Newcastle-under-Lyme Jazz & Blues Festival Reveals Full 2026 Line Up

Wednesday, 12 August 2026 16:53

More than 70 live performances across 23 venues will takeover Newcastle-under-Lyme this August Bank Holiday as the town’s Jazz & Blues Festival returns for its 19th year.

Newcastle-under-Lyme Jazz & Blues Festival Reveals Full 2026 Line Up

More than 70 live performances across 23 venues will takeover Newcastle-under-Lyme this August Bank Holiday as the town’s Jazz & Blues Festival returns for its 19th year.

Running from Friday 28th to Sunday 30th August, the Newcastle Jazz & Blues Festival will bring 60 artists and acts to venues across Newcastle, with a packed programme of free live music throughout the Bank Holiday weekend.

Co funded by Newcastle-under-Lyme BID, the long running festival works with hospitality businesses and live music venue to encourage people to support local businesses and discover somewhere new alongside old favourites.

This year’s programme includes performances at The Clubhouse, The Greyhound, Hogarths, Cappello Lounge, The Crossways, Artisan Tap, Yates, The Boulevard, The Shed, The Rigger and many more.

Music fans can expect everything from jazz, blues and soul to funk, rock, indie and acoustic performances, with artists including Pretty Shivers, Jack Blackman, Good Habits, Barrelhouse Dukes, Ava Ralph, Funky Junction, Alisha Jean, Never Sold Owt, Ben Hemming, Gin Six, Disastrous Robots and dozens more appearing across the weekend.

New for 2026, Newcastle Jazz & Blues will spill out onto the streets on Saturday 29th August, with 6 Towns Radio hosting six live performances near The Guildhall from 12.30pm. Taking place alongside the Castle Food & Drink Fest, delivered with Independent Street, the Saturday will combine live music with food, drink and artisan traders throughout the town centre, before the festival continues across Newcastle’s venues into the evening.

Charl Pearce, BID Manager at Newcastle-under-Lyme BID, said:

"The Jazz & Blues Festival has become a real highlight in Newcastle-under-Lyme's events calendar and we're incredibly proud to be working with venues to deliver its 19th year. The festival showcases not only fantastic musicians but also the brilliant venues in Newcastle.

"Following feedback from our businesses, we're hosting the festival over the August Bank Holiday weekend, allowing us to make the most of additional visitors and Bank Holiday Monday. Partnering with Independent Street and 6 Towns Radio for Castle Food & Drink Fest on the Saturday makes for an even bigger celebration and offers visitors a fantastic reason to spend the day in Newcastle-under-Lyme.”

Chris Wilson, owner of The Crossways, said:

"Jazz & Blues is always one of our favourite weekends of the year. There's such a fantastic atmosphere as people move between venues discovering new artists and enjoying everything the town has to offer. It's a brilliant event for businesses and visitors alike, and one we always look forward to.”

The festival begins on the evening of Friday 28th August, with performances including Set in Stone at The Clubhouse, Summer Soul Band at The Greyhound, Boogie Knights at Hogarths and Alisha Jean at The Shed.

Saturday brings the biggest programme of the weekend, with 37 free performances running from lunchtime into the evening across the town, followed by another full afternoon and evening of performances on Sunday.

All Newcastle-under-Lyme Jazz & Blues Festival performances are free to attend.

To see the full line up, visit: www.newcastlejazzandblues.com.

For the latest updates, follow @jazzandbluesnewcastle on social media or www.newcastlejazzandblues.com

This article has been provided by The Staffordshire Signal. Click below to find more local news.