AMPLIFI takes to The Queen's Hall main stage for a series of concerts featuring four innovative genre-bending artists from today's UK music scene. The series also welcomes back performers from five years of AMPLIFI. Hand-picked by guest curators Arusa Qureshi and Halina Rifai of We Are Here Scotland AMPLIFI presents an exciting opportunity to put emerging artists centre stage.

Uninvited

Uninvited are a 3 piece Pop Punk band from Glasgow, Scotland. Winning the BBC Live lounge competition beating over 4000 applicants in 2022, they have gone on to become one of the newest up and coming bands in the rock scene. Having toured with artists such as Nova Twins, Crawlers, The Snuts, Røry and most recently The Buoys, they have caught the attention of many artists and fans around the world, resulting in 2024 collab “Girls!” with punk band Gen and the Degenerates.

Having released their first EP in 2023 titled “I Feel A Bit Weird”, it gained the attention of 2 time Grammy award winning producer Adrian Bushby, who they recorded 3 tracks with at the start of 2024 including songs such as “Snake Charmer” and “Holly”. Uninvited are no strangers to playing festivals having played festivals such as Reading and Leeds, 2000 Trees and TRNSMT to name a few and are set to take on Edinburgh’s famous o2 Academy in September, as well as Burn It Down festival in the summer. Uninvited aim to break barriers in the pop-punk scene and make room for more trans and women artists to be heard.

Lamaya

LAMAYA is an unstoppable force in Experimental Soul — blending hypnotic rhythms, soulful storytelling, and Afro-futuristic energy into a sound that’s wholly her own. Rooted in Scotland, shaped by her Nigerian heritage, and inspired by Spanish culture, she weaves a rich global sound into her music.

At just 21, LAMAYA defies convention, drawing from soul, hip hop, electronic and Latin influences while staying grounded in emotional truth. Following her acclaimed debut 'COMING FOR UR <3', she returns with 'WALK AWAY (feat. NUSAR3000)' - a stylish, bilingual anthem of self-worth and release. Her visuals are as bold as her sound. From the sensual Spanish flair of 'Te Amo' to the Lagos-shot 'Walk Away', full of grit, movement, and defiance. On stage, she’s electric, having supported Arya Starr, Children of Zeus and Gunna, played PITCH, and sold out her first Edinburgh headline show before a triumphant Glasgow debut in December 2024.

Raised in East Kilbride, LAMAYA channels her outsider energy into music that refuses to shrink. She’s not trying to rebel — her authenticity just doesn’t ask for permission.

Curators:

Arusa Qureshi is an award-winning writer, editor and speaker with a passion for music, diversity and accessibility within arts and culture. Her book about women in UK hip hop, ‘Flip the Script’, is out now via 404 Ink. She has bylines in The Guardian, NME, Clash, Time Out, The Forty-Five and The Scotsman.

Halina Rifai is a podcast producer, music writer, PR & digital marketer. She founded music site Podcart in 2009 and went on to become a podcast producer, working with the likes of The Big Light, The Ferret, Mental Health Foundation, Fringe of Colour and many more. Podcasts she has worked on and continue to work on include Sheku Bayoh: The Inquiry and A Sonic Hug. Halina is Communications Manager for We Are Here Scotland – A space aimed at supporting and raising the voices of Black People and People of Colour creatives across Scotland.

Supported by Creative Scotland and the City of Edinburgh Council.

Winner of the Creative Edinburgh 'Inclusion' Award.