Foundry Festival returning for 2026
A packed programme of evening gigs across city centre venues has been announced as part of Foundry Festival, expanding the weekend’s celebration of live music in Stoke-on-Trent.
The festival, delivered in partnership with Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID, with the teams behind Honey Box and The Buzz Stoke, draws inspiration from Shelton Bar, the historic steelworks whose fiery glow has often been linked to H. G. Wells and his novel The War of the Worlds.
Alongside two days of free outdoor live music on stages at Piccadilly and Tontine Square on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd May – a series of gigs will take place across The Woodman, The Underground and The Sugarmill, bringing the festival atmosphere into the city’s venues each evening.
The weekend begins with a Foundry Festival opener at The Underground on Friday 1st May, featuring SHADER, SideEye and The Groves.
(Image by Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID)
(This opening show is a paid event and is not included in the Foundry Festival wristband discount.)
The Festival – on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd May – will feature at two outdoor stages running throughout the day before music continues into the evening across participating venues.
All shows at The Woodman are free across Saturday and Sunday. Saturday features Jessie James, Attack of the Vapours and Crowspeak, whilst Sunday will showcase the talents of Samantha Lloyd, Daniall Lee and Dead Bird Lady
Shows at The Underground (Saturday) and The Sugarmill (Saturday and Sunday) will offer 50% off entry for audiences with a Foundry Festival wristband.
Saturday at The Underground features Era’s End, The Revenants, Mothkeeper and Cure for the Enemy and over at The Sugarmill they have FOARN, The Cuza, Eve Buckley and Beth Hill and Sunday at The Sugarmill features Gerg Murray and the Seven Wonders, Walter Kocays and Kez Liddle.
Festival wristbands are available by registering for a free Foundry Festival ticket. Audiences can register for a free Foundry Festival ticket at FoundryFestival.co.uk to collect a wristband, which can be picked up from the festival box office near the Piccadilly stage on Saturday or Sunday.
Lee Barber, Festival Music Producer, said: “Foundry Festival is about creating a full weekend experience for music fans. You can spend the day enjoying free live music on the outdoor stages in the city centre, then continue the night in some of Stoke-on-Trent’s best venues. It’s a great way to celebrate the strength of the local music scene and give audiences the chance to discover brilliant artists across the whole weekend.”
With free outdoor stages during the day and a packed programme of venue gigs each evening, Foundry Festival will see live music taking place across the city centre throughout the May Bank Holiday weekend.
Tickets are available by heading to FoundryFestival.co.uk or Honey Box Live’s social media channels: @HoneyBoxLive.
