BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Sounds announce new programmes, seasons and specials, with musicians at their heart.

Guy Garvey, musician, singer, songwriter and Elbow frontman, will be showcasing even more of his favourite music, interviews with songwriters and recorded-live session tracks in a newly extended three-hour show. His Sunday afternoon programme, which is produced in Salford, will run 1pm-4pm from 2 July.

Guy says: “It’s great to get more time on air and I’m going to do interesting things with it. My current two-hour show is bursting at the seams with recommendations from the listeners, the Poet Laureate and Becapedia, plus strings of fascinating archive and of course amazing new music. This is an opportunity to do more of the patient ‘two or three album tracks in a row’ kind of broadcasting that always gets such a great response. BBC Radio 6 Music is still the best and the only radio station in the land that gives its presenters so much freedom. I’m a very lucky man.”

6 Music’s next Artist in Residence will be Romy from The xx and she will be the first to feature in the new timeslot (9pm-10pm, Monday-Thursday), from Monday 5 June.

Romy says: “It’s a pleasure to be following in the footsteps of some amazing artists who have presented 6 Music Artist in Residence series so far, like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Phoebe Bridgers and Arlo Parks. I’ll be sharing tracks that have meant a lot to me in the past, music I’ve found and loved recently and a few stories along the way. Looking forward to it!”

From Monday 19 June, 6 Music’s Artist in Residence series will see an eight episode run from Manic Street Preachers. The iconic band performed a blistering set at Clwb Ifor Bach for the 6 Music Festival in 2022, including a memorable cover of Borderline by Madonna, fulfilling a 32 year promise after they were booked to play the venue, but couldn’t as they needed to sign their new record contract.

The band say: “We’re thrilled to be 6 Music’s Artist in Residence in June. Join us to hear our Glastonbury anthems, musical inspirations and why 1985 was the greatest year for music, ever.”

Manic Street Preachers will be followed later in the summer by Brooklyn-based indie band Big Thief, who will present their own series of eight shows.

Another new artist joining 6 Music is Nathan Shepherd. Nathan is known for the viral music mash-ups he produced during lockdown under his band name, Good Future. After DJing at this year’s 6 Music Festival, he’ll be sharing his love of indie across the decades every Friday night (9-11pm), from 16 June in the newly expanded Indie Forever show. Broadcasting live from Salford, the show will continue to feature nothing but solid gold, upbeat indie bangers, with a sprinkling of the finest current and future hits.

Nathan says: “What an absolute dream and huge honour it is to be hosting a weekly show on my favourite radio station. It was a huge privilege to bring you my playlist takeover on Indie Forever back in December last year, so to now be hosting my own programme is utterly surreal! I'm so excited to get started and play you all some of my favourite indie bangers, as well as the indie classics of tomorrow that will be with us forever.”

Other previously announced schedule changes include New Music Fix Daily, which launches on Monday June 5 (7pm-9pm), presented by Tom Ravenscroft and Deb Grant. During the show’s first week, expect highlights from the Primavera Sound music festival in Barcelona, where Depeche Mode, Kendrick Lamar, Blur, Rosalía, Four Tet, Fred again.., Skrillex, St. Vincent, The Moldy Peaches and Le Tigre are all performing.

Primavera Sound is the latest festival that 6 Music will be bringing to listeners, others have included Glastonbury, All Points East in London, The Great Escape in Brighton and the station’s very own 6 Music Festival in Greater Manchester.

Following New Music Fix Daily, from 10pm, Marc Riley and Gideon Coe come together with their brand new show, Riley & Coe, to play music from every era and genre. Listeners will have the chance to get lost in their incredible record collections, brand new recommendations and stories over the course of the week. 

Live music remains an integral part of the evening schedule at 6 Music. Listeners can expect to hear performances across weeknights and brand new sessions for Riley & Coe will include Beak, The Sonics, Unknown Mortal Orchestra and more, as well as recorded-live performances from the extensive BBC Archive.

Samantha Moy, Head of 6 Music, says: “6 Music is united by its love of all types of music. We’re really happy to be joined by so many of the artists that we love and champion in a new look 6 Music schedule – which we hope will give our audience much to enjoy over the coming months.”

6 Music will celebrate LGBTQ+ voices throughout June with the return of its annual Loud and Proud season of special shows, guest presenters and mixes. The season launches with four shows, co-presented by artists, who will share their musical loves, lives and stories

• Skunk Anansie’s Skin & Grove (Monday 29 May, 7pm-9pm)
• Ezra Furman & Laura Jane Grace of Against Me! (Tuesday 30 May, 7pm-9pm)
• Rufus Wainwright & Justin Vivian Bond (Wednesday 31 May, 7pm-9pm)
• Lava La Rue & Kindness (Thursday 1 June, 7pm-9pm)

Following these shows, feminist punk band Big Joanie will present four three-hour specials (9pm-midnight).

6 Music’s Loud and Proud All Dayer takes place on Friday 9 June, with non-stop, uplifting music from 5am – midnight. Each daytime show (5am-7pm) will end with a 30 minute guest mix or playlist from an LGBTQ+ artist that 6 Music loves. This will be followed by:

• DJ Paulette and Gina Breeze co-present The People’s Party - Queer Club Special (7pm-9pm)
• DJ Sharon White – original Paradise Garage and Studio 54 DJ (9pm-10pm)
• Harry Gay – from London’s Queer House Party (10pm-11pm)
• Ariel Zetina - Chicago-based DJ and producer (11pm-midnight)                                                             

There will be another chance to hear John Grant’s Loud and Proud special programmes, first broadcast in June 2021, on Sunday 11 and 18 June (1pm-4pm).

Playlists and programmes available from 29 May onwards on BBC Sounds include:

• Indie Forever: Loud and Proud special edition
• Emo Forever: Not OK - curated show from the QTIPOC (Queer, Transgender and Intersex People of Colour) Centred Emo Pop Punk club night
• Rave Forever Loud & Proud special playlists
• 6 Music Artist Collection: Pet Shop Boys
• 6 Music Artist Collection: Kae Tempest
• 6 Music Artist Collection: Skunk Anansie
• Another chance to hear specials from Billy Porter, Sleater-Kinney, TAAHLIAH, Lynks & Andy Bell  
• Deep Dive Into Queer Country documentary