TRNSMT 2026: The Report

When the TRNSMT 2026 lineup was released in November, there were no female headliners on the bill, again, in the festival's ninth year. People were not happy about it, and rightfully so. Journalists, artists and campaigners were all asking the same question... why?

And yet within this year's lineup were some of the most exciting, fresh, headline-worthy (or on their way to it) artists… and they were largely the female and non-binary artists. It was these sets that sold tickets, particularly the Sunday with CMAT on the bill, which sold out first, and made me want to return to TRNSMT for the first time since 2019. All of which made me think: is this a step in the right direction?

So move over Richard Ashcroft, Kasabian and Lewis Capaldi, and say hello to CMAT, Wolf Alice, Katie Gregson-Macleod, Girl Group, Biird, Lacuna and many, many more, as I give you my girl's girl guide to TRNSMT, proving that female- and non-binary-fronted acts deserve their place, are ready for bigger stages, and that you don't need to look too hard to see that next year's female-fronted headliners are right in front of your eyes.  

Mercy Girl at TRNSMT. Photo by Kate Johnston-Plain 

It's raining on Friday, but I'm semi-prepared in my navy anorak, and I find a well-positioned tree to the left of the BBC Introducing stage, which keeps me dry; this becomes my go-to spot for catching all of this year's up-and-coming artists. Kicking it off is Alice Faye, winner of BBC Introducing's Scottish Artist of the Year, who plays to a small but supportive crowd and wows us with her buttery-soft, Dolly-esque dulcet tones. I stick around under the same tree to see Glasgow cult favourites Mercy Girl, a darkwave electronic band who make music to "dance/cry to", bringing explosive energy to the small stage.

The King Tut's stage brings another female-fronted band, South Arcade, who deliver Y2K pop-punk nostalgia to an eager crowd who, despite the rain and the mud, are still up for a mosh. By early evening, the sun is breaking through just in time for Irish outfit NewDad, who cover Yeah Yeah Yeah's Heads Will Roll and joke that Galway are the second biggest Buckfast drinkers after Glasgow.

Having never heard of SOAPBOX before, I didn't know what to expect, but there was a chaotic energy and I was scared, in a good way. Frontman Tom Rowan jumps into the audience, square-going the crowd, but all in good faith. A special mention to their incredibly tight and energetic drummer Jenna Nimmo.

Wolf Alice have been with us since the mid-2010s Tumblr days, but they just keep getting bigger, capturing new fans and re-inspiring old ones with the likes of Bloom Baby Bloom from 2025's The Clearing, which gets a huge reaction from the audience, as does undoubtedly their biggest hit, Don't Delete the Kisses. By this point, the sun is shining on the faces of fans crowding the main stage. It is the calm after the storm, and we're truly grateful for Ellie Rowsell, her glorious wispy vocals and comforting stage presence. Richard Ashcroft who? Wolf Alice are my headliners, so I head home, conserving energy for my next few days of trying to see as much of the TRNSMT sisterhood as I can.

Wolf Alice at TRNSMT. Photo by Kate Johnston-Plain 

Saturday is sunny and swarming, and another great day for the girls at the BBC Introducing stage. King Tut's royalty, indie rockers Sister Madds and folk-rock band Lacuna, are bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, with sets that are hard-launching them into ‘new music June’ playlists. Girl Group, a feminist collective, play later in the day, giving early 2000s energy with a contemporary message about gender equality. On the main stage, The Last Dinner Party give big dog energy with their new single, and of course getting people singing along with the super-popular Sinner and Nothing Matters which I overhear people in the crowd shouting for, desperate to hear their favourite bedroom rage songs live. 

Jacob Alon at TRNSMT. Photo by Kate Johnston-Plain 

Sunday feels like the main event. We're pulled to the main stage early by Katie Gregson-Macleod, singing her heart-wrenching, melancholy ballads and promoting her single I Don't Think of Kissing You, which lives up to the hype of previous releases like Teenage Love and Complex. She jokes that she "took the gig so she could see CMAT", and that feels like the theme of the day. It's almost as if people are counting down by the second to the Euro-Country star's set. Jacob Alon comes on next with a flower child energy that's perfect for an early afternoon festival slot. I love their candidness, dedicating songs to "the gays and the theys and the bucket hat divas in between". Perhaps not the expected TRNSMT crowd, but it certainly does feel more diverse than the 'wee guy in the Nike Air Force' stereotype.

Back at the BBC Introducing stage, there are two more exciting acts. Firstly Ellur, who has a big voice and aspirational confidence, making us all raise our hands and do twinkle fingers, which feels freeing. Later, Biird headline this stage, a nine-piece Irish folk band, who get everyone ceilidh dancing and having a big old party in front of the stage.

CMAT at TRNSMT Festival, Glasgow. Photo by Kate Johnston-Plain 

But nothing is more exciting than seeing CMAT strut onto the main stage in her Tennent's-inspired yellow and brown polka-dot dress to give us 60 minutes of pure joy: sexy, silly, gorgeous, girly fun. The audience laps it up, particularly during the mass participation in the Dunboyne, Co. Meath two-step for I Wanna Be a Cowboy, Baby! Between the fun are some hard-hitting moments as she talks about Euro-Country, a song which at its core is about socioeconomic inequality, and how Glasgow can relate. Based on how much the audience welcomes her to Glasgow Green, truthfully I can't think of a better fit for TRNSMT, and CMAT is buzzing to be there, saying it feels like home. Once the fairy dust of her set settles, I think perhaps we’ve just seen the festival's next female headline. Come on TRNSMT… make it happen for the girls, the gays, the theys, and all the bucket hat divas in between.

---

TRNSMT took place at Glasgow Green on 19, 20 & 21 Jun