Our aims are to strengthen community connections, amplify under-represented voices, develop creative skills, and support social cohesion, both on the weekend itself and ongoing.
The programme prioritises emerging and grassroots musicians, offering professional stage experience to artists at early career stages or from under-represented backgrounds. Alongside established local acts, performances include youth musicians, community choirs, and artists representing diverse cultural traditions.
Our long-term vision is to grow from a weekend festival into a year-round community project supporting local culture and we are already starting to make that happen.
Music in the City started in 2008 as a free community music festival. Initially backed and coordinated by Southampton City Council, it featured musical performances in several historic venues in the city centre. “Music in Unusual Places” was a phrase used in the early years, and enabling access to these places by having performances in historic venues is still important today.
Linda Norris had been involved with the initial organising committee and as the festival moved away from being organised by the council, she took over as sole organiser. During this time the festival grew to include local businesses, eventually featuring over 20 venues on the Saturday and a classical concert in Southampton Art Gallery on the Sunday.
Having been first involved as a musician in 2012, James Baillie joined Linda in organising the festival in 2016. Linda then stepped back in 2018 and James continued, growing the festival further.
In 2020 during the pandemic, the decision was taken to hold a live streamed festival with as many musicians as possible. AND Radio station owner and local musician Martin Perry was asked to host the 5+ hour digital online festival.
Martin took the lead organising the 2022 event which became ‘Music in the City - Southampton Plays for Ukraine’ which saw hundreds of musicians and many venues come together to raise over £10,000 for much needed supplies for the people of Ukraine.
In 2024, Chris Orr took over the running of the event and is evolving Music in the City into a year-round movement supporting local culture.
Read our 2025 festival impact report
Music in the Marathon
We now partner with the ABP Southampton Marathon, another established and much loved Southampton annual event. We started in 2025 and put on 17 live performances around the course which was hugely appreciated by the 10,000 runners and enjoyed by the 25,000 attendees alike. It’s a significant and paid opportunity for Music in the City artists to perform. We are pleased to be returning and on a larger scale, bringing the noise to the Marathon in May 2026. And not just around the courses, we are also supplying the live entertainment for the after party in the 1,749 capacity Guildhall.
Continuing the music all year round
Other events in 2025 have included pop up stages at community markets and events, open mics with long term equipment loans in local pubs and community centres, pub residencies and Christmas market performances, all of which are paid opportunities for Music in the City artists. We have also started offering our PA equipment for (free) hire to anyone locally to help them put on a gig, this has already enabled over 40 live events.
If you have an idea to evolve the Music in the City movement and want to get involved, get in touch!
Contact usStay up to date with the Southampton live music scene from Music in the City
We do so much more than just our annual festival!
