Sounds From The Other City Festival returns. An exciting set of up-and-coming musicians get their chance to gain new fans and showcase their talent.
All photography by Breige Cobane, unless stated.
SOUNDS FROM THE OTHER CITY
The line-up for this years Sounds From The Other City is another triumph. Boasting a lineup with 90+ names from the likes of Moonchild Sanelly, Lynks, and Jasmine.4.t- festival goers were lucky to witness so many talented performers across the day.
Across the 15 venues, people swarm Salford’s Chapel Street and beyond. From the electric atmosphere in Maxwell Hall, to the intimate vibe in Saint Phillip’s Church, there was something for everyone to enjoy. Plus, across the day, there were art workshops, parades, talks, cabaret and a stellar selection of food and drink available. Overall, Sounds From The Other City is a brilliant outlier of a festival that has the potential to be even bigger. The stacked nature of the festival can however mean a lot of toing and froing across the venues if there are acts in different venues that you want to see.
VERA SACRA
Sheffield-based band Vera Sacra took to Peel Hall for an atmospheric, dimly lit set fronted by Emily Marks. A highlight of the set was When The World’s Unkind, when Marks took to the piano while singing, accompanied by a violin and delicate drumming. Her voice strikes a resemblance to Wolf Alice’s Ellie Rowsell, filling the venue with heartfelt intensity that captivated the audience.
Silk Shield shift the mood, with flashing lights and dissonant violin playing to create a feeling of disorder. Emily takes to the cello for the final track, showcasing her talent to the audience where yellow lighting filled the venue with a glow. The musicians played an outro, with the sounds of crashing drums and the beautiful blend between the cello and violinist. Throughout the performance, the audience remained mesmerised by Vera Sacra’s powerfully composed and emotionally charged set.
HATER
From Sweden to Salford, Hater bring a Scandinavian charm to Peel Green for a high energy set. After a three year hiatus, the band return with their album Mosquito. From the second the band walked on stage, Caroline Landahl captivates the audience with her unique voice, backed by Måns Leonartsson on guitar, Adam Agace on bass, and Lukas Thomasson’s drums. Opening the performance was Landslide, also the opener to the Mosquito album – making it the perfect opener. It sets the tone for the rest of the set and things only got better from then on. The quartet threw the set back, playing a contrast of tracks from their latest album, as well as their debut album in 2017. The set closed with their 2016 single: Radius, the band’s energy radiating through the crowd.
Photo: Micha Thompson
BLUE BENDY
Hosted in the beautiful Saint Phillip’s Church on Chapel Street are Blue Bendy. Lead singer Arthur Nolan kicked things off, “We’re about to rock your world but we started off easy.” A highlight of the set, was the track Poke, an experimental and passionate anthem. The band play an unreleased tune named Jackie for the first time, and the crowd did not disappoint.
The venue adds to the performance, with projections displayed around the church. Before playing the final track: Nazi Girlfriend, Nolan got the crowd to do a call-and-response to “let’s go!” Bathed under purple lighting, people dance to the upbeat sound. “It was an indulgence that I appreciate massively, thank you so much”, Arthur calls out, while finishing the set lying on the floor in true Blue Bendy fashion. Blue Bendy are for you if you’re a fan of music from English Teacher, Bleech 9:3 and Honeyglaze.
MOONCHILD SANELLY
The headliner and the finale to Sounds From The Other City was nothing short of royalty: Moonchild Sanelly performing her first show of the year. We first caught Moonchild Sanelly in 2025 in support of Self Esteem. It is brilliant to see her headlining festivals like this as she is such a dynamic performer.
Money Tree got the party started in Maxwell Hall, and not a single person stood still. Demon intensified the energy, with Sanelly owning the stage as fans singing the lyrics back word for word. Sweet & Savage brought another surge of excitement, with one fan joining her on stage to hype up the performance while the crowd jumped in unison.
To Kill A Single Girl (Tequila) is the ultimate anthem and inspired by a past situationship. “Thank you to that motherf*cker for another awesome song!” As soon as the strobe lights began until the final note, energy waved through the crowd. Moonchild Sanelly proved to be the perfect headliner for Salford’s Sounds From The Other City, captivating the crowd with her electrifying stage presence.
Sounds From The Other City: Website