Damon Albarn to headline free BBC Radio 6 Music Festival

BBC Radio 6 Music has today announced the first ever BBC Radio 6 Music Festival and an incredible line up of artists who will be performing at the event. It takes place on Friday 28th February and Saturday 1st March 2014 at the Victoria Warehouse in Manchester. The Festival will be accompanied by a Fringe Festival during the daytime.

With more than 30 artists and DJs across three stages, the BBC Radio 6 Music Festival brings together a stellar line up of bands and artists who share the alternative spirit of the network.

From indie to electronica, folk to rock to soul and beyond, the line-up features major and established acts and current and emerging artists championed by the network and its presenters. Tickets to each night of the Festival will be available from midday on Friday 24 January and will be priced at £25 (plus booking/P&P fees). Visit bbc.co.uk/6music for full details.

Artists performing across two stages on FRIDAY night are Damon Albarn – with a live debut of music from his new album in what will be his first UK live solo performance in 2014 – and Midlake, Kelis, Haim, Luke Sital Singh, Horrors, Metronomy, Jimi G, Drenge, and Outfit.

Artists performing across two stages on SATURDAY night are The National – returning to the UK in the middle of their world tour to play at the Festival - and Franz Ferdinand, Jake Bugg – also flying in from the US for the event, plus Bombay Bicycle Club, The Staves, James Blake, Wild Beasts, Lykke Li, Jagwar Ma, Nick Mulvey, and Kiran Leonard. And 6 Music's Funk and Soul Show presenter Craig Charles will play a storming set on stage at the end of the night.

A silent disco will feature sets from Groove Armada, The Charlatans' Tim Burgess, X-Press 2 and 6 Music presenter Mary Anne Hobbs on Friday night. And on Saturday night, New Order's Peter Hook, and 6 Music spin-meisters Gilles Peterson, Nemone and Don Letts will be taking their turn on the decks.

With 6 Music broadcasting from across the event, listeners can look forward to some unbeatable programming - with live performances, interviews with the artists, and reports from behind the scenes on air, streamed to their desktop, tablet, mobile and via BBC Red Button.

Visitors to bbc.co.uk/6music will be able to see live performances, exclusive intimate sessions, interviews with artists and backstage reports from the far flung reaches of the event. There will also be video highlights packages from each act available on the website for thirty days after the Festival. And from Sunday 2 to Sunday 9 February, highlights packages featuring a different artist from the Festival will be available via BBC Red Button.

Tickets for the Festival Fringe are free and will be available via a BBC audience ballot. The Festival Fringe will run in two sessions on each day between 12-3.20pm and 3.40-7pm. Registration to apply will be open from Wednesday 29 January to Monday 10 February at bbc.co.uk/6music; one pair of tickets per application. A greater number of tickets to the Festival Fringe will be allocated to those from the North West region.