Outer Waves Festival
North Docks, Liverpool
24th–25th May 2026
Following a well-received inaugural festival of eclectic underground artists in 2025, Outer Waves returns to Invisible Wind Factory and Make CIC this year.
This year’s lineup is a step up in its big-name draws and representation of obscure acts, featuring headliners in Lankum’s Radie Peat as part of dark folk group ØXN, industrial synth duo Dame Area, and noise legend Jarboe, feat. Thor Harris (both of Swans) & Joy Von Spain. Meanwhile, the festival’s cult favourites include electronic noise via Lord Spikeheart, the post-punk drone of Mugstar, and the expressive Kurdish folk of bouzouki player Mohammed Syfkhan. The festival also includes Karl D’Silva – a collaborator with a variety of experimental musicians (Thurston Moore, Siege) – whose darkwave and synth pop debut was included on The Guardian’s albums of the year in 2024.
Most recently, Outer Waves announced several names from Nyahh Records. Alongside Syfkhan, the Irish label’s diverse roster will be represented with Irish folk musician and leftfield composer Ultan O’Brien, and glitchy Afrofuturist raver E The Artist. Hand To Mouth is another new addition, which will be the live debut of Keeley Forsyth and Matthew Bourne’s stripped-back vocal and keys partnership.
There are also more workshops this year, as well as talks and much more.
To follow upcoming announcements from the festival, keep up with Outer Waves Festival on Instagram, and head to their website for tickets.
Read about the first edition of Outer Waves here.
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Words by James Kilkenny. Read more of his Louder Than War articles here.
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