Hidden Door Festival 2026 takes place from 3rd – 7th June in a final spectacular takeover of The Paper Factory in west Edinburgh, turning the place into a celebration of live music, art, dance, spoken word and much more.

Last month festival organisers launched an Open Call inviting Scottish-based musicians to join this year’s music programme. After sifting more than 300 applications, 12 stand-out acts have been chosen to perform at the festival.

Scotland’s music scene is at an all-time high of diversity and quality of emerging talent, despite many grass-roots venues essential for nurturing local music acts fighting for survival. The Open Call, co-curated with Creative Edinburgh and the National Centre For Music, is a way to build creative communities and champion local up-and-coming artists – bands, solo musicians, singer-songwriters, electronic music producers, any form of live music performance.

The selected acts are: Azamiah, Buffet Lunch, Dinosaur 94, Doom Scroller, Emma Dunlop, Evie Waddell, HANSKLAMMER, maniatrix, Molly Sellors and Charlotte Devlin, Post Coal Prom Queen, Taupe and Thundermoon.

Hazel Johnson, Director of Hidden Door, said:

“Every year, we are blown away by the breadth and quality of applications we receive to our open call, and the amazing musical talent that exists across Scotland.

“This year’s selections reflect the core themes of our wider programme for The Last Shift at The Paper Factory: Out of Place Objects, exploring fragments that don’t belong; Stone Tape Theory, where the building and walls act as recorders of emotion and gesture; and the Myth of a Building, a portable architecture made from the ruins of a half-remembered place.

“We are thrilled to programme these exceptional acts and can’t wait to welcome them to the stage at this year’s Hidden Door”

About the acts

On Wednesday 3rd June, Post Coal Prom Queen return to the festival with their unique sound blending organic textures, retrofuturistic synths, mechanical beats and ambitious pop sensibilities, Doom Scroller smash together styles; ambitious, theatrical, and unrestrainedly pushing at boundaries while keeping audiences guessing, whilst Molly Sellors and Charlotte Devlin bring Electronic Dance Music and rave beats made from the samples of unusual and extended sounds of the oboe.

Thursday 4th June hosts Buffet Lunch’s ‘hodgepodge of noises’ offering pleasingly imperfect pop songs, queer electronic band Thundermoon bringing their emotive, synth-led anthems, rooted in themes of time, transformation and energy, and the catchy riffs of upbeat punk outfit Dinosaur 94.

On Friday 5th June, Emma Dunlop draws on sounds of the 80s and 90s with a contemporary flair, drawing on influences and inspirations including Joni Mitchell and Kate Bush, whilst Glasgow-based nu-jazz band Azamiah bring a healing experience, taking audiences on a journey across moody and light landscapes. 

Saturday 6th June welcomes Edinburgh-based electronic group HANSKLAMMER bringing high-voltage psych rock with a punk edge and a synth underbelly, with a set shaped by the Paper Factory itself. Elsewhere, maniatrix’s performances are heavily theatrical, featuring a sonic blend of ambient electro and dark industrial dance tracks, complete with airy vocals and surrealist visuals.

On Sunday 7th June, Glasgow trio Taupe fuse sour sonics, effervescent improvisation, and sludgy, doom-laden riffage into a sound both unruly and sharply honed, and Gaelic and Scots singer Evie Waddell draws inspiration from Ivor Cutler, Martyn Bennet, Lisa O Neill and Rhiannon Giddens.

 Ben Schogler, Director of Partnerships, National Centre for Music said:

“Hidden Door’s spirit of creativity and discovery resonates deeply with the National Centre for Music’s mission to celebrate the richness and diversity of Scotland’s music scene. Supporting this year’s open call has offered an exciting glimpse into the breadth of emerging talent across the country, and we’re excited to see these artists bring fresh ideas, new sounds and bold performances to this year’s festival.

“Scheduled to open in 2028, the Centre will champion the vitality of Scotland’s music scene and help forge the music of our future. As audiences get to know us, we want our projects and partnerships to reflect that diversity, while encouraging artists from all genres, backgrounds and lived experiences to get involved.” 

Selected artists will also have the opportunity to participate in a creative mentoring scheme supported by Creative Edinburgh and the National Centre for Music. 

These 12 Open Call acts join an ambitious programme of live music, visual art and performances featuring over 100 creatives. 

Tickets are now available at www.hiddendoorarts.org/tickets