCX, Ed Sheeran, Stormzy and The xx over almost two decades, returns to the internationally-renowned music city over Sat 2 –Sun 3 May 2026.
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Welcoming Jalen Ngonda back to Sound City as our 2026 headliner perfectly captures what our festival is all about: discovering and championing new artists, and giving them the platform to go on to achieve No. 1 records, sell-out tours, and global acclaim. Jalen’s lush, soulful style first graced our stages back in 2017 and seeing him return as a true international success is a full-circle moment that embodies the Sound City spirit. We can’t wait to welcome him home to the centre of the music universe, Liverpool, in 2026. Sound City remains the UK’s definitive festival for new music discovery, where the next generation of stars take their first steps toward the world stage – Becky Ayres, Sound City’s Managing Director
A former student at the Paul McCartney-founded Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, Ngonda’s rise from being a prodigious, Motown-obsessed teenager in Maryland to still-rising, award-winning figurehead of a classic soul revival passed through multiple Liverpool venues. Having spoken openly about how the city changed his life, performing at Sound City twice in 2017 and 2018 after booking a one-way ticket to England in 2014, Ngonda’s ‘homecoming’ will prove to be an unmissable, emotional and busy landmark show during another memorable weekend of live music.
Ngonda’s last live outing in Liverpool was in front of just 250 people at the now closed Jimmy’s Bar in 2023. Grand Central Hall’s stunning The Dome main hall stands ready to welcome 3,500 people for his overdue return next May.
Coming back to Liverpool is long overdue and to return and play such a beautiful venue as Grand Central Hall for Sound City will be a true highlight of next year. I get to reconnect and pay tribute to the city and everyone I met there, all of whom are genuine music people. I found that out over my years living and studying there. So much has happened since the last time I played the festival in 2018, so I can’t wait to catch up and see how much we’ve grown since we were last together. It’ll be truly special – Jalen Ngonda
Welcoming thousands of excited seekers of the buzziest bands and solo artists to Liverpool earlier this year, the 2025 edition of Sound City saw talents including Arkayla, The Guest List, Brogeal andTTSSFU taking to intimate stages in front of capacity audiences alongside headliners, The Royston Club, Dylan John Thomas and Corella. Building year-on-year to beat previous line-ups and keep Sound City beyond the curve of new talent discovery, this year’s full, to-be-confirmed festival line-up promises less of the same and even more of the unexpected.
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