East London's biggest talent showcase is back in 2026. Whatever your talent, we want to see it!

When: Sat 17 Jan at 10am - 7pm

Where: Hackney Empire

We're looking for 14 - 19 year old rappers, singers, spoken word poets, and dancers of any genre and style to perform alongside headline acts, with past headliners including 163Margs, Kairo Keyz, Amaria BB, and more!

We want finalists who are excited to share their talent with the audience and are keen to develop and learn from professional mentors.

Alter Ego runs from Sat 7 - Fri 13 Feb and Tue 17 Feb. You must be available for all programme dates to join the company. There will also be a photo call and music call before this week arranged directly with the finalists.

If you're under 18, you need permission from a parent/guardian to take part. Find out more and fill out the form below to book your audition.

Apply by 5pm on Wed 14 Jan

Funded by Hackney Council's Discover Young Hackney Fund - bringing arts and culture to Hackney's young people.

Key information

Auditions: what to expect

Audition slots will be five minutes, your performance should be a maximum of two and a half minutes. This is your opportunity to share what you do best with the panel. You can audition as a solo performer or group, but if you are auditioning as a group please nominate a group leader to be the main point of contact.

The panel of auditioners is made up of the Alter Ego team who will work with you to get ready for the show.

Please come prepared with your backing tracks downloaded on your phone or USB stick. You only have five minutes to audition so you want to use your time to share your talent.

We recommend knowing your words by heart and using a backing track that doesn't have a vocal already on it.

Finalists

If your audition is successful you will become a finalist of Alter Ego 2026. You will receive 1:1 mentoring from our incredible team of industry professionals in the week leading up to the show day. The live show takes place on Fri 13 Feb 2026.

You will perform on Hackney Empire's main stage with the other finalists and headline music and dance acts.

Guest judges from the creative industries and a live audience vote will decide who takes the title of Alter Ego 2026.

Walk ups

Advance auditions bookings are required to guarantee you will be seen on the day. If you miss the deadline, you can join the waiting list by coming to Empire 2 (located at the back of Hackney Empire) on the day.

Any questions, please email us on alterego@hackneyempire.co.uk.