Aelius Alternative Festival 2026 returns on Saturday 18 April, bringing a full day of live music across The Globe, Head of Steam and Mosaic Tap from 2pm to 11pm. Aelius Alternative 2026 marks the festival’s third edition, with tickets currently priced from £17 plus fees. Tickets can be bought here
Over the past few years, organisers say Aelius has supported more than 160 creatives, worked with 35+ partners, helped celebrate six grassroots music venues, and brought in 300+ people last year. It still feels built around supporting the local scene in the venues that give it a place to grow. This year the festival is again working alongside Tonic Music for Mental Health, NAME, Off Axis and Night Owl Promotions, which adds to the sense that it is trying to do more than simply fill a Saturday.
That is where Aelius feels strongest. It is not built around one obvious headline name or one act doing all the lifting. The point is the day itself. Three venues, with The Globe running across two floors, and a line-up that looks made for people to move around rather than stay planted in one room all day. Festivals like this matter because they give artists a platform, give new voices a chance to be heard, and give audiences the opportunity to discover acts they may not have come across otherwise.
There is plenty on the bill to make that worthwhile. This year brings the return of Ewan Sim to the North East, the comeback of Be Quiet. Shout Loud!, the closing stretch of Abnorm’s UK tour, and sets from FAWNS, CRANE HOUSE and Inglenook. By the end of the day, Hannah Robinson and Stannington top the bill as the festival’s headliners.
That gives the festival a good balance. There are enough familiar names across the running order to pull people in, but not in a way that flattens the rest of it. Aelius still looks like a discovery festival at heart, built for people who actually want to spend the day moving between venues and taking in as much of the line-up as they can.
For Newcastle, there is still something good about an event built like this. Smaller venues, short walks, different crowds, different sounds, and a full afternoon and evening of music that gives the city-centre grassroots scene a proper platform. Aelius Alternative Festival 2026 looks set to do exactly that again.
Venue timings
The Globe Downstairs
14:30–15:00 — Phantom Bagman
15:30–16:00 — Cane Rouge
16:30–17:00 — El Ray
17:30–18:00 — Central Arcade
18:30–19:00 — Porters
19:30–20:00 — Tim Gambles
20:30–21:00 — Ochsia
21:30–22:15 — Hannah Robinson
The Globe Upstairs
15:00–15:30 — Sam Leyden
16:00–16:30 — Morning Tourist
17:00–17:30 — Red Remedy
18:00–18:30 — Ewan Sim
19:00–19:30 — Cydni & Maple
20:00–20:30 — Chloe & The Brainwaves
21:00–21:30 — Crane House
Head of Steam
15:00–15:30 — Abnorm
16:00–16:30 — Risco
17:00–17:30 — Crescent
18:00–18:30 — Culan
19:00–19:30 — Harlan Frank & The Houseplants
20:00–20:30 — Social Habits
21:00–21:30 — Be Quiet. Shout Loud
22:00–22:45 — Stannington
Mosaic Tap
14:45–15:15 — Conor Michael
15:45–16:15 — That Clare
16:45–17:15 — The Quiet Fire
17:45–18:15 — Dean Parker
18:45–19:15 — Ivies
19:45–20:15 — Inok
20:45–21:15 — Parissa Zarifi
21:45–22:15 — Fawns
Aelius Alternative takes place on Saturday 18 April 2026 across The Globe, Head of Steam and Mosaic Tap in Newcastle. Tickets are available via Fatsoma, with prices listed from £17 plus fees. More info can also be found on the Aelius Alternative website.