Tinie Tempah selects four irish artists for electric picnic main stage
MIMI Lane, Rian McCauley, Youngiz and Imani Jade selected as Three City Stages 2026 artists. All four artists will play Electric Picnic Main Stage as part of Three’s City Stages initiative. The four artists recently met Tinie for an exclusive one-to-one mentoring session at Camden Studios, Dublin. Interview opportunities with all four artists available ahead of Electric Picnic.
Friday 21st August 2026: Four emerging Irish artists will perform on the Electric Picnic Main Stage later this month after being selected by Tinie Tempah through Three Ireland's City Stages initiative, which gives up-and-coming musicians the opportunity to perform on Ireland’s biggest stages.
As the festival's first-ever Main Stage sponsor, Three Ireland is using its expanded Electric Picnic partnership to create new opportunities for emerging Irish talent, with MIMI Lane, Rian McCauley, Youngiz and Imani Jade personally selected by Tinie Tempah to join him on stage at Ireland's biggest festival. Since launching, Three City Stages has attracted more than 2,500 entries from emerging artists across Ireland
Hailing from across the island and spanning the genres of dance, folk, hip-hop, funk, soul and rock, the four artists represent the extraordinary breadth of new talent emerging from the Irish music scene. Now, after standing out from a field of hundreds of aspiring acts, they will take one of the biggest steps of their careers yet, performing alongside Tinie Tempah in front of thousands of festival-goers on the Electric Picnic Main Stage.
Ahead of the festival performance, the four breakout artists met with Tinie Tempah at Camden Studios in Dublin for an exclusive one-to-one mentoring and rehearsal session, preparing for what is a career-changing moment. With the EP Main Stage slot one of the most sought-after opportunities in the Irish festival calendar, the session has given the artists the chance to rehearse their sets, receive first-hand advice from Tinie and prepare to step onto one of the biggest stages of their careers. Now, they’ll put that preparation into action in front of thousands during next Saturday’s line-up at the festival.
MEET THE CITY STAGES 2026 ARTISTS
MIMI Lane
Originally from Clonmel, Co. Tipperary and now based in Dublin, MIMI is one of Ireland’s most exciting live vocalists, with more than 15 years of experience and performances at 3Arena, Aviva Stadium, Electric Picnic, Creamfields and Belsonic.
Her viral 2026 performance of The Cranberries ‘Zombie’ at the Aviva Stadium introduced her powerhouse vocals to a huge new audience. She is also the lead vocalist on the 25th anniversary re-release of Mark McCabe’s Maniac 2000, which has surpassed one million streams. MIMI will headline The Sugar Club in November, marking another major milestone in her solo career.
Rian McCauley
Hailing from Donegal, Rian is bringing a fresh, upbeat energy to modern Irish folk. He has rapidly built an online following of 85,000 TikTok followers, with videos reaching millions of views. Following an appearance on ‘The Next Act’, where he performed in front of Simon Cowell, Rian has continued to build momentum with his original music, including ‘Nickname’, while performing and writing new material across Ireland.
Youngiz
Leixlip rapper Youngiz is quickly making his mark on Ireland’s hip-hop and drill scene with his distinctive voice, energetic delivery and honest storytelling. Tracks including ‘Outside’, ‘War In The Club’ and ‘JAY-Z’ have helped establish his sound, while his 2025 ‘On The Radar’ appearance brought his music to an international audience. His TGE ‘The Great Escape’ philosophy represents ambition, perseverance and chasing your goals.
ImaniJade
Belfast-based singer Imani Jade is known for her powerful vocals and charismatic live performances as part of funk, soul and rock bank ‘Electric Voodoo’. With influences spanning funk, soul, rock and jazz, Imani has performed at venues including Belfast’s Empire Music Hall and was recently praised for her “glorious vocals” following a SONI Presents performance at The Pavilion.
On meeting and mentoring all four artists ahead of their performance alongside him on the Electric Picnic Main Stage, Tinie Tempah said:
“We’ve spent some time together in the studio prepping for the festival and it’s been great to hear about where they’re coming from, what inspires them and where they want to take their music, each artist brings something completely different to this set and that’s what’s exciting about what we’re doing at Electric Picnic.
Fans are in for a very special performance and I can’t wait for these four brilliant artists to show what they are all about. This is just the beginning of very exciting things for all of them.”
Tanya Townsend, Senior Sponsorship and Brand Activation Manager at Three Ireland, said:
“Three City Stages is all about creating real opportunities for emerging artists to take that next step, and this year’s four artists are a brilliant example of the depth of talent coming through across Ireland. From MIMI’s powerhouse vocals and Rian’s modern take on Irish folk, to Youngiz’s fresh voice in hip-hop and Imani’s soulful sound, each artist brings something completely unique.”
“Giving them the opportunity to meet one-to-one with Tinie, hear his advice and then step onto the Electric Picnic Main Stage alongside him is exactly the kind of experience City Stages was created to deliver. We’re incredibly proud to support these four artists and can’t wait to see them take the stage at Electric Picnic.”
"All For Music is about creating meaningful opportunities for emerging artists and helping them take the next step in their careers," added Townsend. "Three City Stages continues to be an important part of that commitment, and we're looking forward to discovering the next wave of Irish talent in 2026."
This year's City Stages programme forms part of Three Ireland's expanded partnership with Electric Picnic, which sees the company become the festival's first-ever Main Stage sponsor as part of a new four-year agreement running from 2026 to 2029.
Now in its fifth year, City Stages forms part of Three Ireland's All For Music initiative, a long-term commitment to supporting emerging talent and strengthening Ireland's live music scene.
Follow the journey and join the conversation using #CityStagesEP, ThreeAtEP and follow @ThreeIreland across social media platforms.
For all on site benefits and perks for Three customers, see here:
Enjoy Electric Picnic 2026 with Three | Three
For all on site benefits and perks for Three customers at Electric Picnic, see here:
Enjoy Electric Picnic 2026 with Three | Three