Lymelight Festival Returns to Newcastle-under-Lyme This Bank Holiday Weekend!
The much-anticipated Lymelight Festival is set to return this May Bank Holiday weekend, from Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th May 2025, bringing a vibrant celebration of local music and community to the heart of the town.
The free annual ran by Newcastle-under-Lyme BID has firmly established itself as a cornerstone of Castle’s cultural calendar. Since its inception in 2013, Lymelight Festival has showcased over 650 local acts and continues to be a vital platform for emerging talent from across Staffordshire.
Over the weekend, the town centre will be transformed into a hub of musical activity, with two outdoor stages located at The Guildhall and on the Ironmarket, hosting more than 30 performances across Saturday and Sunday.
Full Performance Schedule:
Saturday 24 May
Ironmarket Stage
12:30 – Luned Rhys
13:30 – Attack of the Vapours
14:30 – Jay Johnson
15:30 – Crowspeak
16:30 – Hannah Sophie
17:30 – Daniall Lee
18:30 – Kez Liddle
19:45 – Dead Bird Lady
Guildhall Stage
13:00 – Gabe Leith Yates
14:00 – The King’s Pistol
15:00 – Jessie & The Revolvers
16:00 – Sideeye
17:00 – Taking Back Tomorrow
18:00 – Genius Of The Crowd
19:00 – Rocky Ostrich
20:30 – FOARN
Sunday 25 May
Ironmarket Stage
12:30 – MICK SOT
13:30 – Scott Walklate
14:30 – LFE
15:30 – Rosie Edwards
16:30 – Jonnhy Nice Painter
17:30 – Johntay
18:30 – Hippy X
19:45 – Mara Liddle
Guildhall Stage
13:00 – The Other Things
14:00 – The Metropolis Project
15:00 – CLKWRK
16:00 – KOALA
17:00 – Secret City Souls
18:00 – Hotel Cola
19:00 – Dread Lagoon
20:30 – Greg Murray & The Seven Wonders
Additional live music will also take place throughout the weekend in Lymelight Festival venues; The Crossways, The Rigger and Artisan Tap.
Friday 23rd May
20:30 – Midwich Affair – Artisan Tap
20:40 – Avant Trio – The Rigger
21:00 – Mandelbrot Shakes – The Crossways
21:15 – Glass Ghosts – Artisan Tap
22:00 – Autumn Anemoeia – The Rigger
Saturday 24th May
20:00 – No Favors – The Rigger
20:00 – Formal Sppeedwear – The Crossways
20:30 – Sam Poole – Artisan Tap
21:15 – Sherry Counsellors – Artisan Tap
Sunday 25th May
15:30 – Tom Lockett – The Rigger
16:30 – Sundailer – The Rigger
18:00 – Sundailer – The Rigger
19:30 – Sundailer – Pirehill
21:30 – Brandon Grindey – The Crossways
In addition to the live music, this year’s festival will feature an expanded offering of activities. The popular Castle Artisan Market will return across both main days, showcasing a diverse mix of local makers, bakers, delicious street food traders, bars and independent creators.
Festival goers can also visit a pop up from independent bookstore, Drop City Books, who will be on site with a curated selection of literature as well as take part in a pop-up flag decorating workshop where attendees can design their own flag expressing what “Castle” means to them. Open to all ages and abilities, one standout design will be selected to win a £150 prize across three ages categories and the opportunity to have their flag help decorate the town centre for the summer season.
The popular Cannonball Record Fayre will take place on Sunday from 10:00am “on the Stones” in Newcastle-under-Lyme, offering a wide selection of vinyl records and music memorabilia for collectors and enthusiasts to browse and enjoy throughout the day.
Charlotte Pearce, Manager at Newcastle-under-Lyme BID commented:
“Lymelight Festival is one of the BID’s headline events, taken from a vibrant and diverse annual events calendar. The two-day event, now synonymous with the Bank Holiday weekend in Newcastle, is a free celebration of our thriving local music scene. Over the years, Lymelight has become a launch pad for talented local artists and has played a key role in strengthening the local music community. As a free event, it offers a fantastic opportunity to bring residents and visitors of all ages together to enjoy live music and the unique atmosphere in the town centre.”
Lymelight presenter, Emily Rose Galvin Wilson commented:
“Events like Lymelight Festival are such an important part of the local music scene. Each year, I get to see brilliant new artists step onto that stage and win over the crowd, sometimes for the very first time. Through my work with Lymelight Festival and local music show Honeybox Live, I’ve seen first hand how valuable these kinds of platforms are for helping local talent grow and build confidence. For the audience, it’s not just the incredible atmosphere throughout the town, it’s also the chance to discover a new favourite act from a fantastic mix of local talent.”
Lymelight Festival is funded by Newcastle-under-Lyme BID, with support from town centre businesses who contribute to the Business Improvement District to help increase footfall, support local trade, and enhance the town centre experience for all.
Stay up to date with announcements via social media: @lymelightfestival | @newcastlebid
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