The Southmartins Return to The Forum Darlington

The Southmartins at The Forum Darlington is set for Saturday 10 October 2026, bringing the long-running tribute to The Beautiful South and The Housemartins back to one of the venues that featured early in the band’s story. The show has already sold out, which says plenty about the following The Southmartins have built around their annual visits to Darlington.

The band are now in their seventeenth year together and have made a reputation for going beyond a straight run through the obvious singles. Their set celebrates both The Beautiful South and The Housemartins, with the Forum highlighting favourites including Good As Gold, Perfect 10, Happy Hour, Song For Whoever, You Keep It All In and Caravan of Love. This year also brings an extra nod to The Housemartins, marking the fortieth anniversary of their debut album London 0 Hull 4.

The Southmartins at The Forum Darlington

Doors open at 7.30pm, with the show expected to begin at around 8.30pm. The event is standing and is listed as 16+, with under-18s required to attend with an adult. Although tickets were priced at £20 plus booking fee, the Forum currently lists the date as sold out, so anyone hoping for a late release should only use the venue or official ticket partner rather than unofficial resale links.

For a tribute act, longevity matters. The Southmartins have kept this show in demand by leaning into the songs, humour and communal feel that made the original bands so popular, rather than treating the set as a costume exercise. The Darlington date also carries a little extra history because The Forum was one of the first venues the group played in their early years.

The gig takes place at The Forum Music Centre in Darlington. Full event information and any official ticket updates are available from the Forum event page. Details were correct at the time of writing, so check the venue and artist channels before travelling in case timings or admission information changes.