York is set to host a new academic conference that looks to shine a spotlight on the cultural impact of the grunge scene.
Grunge Included 2026, the UK’s first academic conference dedicated to the genre, will take place at York St John University on September 7.
The free, multidisciplinary event will explore the legacy of the 1990s movement and its ongoing influence on music, culture, and society.
Kristīne Brence, conference co-organiser and PhD researcher at York St John, said: "We are both passionate about music, especially punk and grunge music of the 1990s, and want to showcase how grunge has many social and political functions within society.
"This conference will be a testament to this, as well as to the fact that grunge’s legacy and activism are still present today."
The event was created by Ms Brence and her twin sister, Sintija, both PhD researchers and self-published authors who have written about the social and political impact of alternative rock culture.
The conference will bring together academics and researchers from the UK, Poland, Latvia, and the United States.
It will examine grunge as a broader cultural movement, exploring its influence on politics, identity, art, fashion, and alternative music.
A key highlight of the day will be a Q&A session with Gordon Raphael, the record producer best known for his work with The Strokes and connections to Seattle’s alternative music scene through artists such as Green River.
The programme will feature talks on topics such as grunge's political graphic design, feminism, neurodivergence, and protest music in Africa.
Ms Brence described the event as a platform for emerging voices in academia.
She said: "Many times, young researchers and thinkers are left out of established academic networks and lose the opportunity to bring new ideas and develop the industry.
"This is the place where new ideas and a new generation are able to continue the conversation in a new light.
"Isn’t it interesting to see how a new generation views music and the grunge movement?
"We think it is."
Sintija Brence said grunge continues to resonate because it addressed issues that remain relevant today.
She said: "What I love about grunge is that it was never just a music genre.
"It was a social movement built to subvert the established 1980s political and social system in the United States.
"I think it's still so relevant because the issues many grunge artists wrote about, from inequality and political disillusionment to social injustice, remain just as important today."
Grunge Included 2026 will take place at York St John University’s Creative Centre on Lord Mayor’s Walk.
The conference is nearly fully booked, but remaining tickets are available via Eventbrite.