When the Mercury Prize pulled up stakes and moved north to Newcastle in 2025, it signaled a welcome break from decades of London predictability. Returning to the Utilita Arena on October 22 for a second consecutive year, the ceremony has set its running order, locking in ten live performances drawn from this year's twelve-album shortlist.
Nine of the nominated artists will appear on stage in person to deliver material from their records. The running order balances seasoned names with debutantes, leaning across pop, jazz, rap, and guitar music. Florence + The Machine will perform behind their nomination for Everybody Scream, joined on the lineup by RAYE, shortlisted for THIS MUSIC MAY CONTAIN HOPE. Solo debutant JADE will play from THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY!, while Olivia Dean is set to perform material from The Art Of Loving, and Nia Archives represents Emotional Junglist. The bill also includes Dove Ellis playing cuts from Blizzard, Kojey Radical performing from Don't Look Down, and veteran alternative rock group Suede showcasing Antidepressants. Local jazz ensemble Knats will round out the nominated performers on home turf, celebrating their recognized record A Great Day In Newcastle.
The tenth live slot accommodates a less conventional nomination. Pulp will take the stage on behalf of War Child Records to showcase the charity compilation HELP(2). The Sheffield group contributed the track Begging For Change to the release, a recording that assembled a guest choir including Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten, Kae Tempest, and Carl Barât. Their appearance allows the multi-artist compilation to receive live representation alongside the traditional full-length entries.
Two acts on the shortlist will sit out the live element entirely. Dave, nominated for The Boy Who Played The Harp, and Paul McCartney, shortlisted for The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, are not scheduled to play. Instead, the ceremony will present their nominated projects via specially commissioned short films during the event.
A Week on Tyneside
Newcastle took ownership of the ceremony last year when local songwriter Sam Fender lifted the trophy for People Watching. Fender promptly channeled his 25,000 pound check to the Music Venue Trust, directing industry eyes toward the chronic financial pressure facing grassroots stages across the country.
That communal focus carries over into the Mercury Prize Fringe, an eight-day schedule of regional programming running from October 15 through October 22. Encompassing more than thirty separate events, the fringe seeks to anchor the prize in the city's actual music spaces. Planned fixtures include a screening of Sam Fender: Live At London Stadium at the Tyneside Cinema, a Mini Mercury x First Gigs gathering at The Grove, and a dedicated evening centered on Knats at the John Marley Centre.
As the performances and video tributes take place inside the arena, the judging panel will convene behind closed doors on the night to debate and settle on the overall album of the year, with the entire presentation carried live on BBC Music.
