LOOPFEST 2024

Three years in, and now LOOPFEST is already leading the vanguard to make this event not just a local celebration of the epic amounts of talent we have on our doorstep, but to create a regional behemoth that celebrates emerging artists from across the UK.

Having first emerged at the start of the ’00s amidst a burgeoning swarm of guitar bands, the Sunderland quartet, with their proud regional accents and spiky, playful sensibilities, stuck out from the off. Over the following decade The Futureheads – comprised of vocalists and guitarists Barry Hyde and Ross Millard, vocalist and bassist David ‘Jaff’ Craig and vocalist and drummer Dave Hyde – amassed five critically-acclaimed albums, headlined countless tours and earned an NME Single of the Year accolade for their iconic cover of Kate Bush’s ‘Hounds of Love’. Support from Adult Play & Passive Fix.

A mesmerising blend of virtuosic players, skilled producers and inspired composers join forces to create a unique, infectious sound drawing on jazz, hip-hop, afrobeat, latin, soul, reggae and dance music – expect ultra-tight musicianship and a powerful 9 piece, big band sound.

Signing up to warm the boards is Newtown’s Smoke Like a Fish and Bishop’s Castle’s Fight the Bear.

One of the world’s best beatboxers, a ground-breaking live looping pioneer and a musical comedic talent. Expect a hypnotising performance that is out of this world. Support comes from the incredible The Uptown Monotones and local legend Greysha

Get ready to rock the Castle with the 12-piece force of nature that is the Dutty Moonshine Big Band hot on the heels of their newly released album, ‘Villain’.

‘Villain’ is an album the band have spent the better part of 3-years writing, honing and perfecting their signature sound of heavy dance music meets bombastic brass. A sound like none other; a sound that has helped propel the Bristol based band to dizzy heights.