Foundry Festival to Open with SHADER at The Underground and Close with War Child Charity Finale at Artisan Tap

Foundry Festival will bring almost 60 live bands to Stoke-on-Trent across four days of music this May Bank Holiday weekend, launching with SHADER at The Underground on Friday 1st May and closing with a charity finale in aid of War Child UK at Artisan Tap on Monday 4 May.

The festival launches on Friday 1 May at The Underground, with the return of SHADER, headlining a special opening night show supported by The Groves and SideEye. Running from 7.30pm to 11pm, the gig marks the first event of the Foundry Festival weekend and sets the tone for four days of live music across the city. (The show at The Underground is a ticketed event and is not included in the Foundry Festival wristband discount offer.)

Across the Bank Holiday weekend, Foundry Festival will showcase almost 60 bands, with free daytime stages taking place in Piccadilly and Tontine Square on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd May, alongside additional evening gigs in venues including The Sugarmill and The Underground.

Festival wristbands are available by registering for a free Foundry Festival ticket via FoundryFestival.co.uk. Audiences can collect their wristband from the festival box office near the Piccadilly stage, which unlocks 50% off entry to gigs at The Underground and The Sugarmill on Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 May.

The weekend of music will conclude with a special charity event on Monday 4 May, as Artisan Tap on Hartshill Road hosts the Foundry Festival Charity Finale in aid of War Child UK. Running from 1.00pm until 11.00pm, the event will feature two stages of live music, alongside street food and a large charity raffle with prizes donated by local businesses.

The Main Stage will feature performances from GRACE, Yoodoo Voodoo, and Balaban & The Bald Illeagles, while an Acoustic Stage will showcase Gary Davies, Brooke Welsh, and Tyler Kent.

Peter Herbert, Producer of Honey Box and part of the team behind Foundry Festival, said:

“It’s fantastic to see almost 60 bands performing across the Bank Holiday weekend. From Friday through to Monday there’s an incredible amount of live music happening across the city, from grassroots gigs in venues to the outdoor stages in the city centre.

Foundry Festival is about celebrating the strength of our local music scene and giving audiences the chance to discover brilliant artists across a whole weekend of music.”

Foundry Festival is funded by Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID and delivered in partnership with Your City Festival, Stoke Buzz, and Honey Box.

Tickets and full programme details are available at FoundryFestival.co.uk.