The Gathering Sounds, the North East’s festival for the best in new music, today unveils the full line-up for its 2025 edition – and it’s the most ambitious yet. Taking place on Saturday 27th September 2025 across seven venues in Stockton-on-Tees, the day-long celebration of new and next-gen talent will feature over 50 acts, from local heroes to the hottest names on the UK and Irish scenes.
Joining already-announced headliner Somebody’s Child are London alternative rock outfit Keo and Scottish folk-punk fusion band Brògeal – two of the most talked-about new bands in the country.
The rising stars to watch:
Keo – led by brothers Finn and Conor Keogh, and formed from roots stretching across the UK, Ireland, Portugal and the US – are riding high off the back of a standout set at BST Hyde Park, where they opened the Rainbow Stage for Kings of Leon and The Vaccines. Their single “Fly”, recorded live-to-tape with Brett Shaw (Foals, Florence + The Machine), showcases their potent blend of 90s grunge, shoegaze and modern alt-rock. With comparisons to Wunderhorse, Fontaines D.C., and Jeff Buckley, Keo are rapidly establishing themselves as one of the UK’s most exciting guitar bands.
Brògeal, the five-piece from Falkirk, fuse Celtic folk, punk, and indie-pop into a uniquely high-octane live show. With recent support slots for The Mary Wallopers, Paolo Nutini and The Lathums, they’ve earned airplay on BBC Radio 6 Music and a glowing Rolling Stone feature. Their debut album Tuesday Paper Club, out this October via PIAS, promises to be a landmark release, full of emotion, energy and cultural defiance.
Somebody’s Child, the Dublin indie powerhouse fronted by Cian Godfrey, leads this year’s bill. After winning acclaim from BBC Radio 1, 6 Music, and The Irish Times, and playing festivals from Reading & Leeds to SXSW, the band continues to grow into one of the most vital live acts in Europe.
A showcase of regional brilliance:
The 2025 line-up puts North East talent front and centre. South Shields’ genre-smashing Cortney Dixon brings her self-produced garage-punk pop to the stage, fresh from SXSW and a string of BBC-supported releases. Sunderland’s flamboyant Swindled make a TGS debut with their theatrical art-pop and shiny shoes, while fan-favourites The Redroom add a blast of local indie-rock fire.
Other must-see acts on the bill include The Covasettes, a Manchester indie outfit with over 12 million streams and a growing reputation for commanding major festival stages; Grandmas House, the fierce all-female post-punk powerhouse from Bristol bringing raw energy and grunge-infused grit; The Kairos, Liverpool’s Merseybeat revivalists with a modern punk edge; Precious Pepala, whose soaring, soulful alt-pop marks her out as a future chart contender; and Dylan Flynn & The Dead Poets, a Limerick-based five-piece blending the emotional weight of Springsteen with widescreen indie ambition and shimmering textures.
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