Thousands of visitors are expected to head to Newcastle-under-Lyme later this month as Lymelight Festival returns for a weekend of free live music, culture and town centre entertainment.
The free festival, now in its 13th year, will take place across the late May bank holiday weekend on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 May, with more than 40 artists performing across three outdoor stages in the town centre.
Organised by Newcastle-under-Lyme BID, the festival will feature stages at the Guildhall, Ironmarket and the 6 Towns Radio Acoustic Stage outside Keele in Town, alongside a wider programme of events in venues and spaces across Newcastle.
Supported by stage sponsors NSCG, Keele University and Heywoods Property, the event has become a key fixture in the local calendar, celebrating Staffordshire’s music scene while bringing visitors into the town centre.
As well as live performances, visitors will be able to enjoy street food, traders from Castle Artisan Market, pop-up activities from Drop City Books and free creative workshops delivered in partnership with ArtsKeele.
On Sunday morning, festivalgoers can also take part in a free ‘Stretch & Start’ session with Divinity Studios in the town centre.
Live music will continue into the evening at venues including The Crossways, The Rigger and Artisan Tap as part of the wider festival programme.
Charl Pearce, BID manager at Newcastle-under-Lyme BID, said: “Lymelight has grown year on year because it’s built around the town and the people in it. It brings people into the town centre, supports our local businesses and creates a real atmosphere right across the weekend.
“Keeping Lymelight free is really important to us. People can come down for an hour, stay all day, or make a full weekend of it without that barrier. It means more people can enjoy live music throughout the day across the three stage, discover new artists and then continue their evening in some of Newcastle’s independents bars and venues.”
Around 16,000 visitors attended the festival across the 2025 weekend, with organisers hoping for another strong turnout this year.
Lymelight Festival will run from 12pm until 9.30pm on both days. Full line-up and programme details are available at Lymelight Festival and on social media @lymelightfestival.
