Middlesbrough is getting ready to buzz with music once again as Twisterella makes its much-anticipated return on Saturday 11th October. Since launching in 2014, the all-day metropolitan festival has become one of the North East’s standout cultural highlights, renowned for its ability to spotlight the next big thing before anyone else.
What makes Twisterella truly special is how it transforms the town. Centred around Teesside University, the festival spills out across venues along Linthorpe Road and Southfield Road, while Baker Street and Bedford Street host secret pop-up sets in bars that are already local favourites. One minute you’re crammed into a tiny backroom catching a band on the brink of a breakthrough, the next you’re back on the street, ears ringing, rushing to the next discovery.
Leeds’ post-punk outfit Adult DVD are fast becoming a word-of-mouth sensation, their wild blend of dance-rock and acid house already filling venues across the UK. Edinburgh’s Swim School bring grungy riffs and shimmering indie-pop melodies made for festival sing-a-longs. Closer to home, Sunderland’s Lake Poets offer something more intimate: Martin Longstaff’s poignant, stripped-back storytelling that can silence a room in seconds.
They’ll be joined by Darlington’s Blackout the Arcade, fresh from the release of their soaring new single ‘Serotonin’, alongside witty indie newcomers Middle Management, the soulful Parissa Zarifi, and the riotous energy of Irked and Roller Disco Death Party, plus many more. It’s a line-up that already feels like a snapshot of the UK’s musical future.
But Twisterella isn’t only about the music. The festival also hosts its influential (Un)Conference, a daytime programme that brings together leading figures from across the music industry. For emerging Teesside musicians, it’s a rare opportunity to hear directly from insiders, ask questions, and build connections that could shape their careers.
In 2019, Twisterella won an AIF Independent Festival Award for its forward-thinking bookings, and that ethos continues to run through everything it does. This is the festival where you’ll proudly tell your mates: “I saw them before they made it big.”
For further information and tickets, head to twisterella.co.uk.
