Are you aged 16 - 24 and creating new, original music but not yet published?
Want to play your songs at Strings?
Want a chance to have three of your original songs recorded professionally at Calliope Studios?
In March 2025 the Homegrown Music Festival raised over £1,600 for two Isle of Wight charities.
For 2026 we have a cunning new plan!
We're proud to announce an exciting new music showcase aimed at discovering and celebrating young, unsigned talent from across the Isle of Wight. The Homegrown Festival of New Music will take place on 1st March 2026 at Strings Bar & Venue in Newport, bringing together the Island’s freshest emerging artists for a night of live music, community spirit, and creative discovery.
The festival is open to solo performers and groups of up to six members, aged 16 to 24, who are unpublished at the time of the event. Applications are now open, and from the submissions received, seven acts will be selected to perform three original songs each on the Strings stage in front of a live audience.
This is more than just a concert - it’s a celebration of grassroots talent with audience members given the opportunity to vote for their favourite act of the night. At the end of the event, the act with the most votes will be awarded a professional recording session at Calliope Studios in East Cowes, worth £1,000. Any surpluses will be donated to an Island charity.
“We’re thrilled to be providing a platform for young, local musicians to showcase their original material in a professional live setting,” said a spokesperson for Homegrown Community Events. “The Isle of Wight has always been a place of incredible musical heritage, and this event is about giving the next generation a chance to be seen and heard.”
