Lancaster Music Festival set to return this October after one-year hiatus

Lancaster Music Festival is set to return to the city in October, with over 500 performances for festivalgoers to enjoy across the weekend.

The festival will take place from 8th to 11th October across over 50 venues in Lancaster city centre.

Lancaster Music Festival took a break in 2025, with Love Lancaster Live run by Lancaster BID stepping in.

The Haffner, Lancaster’s own symphony orchestra, will play on the opening night of the event in popular pub The White Cross. It will be joined by violinist, Laure Chan, as a soloist in an additional performance at St John’s Church, and will be the first performance held there for some time.

Lancaster Castle (site of the beloved Melodrome stage), The Gregson, Kanteena and The Pub are among the venues returning to the hosting line-up this year, with the streets of Lancaster also set to host musicians during the event. 

Popular venue Lancaster Priory is set to host talented musicians from the Royal Northern College of Music performing as Silver Chamber, playing a unique blend of progressive metal with a chamber orchestra.

New venues have also been added to this year’s edition of Lancaster Music Festival, including Westfield War Memorial Village and Lancaster Castle’s keep and chapel.

Festival director Stuart Marshall said: “It’s fantastic to be back this year. We’ve got an exciting line-up of musicians and events for this year’s festival, which is almost entirely free, and we can’t wait for it to get underway.

“It’s great to see so many people looking forward to the festival returning, particularly after its hiatus. It was an important break for us to look at how we can continue to make this festival work and be the best possible event.

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“We’re now more galvanised than ever to deliver what we think is a really special programme and we’re hugely grateful to everyone who has helped make this happen.

“Our focus is always about people coming out to enjoy the music and everything our city has to offer – that’s what we’re most looking forward to about pressing play on Lancaster Music Festival again.”

Fans of rock will have several chances to catch Norwegian neo-psychedelic alternative band Dobbeltgjenger, who are set to play six shows over the weekend, while punk psych-rockers Flat Moon will play across three different stages on the Saturday.

Showcasing international music remains an important element of Lancaster Music Festival, with this year’s theme Songs From Home, featuring musical performances and singing and dancing workshops from around the world.

In collaboration with the Weavers Uprising Bicentennial Committee, the festival will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the weavers uprising – a key event in Lancashire’s history – through a range of talks and music entitled events Rise Up!, featuring The Commoners Choir leading a trail to Lancaster Castle.

For younger people, the LMF Academy will offer songwriting workshops culminating in performances on the youth stage at the Gregson, as well as various early years interactive shows such as Dare and BBC Philharmonic Orchestra’s live performance of CBeebies Music Storyland show. 

All these festival events and more are supported by funding from Arts Council England, Lancashire County Council, Lancaster BID and by public donation via the festival’s crowdfunder appeal.

Further information on performances, set times and ticketed events can be found here.

Featured image via Lancaster Music Festival