Our home-grown, phenomenal Hanwell Hootie has seen a record-breaking 1,220 bands and artists apply to play at the 2026 festival. Their largest number of applications ever.
Going through over a thousand applications has been intense, but also incredibly rewarding. It’s a privilege to see so much emerging talent, and we’re doing everything we can to curate a festival that supports new artists and brings the community together through live music.
Andy McRobbie, Co-Founder and Music Director, Hanwell Hootie Music Festival CIC
That number alone tells an important story. It shows not only how much The Hootie has grown in reputation over the years, but also just how strong the demand is from artists for spaces like this to exist. It also feeds directly into another timely conversation: the urgent need for independent venues and platforms to support grassroots artists.
With so many venues closing across the country, our ethos since day one 14 years ago has been to do everything we can to push back against that decline. The benefits – culturally, creatively, and socially – are huge, both for artists and for the wider community.
Andy McRobbie
The team at the Hootie work hard every year to showcase as many new and emerging artists as possible – and to give a genuine platform to voices that might otherwise go unheard.
The Hanwell Hootie works so well for our community as:
- Artists are paid
- Venues make a profit
- We get to see great music for free
The Hanwell Hootie operate as a Community Interest Company (CIC) – CIC’s operate to provide a benefit to the community they serve. Their own staff work on a part-time, voluntary basis, purely because they believe in their mission to support grassroots music and culture. This is why the Hanwell Hootie exists – and why it matters now more than ever.
The 2026 festival will take place across venues in Hanwell on Saturday 9th May and is free for all to attend.