Local and Live

Local and Live The festival is free to attend and showcases original music acts from Kent & Sussex. Move Over Dali headline The Sussex Mews stage at 7.30pm.

Local & Live Music is a registered Charity No.1182100 and is responsible for running the 'Local & Live Music Festival' held annually in Tunbridge Wells since 2006. The Local & Live Music Festival, August 26th -29th 2022, Calverley Grounds + The Forum and other venues across Tunbridge Wells


Its been a roller coaster year for Local & Live but with the recent announcement of a headline sponsor, L

ocal & Live is back in Tunbridge Wells this August Bank Holiday weekend!! Last month Local business Maxipay Accounting Services signed up to be headline sponsor for this years event providing a vital lifeline for the festivals finances which coupled with valuable contributions from The BID (Royal Tunbridge Wells Together), donations from the public, numerous local business sponsorships and a contribution from Tunbridge Wells Borough Council all adds up to the fantastic news that Local & Live can now go ahead! The free music festival, now in its 17th year is a regular annual fixture in the town’s cultural calendar. Local & Live has become a popular weekend for picnicking in the park, attracting all generations from young families to the more senior music fans. It features the cream of the local area's original musical talent and artists already confirmed include Marie White, The Ackerleys, David Migden & The Twisted Roots, Cyrano, Mike Wilton Band and many more! It begins on the evening of Friday 26th August at 5pm and focuses on a purpose-built stage in Calverley Grounds, the beautiful Decimus Burton-designed park in the town centre. The music continues in the park through Saturday (27th 12noon) till 10pm) and Sunday (28th 12noon to 10pm). The Forum will be hosting afterparties every night after the music finishes in Calverley Grounds hosting an array of local bands until late each night. To accompany the music in Calverley Grounds, there will be 2 main bars ran by The Forum and The George Pub and a selection of local food traders traders including Fine Grind, , Crumbs & Treacle, Naked & Ready Foods, Sankeys, Food Comes First, Alices Ices, Rascals Pizzas, Delaneys Crepes and Pancakes and Mother Bhumi Organic Vegan. All the traders will be serving an array of wonderful foods to suit everyone's tastes. The bank holiday Monday is known as 'Fringe Day' and we are delighted to announce that The Forum will be continuing to host Local & Live artists from 2pm through to late with local band Kumala headlining at 9.30pm. The Sussex Mews will be our main outdoor stage location with an array of Local & Live acts performing music from 2pm until 8.15pm. As the Festival has grown in both reputation and size, it also draws visitors from the length and breadth of the UK and Europe. Local & Live brings together a collective audience in the region of 15,000 people to enjoy the music and a relaxed family friendly festival atmosphere over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Local resident and front man of The Bluetones, Mark Morriss recently gave his official take on the festival "Local & Live has established itself as an essential hub for uniting musicians and fans of all generations and genres in the area of Tunbridge Wells. We are so lucky to have it." Iconic Rock legend, Roger Daltrey CBE of The Who is a long term supporter of the festival and commented "Local & Live is a fantastic platform for independent, original music in Kent & Sussex, long may it continue!"

Headline acts announced! We are delighted to announce that local duo DULL KNIFE will be headlining on the Friday evening at Calverley Grounds, with 6 other local acts taking to the stage in the build up to their set, Friday promises to be a rockin' affair with All the Above and Mike Wilton Band also on the bill. Dull Knife are renowned for their inspiring grunge laden rock songs and have been described as Royal Blood meets The White Stripes and they will certainly rock Calverley Grounds to its knees! Saturday kicks off with music from 12noon all the way through to 10pm. Local 4 piece 'SUNCHARMER' top the bill with TWO WEEKS IN NASHVILLE as main support. Both acts recently performed at Pub In The Park supporting the likes of Faithless and Supergrass and are renowned for their high energy, infectious riff laden indie pop/rock style and will undoubtedly bring day two to a climactic finish. Local & Live is thrilled to announce that NOBLE JACKS will be headlining Sunday night at Calverley Grounds. The popular local group led by front man Will page have been wowing crowds across the UK and beyond with their raucous foot stomping alt-folk music and they stole the show at the recent Black Deer Festival with an incredible performance on the main stage. With music again starting at midday Sunday offers an array of superb local acts including the likes of Steffan James, The Ackerleys, Marie White, The Orange Circus and more....all paving the way for The Noble Jacks to strut their stuff! Please don't hesitate to get in touch by emailing [email protected] if you have any sponsorship enquiries or ideas, we would love to hear from you. Any individual or business can advertise on our giant screen positioned next to the stage in Calverley Grounds, it's a great way to support the festival with ads starting at just £50. Our crowdfund page is available at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/localandlive2022

Thanks for all your support and interest and roll on Calverley Grounds! You can find us at on Facebook and Instagram and on twitter and the festival website is www.localandlive.org

I look forward to seeing you at the festival! best wishes
Paul & The Team

A big thank you to Berry & Lamberts Solicitors who are the Gold Sponsor of the Local & Live Music Festival 2026! With of...
03/06/2026

A big thank you to Berry & Lamberts Solicitors who are the Gold Sponsor of the Local & Live Music Festival 2026! With offices in Tunbridge Wells, Sevenoaks and Paddock Wood, Berry & Lamberts combine generations of legal expertise with a genuine people‑first approach. From supporting local events and initiatives to standing alongside individuals and businesses at every stage of life, Berry & Lamberts share the same values that make Local & Live special - connection, heritage and community spirit. Find out more: https://www.berryandlamberts.co.uk/ We’re proud to have them as part of the Local & Live family 💚

We're so grateful to all our sponsors - so let's find out a bit more about them! In this video Lorraine Marsh, owner of ...
03/06/2026

We're so grateful to all our sponsors - so let's find out a bit more about them! In this video Lorraine Marsh, owner of The Diamond Setter tells us why they wanted to be involved with Local & Live this year as a Diamond Sponsor as well as showing us a few sparkly things! Watch the video here:

The Diamond Setter is a Diamond sponsor of the 2026 Local & Live Fe...

Local Gig Alert! Rock out with Hell Drivers on Saturday night!
02/06/2026

Local Gig Alert! Rock out with Hell Drivers on Saturday night!

Want rock? You've got it! Hell Drivers are back at The Bricks - next Saturday 6th June.
The Brick Works Freehouse

02/06/2026

Local Gig Alert! This will be a fantastic night... Don't miss out!!

The Paul Dunton Orchestra with special guests Anna Howie Band. Friday 19 June, Trinity Theatre, Tunbridge Wells. Doors 6:30pm, music 7:30pm. Tickets £15.

Introducing... West Kent Radio - one of our proud media partners for the Local & Live Music Festival 2026. Broadcasting ...
02/06/2026

Introducing... West Kent Radio - one of our proud media partners for the Local & Live Music Festival 2026. Broadcasting across West Kent - including Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Sevenoaks, West Malling and Maidstone - you can listen on FM, DAB+ and online. They’ll also be streaming live from the festival. West Kent Radio promotes local artists and established names, with a strong focus on music from the area.
❤️ Don't miss West Kent Unsigned, airing Tuesdays at 8pm, which highlights emerging local talent. ❤️
Find out more about their shows, local news, events and gigs: https://www.westkentradio.co.uk/

Introducing... Weald Radio - one of our media partners for the Local & Live Music Festival 2026. Weald Radio has listene...
31/05/2026

Introducing... Weald Radio - one of our media partners for the Local & Live Music Festival 2026. Weald Radio has listeners across the Weald of Kent - including in Maidstone, Sevenoaks, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, and Paddock Wood. They promote artists from the area, as well as the household names. Don't miss 'Weald Discovers' - which spotlights local talent, from 7pm every Sunday. Find out about all their programmes, local news, events, gigs and more: https://www.wealdradio.co.uk/

A big thank you to Active Digital - Telecoms Provider one of our Diamond Sponsors of the Local & Live Music Festival 202...
30/05/2026

A big thank you to Active Digital - Telecoms Provider one of our Diamond Sponsors of the Local & Live Music Festival 2026! Active Digital are experts in helping customers with their mobile strategy, VoiP telephony, broadband, leased line, AI and more. Active Digital is a provider that places customer experience, innovation, and long-term value at the heart of everything they do. Awarded “Best Business Customer Service” at the UK Mobile News Awards in 2026 and named “Overall Business of the Year” at the Tunbridge Wells Business Magazine Awards 2025. They are the only UK, independent mobile partner to hold a global award for customer experience. Find out more: https://www.activedigital.co.uk/ 💚

Sounding fantastic 🤩
29/05/2026

Sounding fantastic 🤩

The amazing Mike Wilton and company bringing us amazing vibes.

We're so grateful to all our sponsors - so let's find out a bit more about them! In this video Marketing Manager Melissa...
29/05/2026

We're so grateful to all our sponsors - so let's find out a bit more about them! In this video Marketing Manager Melissa Hollis interviews Paul Reader, Managing Partner and Head of Commercial and Dispute Resolution at Berry & Lamberts Solicitors about work, living in Tunbridge Wells and why Berry & Lamberts sponsor Local & Live. Check out the video here: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ezsJr21HVpU

Local Gig Alert! Tomorrow night at The Royal Oak Tunbridge Wells
28/05/2026

Local Gig Alert! Tomorrow night at The Royal Oak Tunbridge Wells

Eh up all! In a couple of weeks time (Friday May 29th) I’ll be back at The Royal Oak in Tunbridge Wells for another RARE FULL ACOUSTIC BAND SHOW! I’m really looking forward to this one, as I’ll dipping into my solo catalogue and playing some tracks live for the very first time! The last gig I did with the band was so enjoyable, so come down and join us. It’s free too (there will be a bucket going round for any donations). It’s a lovely pub, and there’s also delicious Pizza to be had from Pizza Cucina, so you don’t have to worry about cooking before coming out.

Support comes from Sam Senior who I heard for first time earlier this year. He’s defo one to look out for I reckon.

So here’s that key info again:

Friday May 29th
7:30pm
The Royal Oak, Tun Wells
Rare Full Band Acoustic Show
Sam Senior Support
Free
Lots of good drinks
Nice pub
Pizza available
Come!

Address

Calverley Grounds
Tunbridge Wells
TN11SJ

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Local and Live posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organisation

Send a message to Local and Live:

Share