Dove Ellis, Madra Salach, The Kates... 14 emerging music acts to watch out for in Ireland in 2026
A seven-piece from Dublin, And He, The Fool released their second EP in April. It’s hard not to think of Black Country New Road, though AHTF are a little more gentle and layered. Kevin Cleary shares vocals with Kate Gurren - his are reminiscent of Jeff Buckley, hers are crystalline and commanding.
With members hailing from San Francisco, Dublin, Boston, London, and Tipperary, Child of Prague describe themselves as an Irish take on midwest emo.
With big choruses and stomping riffs, they’re more reminiscent of Little Green Cars, the band who preceded Soda Blonde. They released their debut EP in September - since released on vinyl featuring reimagined live versions - and are playing the influential Eurosonic new bands convention in Groningen in January.
From Celbridge, rapper Deathtoricky enjoyed viral success early in the year which led to a headline slot at Whelan’s in July. He released two albums in 2025, clocking in at a total 33 minutes. His tracks are soaked in Auto-Tune, channelling the spirit of artists lost far too young in Lil Peep and Juice WRLD. Deathtoricky’s tunes are short, abrasive, and compelling.
Still only 22, Dove Ellis is already one of the most intriguing new voices in Irish songwriting.
He’s supported the so-hot-right-now Geese on tour, played Other Voices, and looks like a Hozier-in-waiting since the release of debut album in December. His music is lush, piano-led chamber pop, drawing comparisons to Jeff Buckley, Thom Yorke and Elliott Smith.
Bray four-piece Florence Road have moved at remarkable speed since breaking out via cover-driven TikTok videos. Childhood friends who honed their harmonies long before releasing original music, they announced themselves properly in early 2025 with debut single Heavy, before linking up with producer Dan Nigro (Chappell Roan, Olivia Rodrigo, Lorde).
With a sharp pop-rock sound and serious crossover appeal, they’ve already landed support slots with Olivia Rodrigo, Wolf Alice and The Last Dinner Party. Supporting Kings of Leon at Thomond Park and Two Door Cinema Club Live at the Marquee in 2026, they could be inescapable over the next 12 months - and long afterwards.
We can’t improve on Jean Pack’s own blurb: “A diva in glasses, a lil bella, a dirty Apéritif with the first pint in the pub.”
One quarter of Cork’s I Dreamed I Dream (who we could also feature in this list), she makes 60s-esque wall-of-sound pop. The debut EP arrived at the height of summer, but the tunes are best listened to after dark. Along with her band the Slay Babies, the live show is theatrical and everything you want from rock and roll.
A bona-fide West Cork supergroup comprising Eve Clague, Liz Clark, Mary Beth O’Mahony, Míde Houlihan and Paula K O’Brien, The Kates released their power-pop debut EP in 2024 and have spent the last year playing all over the country - as well as the beloved West Cork circuit from Kinsale to Ballydehob. They’re venturing to Belfast for the folk showcase Your Roots Are Showing in January and a debut album is due later in the year.
We’ve been talking about a golden era of folk and trad music for over a decade - and the next generation have arrived ready to take on the mantle.
Madra Salach - whose members have an indie band called Fizzy Orange who could also be on this list - are Lankum’s babies. They even released their second single on the same day as Lankum released their cover of The Specials’ Singer Paul Banks channels Grian Chatten as he roars along on covers of The Pogues and Sinéad O’Connor. It’s mesmerising. They’ve already sold out their Irish tour in February.
One half of Saint Sister - who are returning for a special one-off show at the National Concert Hall in March (already sold out) - Belfast-based Morgana is the kaleidoscopic popstar with the mantra ‘prepared to party, ready to cry’. She’s supported CMAT across Europe and the UK and her live shows are full of uproarious singalongs. Having released her debut EP in May, Morgana, like her audience, looks like she’s having the time of her life.
A five-piece from Cork, Pebbledash make music that feels rooted and restless in equal measure, folding post-punk tension into shoegaze haze.
Their second EP came out in November, produced by Altered Hours’ Cathal Mac Gabhann - Pebbledash supported the band Live at St Luke’s in December. The seven-track collection captures a band in motion and confirms their reputation as one of the most compelling acts to emerge from the city in recent years.
Athlone rapper Reggie - formerly Reggie B - has been around for a number of years but really hit it big with his collaboration with Fred Again, Released to coincide with Fred’s show at the RDS, which featured a starring role by Reggie, it’s brought a whole new spotlight on the rapper. Expect big things in 2026.
One of the hottest producers in the country, Dublin’s Rory Sweeney released his second album, the sprawling in October - but it feels like he’s only getting started. His Irish Hash Mafia takeover of the Last City stage at All Together Now during the summer brought together a whole crew of rappers from Emby to Ahmed, With Love.
LBTQIA+ artist Sexytadhg had a busy summer, winning over new fans with their carnival-esque live shows at festivals, whether kicking off the day or closing the night.
Their debut EP arrived in September — “an introduction to the persona, the drag, the power that allows me to own a stage. The armour that has protected Tadhg.” Winner of the Dublin Fringe Festival’s ‘Radical Spirit’ Award, Sexytadhg threads a bold commitment to the Irish language, queer visibility, and radical imagination through all their work. They’re also set to play the Eurosonic showcase in January.
Two boys and two girls from Dublin citing influences like Fleetwood Mac, Blondie, and Jefferson Airplane, Winemom have only released a couple of singles since their debut 12 months ago. But their big throwback indie tunes are irresistible. For fans of The Last Dinner Party.
: We called them “Cork’s hottest new band” 18 months ago - now Kinsale five-piece Cardinals are gearing up for the release of their debut album on February 13. Comprising brothers Euan and Finn Manning, their cousin Darragh and former schoolmates Oskar Gudinovic and Aaron Hurley, they make big, hunking indie-rock awash with romance and flickers of holy imagery. WIth a UK tour and trip to the US in the first half of 2026, expect Cardinals to fulfil their promise and then some.
: Cork indie pop-rock band Cliffords have spent the past year surpassing any expectations put on them. They released the acclaimed EP, toured the UK twice, and capped it all with a homecoming show at Cork City Hall. Anchored by superstar-in-the-making Iona Lynch’s powerhouse vocals and a sound that balances emotional heft with pop immediacy, Cliffords are a band on the brink of something much bigger.
: Waterford artist Stella Renee Hennessy aka Stella and the Dreaming didn’t release any new music in 2025, but grew her support through a slew of live shows, from All Together Now to Irish Music Week to Other Voices. She’s set to support the Cure at Marlay Park in June - a major vote of confidence that underlines her ascent and marks her out as one of the country’s most exciting prospects heading into 2026.
