Walt Disco headline EMI North’s Mercury Prize Fringe showcase

Walt Disco at The Grove headlines the EMI North Showcase on Tuesday 20 October 2026 as part of the Mercury Prize Fringe, with doors at 7pm. The Glasgow alt-rock band arrive in Newcastle at a particularly strong moment, with new material and a live reputation built around theatrical, unpredictable performances.

Walt Disco’s sound pulls together post-punk, glam, art-rock and gothic pop, but their appeal has always been about more than genre. The band lean heavily into presentation, movement and atmosphere, turning songs into something much bigger once they reach the stage. That makes the Mercury Prize Fringe setting especially suitable, where the emphasis is as much on discovery and live performance as it is on established names.

Walt Disco at The Grove for Mercury Prize Fringe

The event is part of the wider Mercury Prize Fringe programme taking place across Newcastle, with Generator and local partners bringing a run of special shows to independent venues around the city. The EMI North Showcase places Walt Disco at the top of the bill, alongside additional guest performances linked to EMI North’s partner labels.

The Grove’s smaller room should make this a very different experience from seeing the band on a festival stage. Their live shows thrive on closeness and unpredictability, and the venue gives them the kind of setting where every shift in mood should feel immediate.

The show takes place on Tuesday 20 October, with doors at 7pm. The event is 14+, with under-18s accompanied by an adult. Tickets are offered on a Pay As You Feel basis as part of the Fringe programme. Full details are available through Gigantic and the official Mercury Prize Fringe programme.

For fans of adventurous guitar music and theatrical live performance, this should be one of the standout grassroots dates of Mercury week.

Event details can change, so check the venue, promoter or artist channels before travelling for the latest timings, line-up information and entry details.