Returning to New York City’s vibrant Lower East Side and expanding to six days, the New Colossus Festival begins on Tuesday 3 March and runs through Sunday 8 March 2026. This showcase festival and industry conference offers a unique opportunity to discover the next wave of emerging artists across multiple independent NYC venues, including Arlene’s Grocery, Baker Falls, Berlin Under A, The Francis Kite Club, Niagra, Nublu, Parkside Lounge, Pianos, Sour Mouse.
The New Colossus and DITTO Music will also once again present a series of panels and workshops called Colossal Conversations. Discussions on artist management, touring, production, sync licensing, festivals, publishing, and other relevant topics focused on the future of the global independent music scene.
The first wave of artists for the festival line up were announced in October, and the festival now announces a second wave of artists.
Additions to the line-up:
Aunt Katrina (US)
b1n0 (ES)
babybaby_explores (US)
Bad Tomato (PT)
Bee Blackwell (US)
Blushing (US)
BORSCHT (UK)
BRNDA (US)
Buddie (CA)
Buzhold (EE)
Catherine Moan (US)
closeout (CA)
cootie catcher (CA)
Dallas Love Field (UK)
DIE ANSTALT (DE)
Dinowalrus (US)
DOOM GONG (US)
DOUR (CA)
ELEPHANT KIND (ID)
FEET (UK)
Firstsex (US)
grima (DE)
Hause Plants (PT)
Heet Deth (US)
Honey I’m Home (NL)
HONK (UK)
I Dreamed I Dream (IE)
I See Orange (UK)
Iggy Mayerov (CZ)
Luc Swift & Kacie Hill (US)
Lucid Express (HK)
Mad Iris (CA)
MAKARA (TH)
Mannequin Death Squad (AU)
marcel (BE)
Martial Arts (UK)
Maura Weaver (US)
Midscale (FR)
Moon Goons (US)
Neon Wire (US)
New German Cinema (UK)
Oliver Beardmore (UK)
PANAM (ES)
Pretty Average (DE)
Prism Shores (CA)
redeye (US)
SamWoy (CA)
Sean Nicholas Savage (CA)
SHAGGO (US)
Silver Car Crash (US)
sorry face (US)
Still Depths (CA)
Sūn Byrd (NO)
sundayclub (CA)
Sweet Unrest (UK)
Talking Violet (CA)
Tilden (US)
The Baxbys (US)
The Heaven (US)
The Howlers (UK)
The Metric Ton (US)
The Sewing Club (US)
Thesaurus Rex (US)
Tramhaus (NL)
TVOD (US)
Van Vreeland (US)
warmachine (US)
Wilby (US)
YUVEES (US)
Founded in 2019 by music industry veterans Mike Bell, Lio Kanine, and Steven Matrick, The New Colossus Festival has quickly become the first stop in the US for many emerging international artists. Past festival alumni include: A Place To Bury Strangers (US), Baby Queen (ZA), CHAII (NZ), Delivery (AU), Ducks ltd. (CA), GIFT (US), Hachiku (AU), Jaywood (CA), Kiwi Jr. (CA), La Securité, (CA) NOBRO (CA), Peel Dream Magazine (US), Penelope Isles (UK), Personal Trainer (NL), Pom Poko (NO), Pom Pom Squad (US), Robber Robber (US), Sid Simons (US), Slow Fiction (US), Sobs (SG), Starcleaner Reunion (US), The Orielles (UK), Thus Love (US), Water From Your Eyes (US), Ultra Q (US), Zoon (CA)
Named after Emma Lazarus’s 1883 sonnet featured on The Statue of Liberty, The New Colossus Festival is a multi-day, multi-venue showcase and conference that brings together emerging musical talent from around the world to New York City’s Lower East Side.
Participating label, agency and media partners for 2026 to include:
8mm Festival, A2Z Media, A La Carte Records, Annibale Agency, Anniversary Group, Bands do BK, Born Losers Records, Crafted Sounds, Czech Consulate, Dedstrange, Ditto Music, Ernest Jenning Recording Co., Exclaim!, Focus Wales, Funhouse Merch, German Consulate, God Is In The TV, Groover, Iceland Airwaves, Kanine Records, Latin Lens, Left of the Dial Festival, Maker Park Radio, Mothland, Music Managers Forum (US), Opposite Marco, Park Life Taqueria, Planetary Group, Radio Free Brooklyn, The Spanish Wave, Westside Music Sweden and more TBA!
Festival badges are available via DICE here.
For more information and updates visit the New Colossus website.
