One of the North East’s biggest celebrations of emerging music has unveiled another impressive wave of artists for its 2026 line-up, with Sunderland’s Tom A. Smith set to headline the iconic Georgian Theatre when The Gathering Sounds returns to Stockton-on-Tees this September.
Taking place on Saturday 26th September, the festival will once again transform Stockton town centre into a hub for new music, with performances spread across KU, ARC, The Georgian Theatre, The Link, The Social Room, and The Green Room. Since launching in 2018, The Gathering Sounds has earned a reputation as one of the UK’s leading grassroots festivals, consistently booking artists on the cusp of major breakthroughs.
Leading the latest announcement is Tom A. Smith, whose return to one of the North East’s best-loved grassroots venues marks something of a full-circle moment. Still only in his early twenties, the Sunderland singer-songwriter has already shared stages with Elton John, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Courteeners and Miles Kane, while becoming a regular favourite on BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music and Radio X.
Fresh from releasing his acclaimed EP ‘Put On A Record Tommy’ through Fiction Records, Smith arrives in Stockton following another landmark year that has included appearances at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend, the Isle of Wight Festival and an extensive run of UK dates.
Speaking about his headline slot, Tom said: “Absolutely buzzing to tell you I’m headlining our stage in The Georgian Theatre for The Gathering Sounds Festival. Organiser Jimmy Beck was one of the first people to look out for me, and it’s really important to me that we fill that room and that people come down to see all of the amazing new music they’ve curated.”
Joining Smith on the newly announced line-up are some of the UK’s most exciting emerging artists, including Glasgow post-punk favourites Humour, Leeds alternative outfit Bloodworm, Manchester indie band FLETCHR FLETCHR and garage-rock outfit Pyncher. They are joined by Pack of Animals, The Kowloons, Andrew Johnson & The Others, Central Arcade, Honeylight, Park View, Strop and Weathership, further strengthening a programme built around discovering tomorrow’s headline acts.
Humour have become one of Scotland’s most talked-about alternative bands thanks to their intense blend of spoken-word lyricism, jagged guitars and explosive live performances. Bloodworm continue to earn praise for their emotionally charged alternative rock, while FLETCHR FLETCHR have been building momentum through relentless touring and the release of their debut EP ‘We All Feel The Same’. Pyncher, meanwhile, have developed a growing reputation for their energetic mix of garage rock, post-punk and alternative influences.
The latest additions join an already impressive first announcement featuring overpass, Basht., TTSSFU, Good Health Good Wealth, M60, Shelf Lives, Charlie Floyd, Swindled and Daisy Brown. The diverse line-up reflects the festival’s long-standing commitment to showcasing the very best emerging talent from across the UK alongside rising artists from the North East.
Previous editions of The Gathering Sounds have featured early performances from acts including The K’s, Lottery Winners, Sports Team, Sophie and the Giants and The Royston Club before they went on to much bigger stages, cementing the festival’s reputation as one of the country’s premier showcases for grassroots music.
Jordan Kean, from The Gathering Sounds, said: “Tom has been part of the Gathering Sounds story almost from the beginning. To have him back headlining one of our stages feels like a real full-circle moment.
“Around Tom, we’ve put together another wave of artists we genuinely believe people are going to be talking about over the next few years. That’s always been the point of this festival. We want people to come along for a band they already know and leave with five new favourites. There’s still plenty more to announce and we honestly think this year’s line-up is shaping up to be our strongest yet.”
With more artists still to be revealed, The Gathering Sounds 2026 is once again shaping up to be one of the UK’s standout grassroots music festivals, offering music fans the chance to discover the next generation of headline acts before the rest of the country catches on.
Grab your tickets at thegatheringsounds.co.uk
