Birmingham’s much-loved celebration of experimental music and arts, Supersonic Festival, returns for a limited edition iteration this spring.

Heading to Digbeth at an earlier than usual date of Sat 25 Apr – Sun 26 Apr, a smaller-scale version of the festival has been lined up this year to protect its long-term future.

Amongst this year’s confirmed names, Supersonic presents a worldwide exclusive of Microplastics, a new live band featuring 96 back, aya and Jennifer Walton.

Microplastics began as an idea during a Sunday afternoon conversation at Bangface, starting with a name and evolving from there. The project has taken several forms over time, moving from a rowdy DJ collective to a behind-the-scenes production unit, and now fully into life as a rock band.

Supersonic also welcomes Detroit’s Prostitute, who fuse experimental post-punk with Arab rock, delivering volatile live performances. Their debut album, Attempted Martyr, pairs political intensity with a fierce, high-energy sonic assault.

Elsewhere, there’s the return of ØXN, a band featuring members of Lankum, Percolator, and Katie Kim, who create experimental doom-folk infused with motorik rhythms and a Lynchian atmosphere; Milkweed, who trace a line between British folk traditions and Appalachian song, and Bong, Bong II reunites Mike Smith and Dawn Terry with Smote’s Daniel Foggin.

DJ Haram is a rap and electronic producer and DJ from New Jersey, now based in Brooklyn, NY, known for her versatile practice spanning bass and club music, analogue sound design, electronic-folk Middle Eastern production, and abrasive rap collaborations. She is one half of 700 Bliss with
Moor Mother, whose critically acclaimed Nothing to Declare was released on Hyperdub in 2022.

Speaking about this year’s festival, Artistic Director and Supersonic co-founder says: “When we first began, Digbeth was our wild frontier, a place where anything felt possible. We built stages in old warehouses, turned empty shops into art spaces, made installations under viaducts, and filled the streets with the energy and creativity of our amazing community.

“But times have changed. In recent years, we’ve fought hard to keep Supersonic rooted in the place where it all began, battling against rapid gentrification and the steady rise of faceless apartment blocks replacing the vibrant, independent spaces that once defined Digbeth.”

She continues, “The earlier dates will also give us the breathing space to imagine what comes next for Supersonic, and to plan for 2027 and beyond. We don’t know yet whether that might mean building new partnerships with venues that share our values, finding a new home elsewhere and/or reinventing what Supersonic can be for the future. But we’re excited to be able to have the time to explore possibilities.

“Though smaller in scale, it will be rich with extraordinary artists and offer a vital chance for our community to come together and bask in the power of the art and music on offer. In dark times, there’ss nothing more important than creating space for collective, joyous catharsis”

Book tickets to Supersonic 2026 below.