Northside Announce First Album in 36 Years and Newcastle Tour Date
Northside announce Welcome to The Carnival for spring 2027, new single Hey! Mr Brown and a Newcastle gig at The Grove on 28 November 2026.
Manchester Factory Records favourites Northside have announced their first new album in 36 years, Welcome to The Carnival, which is expected in spring 2027. The band’s comeback single, Hey! Mr Brown, is set for release on 30 October 2026.
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The news arrives as the group prepare for their autumn 35th-anniversary tour, including a Saturday 28 November show at The Grove in Newcastle, with doors at 7pm. The tour culminates in a special Manchester hometown date at New Century Hall on 12 December, where Northside will perform their 1991 debut album Chicken Rhythms in full.
Northside announce Welcome to The Carnival
Set to be the only official follow-up to Chicken Rhythms, the new record marks a remarkable gap between albums for a band whose story is tied to the heyday of the Madchester movement and Factory Records.
Frontman Warren ‘Dermo’ Dermody says: “We can’t wait for everyone to hear it. We genuinely feel like, for everyone who’s heard the band, there’s so many that haven’t yet. We’ve saved the best ‘til last and you’re not going to be disappointed.”
The lead single Hey! Mr Brown is described as a return to Northside’s upbeat, melodic sound, and will be available to hear from 30 October. The band have been enjoying renewed attention following sold-out shows on 2025’s Let’s Take Another Trip Tour and the 35th-anniversary reissue of Chicken Rhythms.
From Factory Records to a new chapter
Formed in 1989 by Dermo and bassist Cliff Ogier, Northside became part of Manchester’s early-1990s musical crossover between indie rock, psychedelia and dance music. Signed to Factory Records by Tony Wilson, they made their breakthrough with Shall We Take A Trip? and My Rising Star before releasing the Ian Broudie-produced Chicken Rhythms in 1991, reaching No. 19 in the UK album chart.
The collapse of Factory Records in 1992 brought plans for a follow-up to an abrupt end and the band split. There were occasional reunions in later years, but guitarist Tim Walsh died in 2019. Northside returned to the stage in 2025 with Dermo, Cliff and drummer Paul ‘Wol’ Walsh joined by guitarist Rob Glennie; the band’s 2026 album work also involves drummer Andrew ‘Bod’ Smith.
Northside at The Grove, Newcastle
Northside play The Grove on Saturday 28 November 2026. Doors are listed for 7pm on the venue-authorised Gigantic ticketing calendar. The show brings the group’s anniversary celebrations to Newcastle just weeks after Hey! Mr Brown arrives, offering audiences a mix of their formative sound and a glimpse of what comes next.
Read the SoundBite Newcastle gig preview, browse The Grove’s upcoming gigs or check official tour tickets via Gigantic.
Northside 2026 tour dates
- 13 November – Brudenell Social Club, Leeds
- 13–16 November – Shiiine On Weekender, Butlins Minehead
- 20 November – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
- 21 November – The Garage, London
- 27 November – Foundry, Sheffield
- 28 November – The Grove, Newcastle upon Tyne
- 4 December – Saint Luke’s, Glasgow
- 5 December – Cafe Drummond, Aberdeen
- 12 December – New Century Hall, Manchester
Hey! Mr Brown is released on 30 October 2026, with Welcome to The Carnival expected in spring 2027.
