Margins United returns to London on Saturday 26 September 2026 for its third edition, and the festival of alternative East and South-East Asian culture run by Eastern Margins has outgrown its old home in north London. This year the day programme takes over Exhibition White City in West London, and the night moves to Village Underground in Shoreditch.
An afternoon of alt K-pop and club-built J-pop in West London that ends in a Shoreditch rave
f5ve and the Japanese acts on the Margins United bill
The name for Japan Nakama readers to circle is f5ve, the five member Tokyo group managed by LDH. Sayaka, Kaede, Ruri, Miyuu and Rui make glossy, electronic J-pop with producers from the club world, and if the wider scene is new to you, our beginner’s guide to J-pop shows where a group like this sits in a long line of idol pop.
Rui comes back after dark for a back to back DJ set with umru at Village Underground, and the night bill also features tamanaramen, an audio visual act from Japan who have played Tokyo clubs including Circus Tokyo.
f5ve also have a London date of their own the following evening, a fan meet and special performance at Outernet Live on Sunday 27 September. Fan meets like this are a big part of oshikatsu, the Japanese culture of backing a favourite idol.
Yves headlines the day at Exhibition White City
The day runs from 3pm to 10pm at Exhibition White City. South Korean singer Yves, formerly of LOONA, tops the bill, joined by f5ve, Chengdu rapper jackzebra, The Deep, R!R!Riot, Yaka, User116, Heroic Dragon and LongQ.
Alongside the music, the Eternal Market brings independent traders, workshops and food stalls, with stock running from tattoo flash to vintage Japanese archive fashion. The organisers know Yves fans will want to arrive early, and ask anyone who does to settle in for the whole afternoon, since the headliner is one of many acts on the day.
Food stalls, traders and workshops at the Eternal Market
The food line-up leans into East and South-East Asian street cooking. Banzai Kitchen serves Japanese karaage, chicken or tofu marinated for 24 hours and served over sticky rice, and Angies Ca Phe, Baobae, Dopi and YGC also have stalls.
The market has a strong Japanese thread. Caravan Worldwide, the Japanese vintage book and record shop on Globe Road in Bethnal Green, is trading alongside Haco Nails, the Japanese-owned nail salon in Shoreditch and Hoxton with a sister salon, HACO+, in Tokyo. Chai Beauty, the East London tooth gem studio, and MQT, a British-Vietnamese brand with sterling silver jewellery designed in London, complete the traders.
The workshops come from Four Winds Mahjong Club, the volunteer-led London club that teaches Hong Kong Old Style mahjong, and Yicrafts, which shares Japanese traditional crafts and the handcraft of Yunnan’s ethnic minorities, with Spillll running a third.
The night moves to Village Underground in Shoreditch
From 11pm the festival turns into a rave at Village Underground on Holywell Lane, a 700 capacity room. kimj, Rui b2b umru, Amanda Sze and tamanaramen play alongside DJ Love, the Filipino producer credited with starting the budots sound, with Margins Allstars and Mandy Gao also on the night bill, and three London crews take their turn: KOMA, Haven and 大地360.
The day closes an hour before the night opens, which is enough time to cross London. The Central line runs from White City to Liverpool Street, a short walk from the venue, and Shoreditch High Street on the Overground is closer still.
Margins United 2026 times, tickets and age policy
- Date: Saturday 26 September 2026
- Day: 3pm to 10pm, Exhibition White City, Ariel Way, London W12 7SL. Nearest stations are Wood Lane and White City
- Night: 11pm to 4am, Village Underground, 54 Holywell Lane, London EC2A 3PQ. Nearest station is Shoreditch High Street
- Tickets: day and night are sold separately, with a bundle covering both. At the time of writing a day ticket costs £67.54 and a night ticket on DICE costs £33.10
- Age: 18+ for both the day and the night
Exhibition White City
Village Underground
Last year the festival filled Archives in Tottenham. For 2026, day tickets for Margins United are on sale through DICE.
