DURHAM BRASS FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES THEIR 20TH ANNIVERSARY LINE-UP

Durham Brass Festival

Today (17 March), Durham Brass Festival is proud to announce the lineup for 2026, celebrating their 20th Anniversary. Organised by Durham County Council and supported by Arts Council England, the festival won ‘Performance of the Year’ at the 2024 North East Culture Awards for Public Service Broadcasting featuring NASUWT Riverside Band and Felling Male Voice Choir. This year it will see further spectacular

performances including Hector Gannet with Durham Miners’ Association Brass Band, Brassed On featuring Dilettante, Isabel Maria and Vice Killer, EverReady Band, Grimethorpe Colliery Band, ELVANA with Oompah Brass XXL, and Brass & Pipes with Howard Beaumont. There will also be free concerts, community activities and a full week of lively street bands when the festival returns from 12-19July, with further details to be announced soon.

Sunday 12 July will welcome ELVANA with Oompah Brass XXL to the Durham Gala Theatre. Blending the swagger of rockabilly with the raw punch of grunge, ELVANA rips through Nirvana’s catalogue while smashing it together with the finest moments of Elvis Presley’s legacy. Expect overdriven riffs, hip-shaking grooves, loud guitars, louder screams, and the kind of mash-ups that feel wrong until they feel absolutely

right. ELVANA will be joined by Oompah Brass XXL, the UK's original Rock 'n' Roll brass band and festival favourite, now in an expanded version! “Genuinely, my favourite band!”

- Alex Horne (Taskmaster,

The Horne Section). On Friday 17 July, Brass & Pipes returns for a spectacular evening celebrating the thrilling sounds of a brass band and theatre organ. Featuring music from the movies, musicals and much more, the concert showcases the very best of both traditions - from powerful brass band classics to the rich, iconic sound of

the Mighty Wurlitzer. Legendary organist Howard Beaumont takes to the Wurlitzer at New Victoria Centre, Howden le Wear, for a series of dazzling performances, alongside the acclaimed Stanhope Silver Band. The evening also will feature special collaboration pieces, bringing brass and over a thousand organ pipes together in a vibrant and unforgettable live experience.

Hector Gannet returns to Durham Brass Festival, ahead of their forthcoming third album, The Great Shakedown, due later in this year. The band’s special performance, Talking In The Mother Tongue, takes place at Redhills Miners’ Hall, aka the Pitmans’ Parliament, on 17 July, and will feature tracks from their new album, accompanied by the full Durham Miners’ Association Brass Band. Hailing from North Shields, the group are embracing fresh dimensions with their new record, including rousing soul sermons

which showcase their North Eastern heart, alongside songs that brim with hope, ideas and empathy.

Celebrating the incredible versatility of brass, Brassed On is back for its 4th year featuring rising talent including Dilettante, the art-pop project of multi-instrumentalist Francesca Pidgeon, blending looped sax, fuzzy guitar and sharp songwriting, and Isabel Maria, a self proclaimed ‘pensive popstar’ who pairs contagious melodies and piano-driven production with ineffably personal lyricism. Plus Vice Killer, a

four-piece indie band from Peterlee, County Durham, whose debut album A Miners’ Capital (2025) was named in BBC Introducing’s Best of the Year. Together, they will create exciting and fresh new music, unique to the festival. Catch them on 18 July at Durham Gala Theatre in partnership with BBC Introducing, Generator NE & NARC.

World-renowned Grimethorpe Colliery Band will be closing the celebrations for Durham Brass Festival at Durham Gala Theatre on Sunday 19 July. Founded over a century ago in a Yorkshire mining village, they achieved a worldwide reputation from the hit film Brassed Off, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. They are widely regarded as one of Britain’s finest brass bands. Winning numerous band championships, Grimethorpe Colliery Band have played in such diverse settings as the FIFA World Cup,

BBC Proms, Eurovision, the 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony and, in 2024, performed alongside Coldplay as part of their headline set at Glastonbury Festival.

EverReady Band is one of the North East’s most celebrated brass ensembles, with a proud history dating back to 1910. The band are highly decorated, having won the North of England Brass Band Championships a record 36 times, continuing its tradition of musical excellence under the direction of resident conductor Jonathan Fenwick. They’ll perform their new work Myth, Magic & More including iconic music from Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, The Mandalorian, Star Wars and more inside the iconic Durham Cathedral on Saturday 18 July.

Cllr Karen Allison, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said: “Durham Brass Festival will return with a bang this year, and celebrating its 20th anniversary no less. Audiences can expect a whole new sound from ELVANA while performances from EverReady Band promise something for the festival veterans, plus so much more.

“We hope that people are looking forward to this year’s event as much as we are and we look forward to seeing residents there as we celebrate 20 years of Durham Brass Festival.

”

Sue Collier, Artistic Director of Durham Brass Festival, says: “This year’s line-up brings together an exciting mix of new artists and much-loved returning acts, reflecting the incredible breadth and energy of brass music today. Alongside our ticketed shows, the festival will once again feature the Streets of Brass weekend takeover of the city, alongside a full week of free community performances of lively street bands,

helping make brass music accessible to everyone. We can’t wait to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Durham Brass Festival with you all!”

Durham Brass Festival 2026 - Line-up

12th July Theatre

17th July HECTOR GANNET performing ‘Talking in the Mother Tongue’ with Durham Miner’sAssociation Brass Band at Redhill’s Miner’s Hall.

17th July New Victoria Centre, Howden le Wear.

Brass & Pipes: Howard Beaumont at the Mighty Wurlitzer with Stanhope Silver Band at

18th July Theatre Brassed On featuring Dilettante, Vice Killer & Isabel Maria with brass at Durham Gala

18th July 19th July ELVANA performing ‘Viva Brass Vegas’ with Oompah Brass XXL at Durham Gala

EverReady band performing ‘Myth, Magic & More’ at Durham Cathedral Grimethorpe Colliery Band in Concert at Durham Gala Theatre

For tickets and more info visit - www.brassfestival.co.uk

Tickets on general sale from 20 March