Hannah Robinson heads back to Aelius Alternative on Saturday 18 April for a set that clearly matters to her.
A few years on from playing the festival before, she returns this time as a headliner, and that is the part she comes back to straight away. She says it feels “amazing” to be back in that position, especially with this being her first time headlining a local all-dayer. More than anything, she frames it as one of those moments where the work starts to show. In her own words, it is “amazing to see how much the hard graft with the music is paying off.”
That gives the set its pull straight away. It is not just another slot on the line-up. For Hannah Robinson, it is a return to a festival she already knows, but this time in a much bigger spot than before. That on its own gives it weight.
For anyone coming across her for the first time that day, Robinson keeps the description of her music simple: “dreamy shoegazey rock.” It is short, but it says enough. She also says the live side of it is built around “atmosphere and control,” which gives a clear idea of what she wants the set to do and how she wants it to land.
And on a day like this, that matters. People will be moving between venues. Not everyone in the room will already know the songs. Those two details do a lot of work on their own. They tell you what kind of set she is bringing without making a big thing of it.
What also comes through is how warmly she speaks about the festival itself. Robinson describes the Aelius team as “amazing” and says they have put “so much work into the event.” That makes this feel less like a routine booking and more like a return to something she already feels connected to. By the time she says she “can’t wait to get amongst it,” the mood behind it all is pretty clear.
Aelius has grown around that too. This year marks the festival’s third edition, again spread across The Globe, Head of Steam and Mosaic Tap in Newcastle city centre. Organisers say it has now supported more than 160 creatives, worked with 35+ partners, helped celebrate six grassroots music venues, and brought in 300+ people last year. It is also again being put on with support from Tonic Music for Mental Health, NAME, Off Axis, Night Owl Promotions, Marisam, Tees Music Alliance and Twice Brewed.
That gives the day a bit more shape than just a poster full of names. It also explains why a return like Robinson’s sits naturally within it. Aelius is built around artists, grassroots venues and the wider local scene. That is still the point.
The line-up around her gives the day more context as well. This year brings the return of Ewan Sim to the North East, the return 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, Robinson appears as one of the festival’s headliners, alongside Stannington.
Aelius is not the sort of festival that depends on one obvious name doing all the work. The draw is the full run of it. Three venues. The Globe split across two floors. People moving between rooms. A bill that gives audiences the chance to see artists they already know and come across new ones at the same time.
Within that, Hannah Robinson’s set still carries its own very clear reason to stand out. Not because it needs pushing into being something else, but because the significance is already there in what she says about it. It is a return. It is a headline slot. It is her first time topping a local all-dayer. And from her own words, it is also a point where the years of work behind it all are starting to feel visible.
So while Aelius Alternative will be full of movement across the day, with people drifting between The Globe, Head of Steam and Mosaic Tap, Hannah Robinson’s appearance comes with a milestone attached to it. A return to a festival she has already been part of, and a return this time as a headliner.
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 be found on the Aelius Alternative website
Tickets for Aelius Alternative Festival are available here.
Read the full Q&A with Hannah Robinson here.