Shibuya showcase platform CUEW makes UK debut with four shows across Newcastle, London and Brighton

Tokyo showcase and conference platform CUEW will make its UK debut this May with a four-date showcase tour across Newcastle, London, and Brighton.

Running from 11th to 16th May, the CUEW Showcase Series opens in Newcastle before heading to London and closing with two curated stages at The Great Escape. The tour, CUEW’s first outside Japan, brings together Tokyo alternative rock duo BANSHIMOKU, Kyoto-born singer-songwriter luvis, Tokyo indie rock five-piece Necry Talkie, Fukuoka-based singer-songwriter Momoko Iwasaki, Tokyo jazz and R&B duo showmore, and Osaka electronic group TAMIW, alongside Seoul psychedelic rock band Wah Wah Wah. UK pop up-and-comer Loren Heat joins the Newcastle date.

Based in Shibuya, CUEW runs as a showcase and conference platform connecting Japanese and Asian artists with international audiences. The UK showcases build on an ongoing partnership with the Northern Music Export Office, led by Generator, alongside PRS Foundation, EMEE, Enki Music, and the Sasakawa Foundation.

The series sits within a wider exchange between the UK and Japan, focused on lasting relationships between artists and industry rather than one-off showcase activity. Earlier this year, UK acts and professionals travelled to Japan through the same programme, with West Yorkshire band Adult DVD performing on the CUEW stage at Tokyo’s Synchronicity Festival ’26 and industry representatives taking part in PRS Foundation’s Sound Bridge initiative. The May shows mark the first UK visit from a Japanese delegation under this exchange.

NMEO presents UK–Japan Creative Exchange | Monday May 11th, The Cluny, Newcastle

Line-up:
Momoko Iwasaki
showmore
LOREN HEAT

Doors: 6pm
Tickets: Free

CUEW Japan Wave | Wednesday May 13th, Strongroom, London

Line-up:
Momoko Iwasaki
luvis
showmore
BANSHIMOKU

Doors: 6pm
Tickets: Free (DICE)

CUEW × THE GREAT ESCAPE: Asia Focus | Friday May 15th, Prince Albert, Brighton

Line-up:
BANSHIMOKU
Momoko Iwasaki
Wah Wah Wah
showmore

Entry is included with a festival wristband, subject to capacity.

CUEW × THE GREAT ESCAPE: Japan Focus | Saturday May 16th, The Inn On The Square, Brighton

Line-up:
Necry Talkie
showmore
BANSHIMOKU
luvis
TAMIW

Necry Talkie, luvis, and TAMIW also feature in Thursday’s INSPIRED BY TOKYO showcase.

Entry is included with a festival wristband, subject to capacity.

CUEW Links:

• Website: https://cuew.jp/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cuew.jp/
• X: https://x.com/cuew_jp