With just days remaining until the North East’s biggest Easter weekend music event, Stockton Calling 2026 has revealed its full stage times alongside the addition of Manchester’s The Guest List. The final 500 tickets for the festival, which takes place on Saturday, 4 April, are now on sale.
The multi-venue celebration will feature an array of standout headline performances, including Hard-Fi, who will bring their era-defining indie anthems to ARC at 9pm for a rare and highly anticipated live appearance. Over at KU Stockton, hometown favourites Young Rebel Set will take the stage at 10pm, continuing their emotional comeback run after a powerful return to live music last year.
Now in its 15th year, Stockton Calling returns with its trademark mix of national names, breakthrough acts, and the very best of North East talent. The festival will transform Stockton-on-Tees into a one-day, multi-venue celebration, with more than 60 artists performing from early afternoon until late evening.
Crowds are expected to move between seven stages and venues throughout the day, including ARC, ARC-2, KU Stockton, The Social Room, The Georgian Theatre, The Green Room, and The Link. Final tickets for the full day are currently available for £40, including booking fees, while a limited number of £25 under-18 tickets are on offer for music fans aged 14 to 17. As in previous years, anyone aged 14 or 15 must be accompanied by a responsible adult aged 25 or over.
The action officially kicks off at 1.30pm, with Risco and Kate Fallin opening the festival across the venues, setting the tone for a packed afternoon of new music discoveries before the evening builds towards a series of headline moments. Newly added to the line-up are fast-rising indie outfit The Guest List, who slot into a prime 8.30pm set at KU Stockton. The band have been building serious buzz thanks to their punchy songwriting and infectious live shows, making their Stockton Calling appearance one of the most anticipated debut slots on the bill.
Meanwhile, the night reaches its explosive finale at The Social Room, where sibling duo The Molotovs headline at 10.30pm, delivering their sharp-edged rock and roll energy to close the festival in style. Elsewhere on the line-up, Newcastle’s acclaimed alt-rock outfit Pit Pony will bring their fierce, politically charged sound to the festival. Their appearance continues a huge run of shows that has seen them emerge as one of the North East’s most important guitar bands in recent years.
With the official schedule now released, fans can begin plotting their routes across Stockton’s venues via the festival’s schedule graphic to make sure they catch their favourite artists, while still leaving room for the unexpected discoveries that have become a hallmark of the event.
Chris Cobain, of Tees Music Alliance, said the stage time reveal marks the moment the excitement really begins to build.
“When the running order comes out, that’s when people really start getting into festival mode,” he said. “Suddenly everyone’s sharing their plans and discovering bands they might not have heard before. Stockton Calling has always been about that sense of discovery, and this year’s schedule will provide just that.”
Jimmy Beck, of KU Promotions, added: “What’s exciting about this year is the strength of the music right across the bill. You’ve got established bands like Hard-Fi coming in, but also artists like The Molotovs, Pit Pony and The Guest List who are building real momentum at the moment. Stockton Calling has always been about putting those artists side by side and letting the audience experience it all in one day. When you look at the schedule now, it feels like it’s going to be a really strong year.”
With thousands of fans expected to descend on the town centre, Stockton Calling once again promises a day packed with big live moments and the electric energy of a town taken over by music. Tickets can be purchased via www.stocktoncalling.co.uk.
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In this article: Hard-Fi
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