Tom A. Smith headlines huge second wave as The Gathering Sounds continues to build blockbuster 2026 lineup

Bloodworm, Humour, Fletchr Fletchr, Pyncher and more join the region's premier festival for new music 

One of the North East's biggest celebrations of emerging music has added another major wave of artists to its 2026 lineup, with Tom A. Smith set to headline the iconic Georgian Theatre as The Gathering Sounds returns to Stockton-on-Tees this September.

Tom A. Smith

The Sunderland singer-songwriter leads a standout second announcement featuring some of the UK's most exciting new acts, including Glasgow post-punk favourites Humour, Leeds alternative outfit Bloodworm, Manchester indie duo Fletchr Fletchr, Manchester garage-rockers Pyncher, Pack of Animals, The Kowloons, Andrew Johnson & The Others, Central Arcade, Honeylight, Park View, Strop and Weathership.

They join an already impressive first wave featuring overpass, Basht., TTSSFU, Good Health Good Wealth, M60, Shelf Lives, Charlie Floyd, Swindled and Daisy Brown, as The Gathering Sounds prepares to once again transform Stockton town centre into one of the UK's most exciting destinations for discovering new music.

Taking place on Saturday 26 September, the festival will once again take over venues including KU, ARC, The Georgian Theatre, The Link, The Social Room, The Green and NAME, with stages curated alongside respected national promoters including This Feeling. Since launching in 2018, The Gathering Sounds has established itself as one of the country's leading grassroots music festivals, building a reputation for booking artists just before they make the leap to much bigger stages. Previous editions have featured early appearances from bands including The K's, Lottery Winners, Sports Team, Sophie and the Giants and The Royston Club.

Tom A. Smith returns to one of the North East's favourite grassroots venues

Few young artists have enjoyed a rise quite like Tom A. Smith. Still only in his early twenties, the Sunderland musician has already shared stages with Elton John, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Courteeners and Miles Kane, while becoming a regular favourite of BBC Radio 1, BBC 6 Music and Radio X. Fresh from releasing his acclaimed new EP Put On A Record Tommy through Fiction Records, Smith arrives at The Gathering Sounds in the middle of another landmark year that has included BBC Radio 1's Big Weekend, the Isle of Wight Festival and a packed run of UK dates.

TTSSFU

Speaking about the announcement, 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."

Another wave of artists making serious noise

One of the most anticipated additions is Humour, the Glasgow outfit whose intense blend of spoken-word lyricism, jagged guitars and explosive live performances has made them one of Scotland's most talked-about alternative bands.

Leeds newcomers Bloodworm continue to build a growing reputation through emotionally charged alternative rock and uncompromising live shows. 

Basht.

FLETCHR FLETCHR have quickly become one of Britain's most exciting young guitar bands. Now a four-piece, they blend soaring indie melodies with anthemic choruses and emotionally honest songwriting, earning support from Universal Music and building a growing reputation through relentless touring and standout festival appearances. With their debut EP We All Feel The Same introducing a band full of ambition and heart, they're another act heading to Stockton with serious momentum behind them. 

Manchester's Pyncher arrive with a reputation for electrifying, genre-blurring live shows that mix garage rock, post-punk and alternative rock. Fiercely independent and impossible to pin to one sound, they're quickly becoming one of the most exciting new names on the UK's grassroots circuit. 

Liverpool's Pyncher arrive with a reputation for chaotic garage-rock performances packed with razor-sharp riffs and punk energy, while Pack of Animals, The Kowloons, Andrew Johnson & The Others, Central Arcade, Honeylight, Park View, Strop and Weathership underline exactly what The Gathering Sounds has become known for - introducing audiences to artists before the rest of the country catches up.

A festival built on discovery

Alongside the latest additions, fans can also look forward to previously announced artists including Birmingham indie favourites overpass, Belfast breakthrough band Basht., Manchester shoegaze project TTSSFU, genre-blurring duo Good Health Good Wealth, rising Manchester outfit M60, post-punk duo Shelf Lives, Teesside songwriter Charlie Floyd, Sunderland's theatrical art-pop outfit Swindled and Stockton singer-songwriter Daisy Brown.

Overpass

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 him we've assembled another group of artists we genuinely believe are going to have huge futures. That's what Gathering Sounds is all about."

"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 lineup is shaping up to be our strongest yet."

With more artists still to be revealed over the coming months, The Gathering Sounds 2026 is continuing to strengthen its reputation as one of the UK's premier grassroots festivals - and one of the best places in the country to catch tomorrow's headline acts before everybody else.

For tickets and info head to thegatheringsounds.co.uk