A week-long Mercury Prize Fringe programme gets under way region-wide from this Thursday
The buzz is building as we prepare for one of the biggest music nights of the year and the city is going all-out to ensure it’s a cracker. With the annual Mercury Prize moving outside of London for the first time, Newcastle, as previously reported, is seizing upon its debut role as host to ensure the event is celebrated in true North East style.
News of the ceremony heading north came just months after the city hosted the MOBO awards – another first – and there have followed lots of exiting reveals, from the announcement that Lauren Laverne will be the presenter of the ceremony at Utilita Arena next week to news of award nominees and the unveiling of the night’s performers, who are to include local favourite Sam Fender. To celebrate what promises to be a sparkling music event on October 16, there’s a whole Mercury Prize Newcastle Fringe programme in store too.
And this is set to have everyone in early party mood. The fringe programme, organised by local music development agency Generator, is due to get under way this Thursday, October 9 – although first day plans have yet to be shared – and there will be more than 22 events over the following week.
The fringe covers the seven local authority areas of Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Durham and Northumberland and, in the run-up to the big night, it will be taking over regional venues with live music, showcasing North East talent. Taking part will be the likes of The Glasshouse in Gateshead, Pop Recs in Sunderland, Queens Hall Arts in Northumberland, Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle and, as previously reported, Fenwick department store and its newly-opened Greggs pub The Golden Flake Tavern which is to be transformed into the Mercury Prize Fanzone on the day of the awards.
Generator is choosing six music acts to perform live in the fanzone and each will play some of original music as well as an acoustic cover from one of this year’s Mercury Prize-shortlisted albums. The week-long Mercury Fringe, with details below, will deliver not just live gigs but workshops, talks and a music conference.
The idea is to enable music fans to feel an integral part of the Mercury Prize celebrations and it will offer opportunities to explore the likes of music production, broadcasting, songwriting, composition, the art of album-making and promotion. There also will be listening events at record stores to extend the community feel as well as the involvement of schools.
For tickets to the Mercury Prize 2025 event itself see here. The night’s celebration of the best British and Irish music from across the year also will be broadcast live on BBC.
Mercury Prize Music Fringe programme
So far, 22 fringe events have been announced across seven stages. Here are the highlights and organisers say more events are to be announced so keep an eye out for further details here.
Lyrics in Music Masterclass with Paul Smith – the Maxïmo Park frontman, a previous Mercury Prize short-listed artist, will lead an ‘intimate’ masterclass in songwriting at Pop Recs in Sunderland on October 10.
Sunderland Music City Emerging Artists Showcase – a celebration of ‘the sounds of Sunderland’, featuring three artists at different stages of their career: The Last Time, Ruby Kelly and Patrick Gosling, . This also will be at Pop Recs on October 10.
Newcastle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music Showcase – a showcase curated by Wesley Stephenson featuring three distinct voices shaping the future of jazz. The triple bill – at Gosforth Civic Theatre, Newcastle, on October 10 – will be John Pope Quintet, Francesca Pidgeon’s solo project Dilettante, and keys and percussion duo Yotuns.
Nrthrn Baby Showcase – a showcase at Pilgrim in Newcastle on October 10, hosted by Nrthrn Baby, featuring a collaborative performance with SwanNek and some of the North East’s top rap and R&B acts. Reali-T, Dennis, and Jenna Cole will be performing tracks from their own EPs.
An Insight into Developing Visual Narratives with Music Artists – a workshop with photographer and director Will Creswick will see him share his experience of working with artists across the North East and beyond. Taking place at the Three Tanners Bank in North Shields on October 11, the session will explore how imagery and storytelling shape identity.
PRS Foundation 25th Anniversary celebrations: Songwriting masterclass – this workshop will take place on October 11 at Cobalt Studios in North Shields. Over the last 25 years, the foundation has invested in the future of music and among those it has helped with grants are award-winner acts including six of of the last seven Mercury Prize winners.
Howay Again – a showcase at Queen’s Hall Arts Centre, Northumberland, on October 11 of a four-piece band of NUFC supporters bringing terrace classics and football chants to the stage.
Howay the Lasses – a workshop, also at Queen’s Hall Arts Centre on October 11, with two from the Howay Again band about how to write terrace chants. There also will be an opportunity to perform them on stage alongside the band in a live evening performance.
Hapless Museum Worker – a showcase of a show bringing together three distinct voices from the north – Milky Wimpshake, Pauline Murray and Trev Gibb – taking place on October 11 at Claypath Delicatessen in Durham.
F54 – a showcase of three rising talents: Imogen and the Knife, Theo Bleak and Errant Moose. This will be at Three Tanners Bank in North Shields on October 11.
A Coastal smile Project – a closed workshop at The Customs House in South Shields on October 12 for neurodivergent learners from Autism Able and Northumberland YMCA, exploring drones, electronics and songwriting.
The Coastal Smile – an evening performance (not open to the public) on October 12, also at The Customs House, will feature the pieces created during the above event. A headline set will follow from Ian Black and The Fortunate Nudes, featuring members of Slug and Field Music.
Modern Songwriting & Production – a one-day ‘deep dive’ workshop taking place at Mark Hillery Music Studios, Durham, on October 12. This will explore pop songwriting, from hooks and lyrics to production, with a practical session plus on immersive sound addition.
Wandering Oak – a showcase of songwriting and emerging northern voices with performances from Melanie Baker, Oko Oko and Jenni Mac. This will be on October 12 at Cumberland Arms in Newcastle.
MMF Essentials of Music Management – a workshop exploring the journey from grassroots to international success, encouraging active participation from music managers at every stage of their career. This will be at Newcastle Arts Centre on October 13.
World HQ Cultivates presents: Album Production Masterclass with Nectax – a masterclass exploring Nectax’s journey as a producer from grassroots beginnings to album release, with production tips, a live demo and a Q&A session. The workshop, on October 13, will be at World Headquarters in Newcastle.
Tim’s Listening Party with Lanterns on the Lake – host Tim Burgess will present a live playback and in-conversation session with the band who will be revisiting their critically-acclaimed Mercury Prize shortlisted album Spook the Herd. This takes place on October 13 at The Glasshouse in Gateshead.
Generator Live Conference – on October 14, the Civic Centre in Newcastle will host this full day of panels, conversations and behind-the-scenes insight from artists and industry leaders, with speakers, special guests and plenty chances to make connections.
BBC Introducing from The Glasshouse: Generator x Mercury Prize Fringe Special – a special evening at The Glasshouse on October 14 will see a special Mercury Prize Fringe edition of BBC Introducing, featuring artists ERNIE, Nadedja, and Isabel Maria.
Art of the Album Day – a full-day conference at The Common Room in Newcastle will examine the creative and practical steps behind making and releasing a record. There will be panels, conversations, workshops and masterclasses exploring each stage from songwriting and production to marketing and release strategy.
A Stone’s Throw & Notion Live Events Showcase – presented by the teams behind A Stone’s Throw Festival and Shin Gigs, this night of northern sounds on October 15 will take place at The Grove in Gateshead to spotlight ‘the region’s next big names’. Headliner Adult DVD will be joined by support from Finn Forster and Rye.
Mercury Prize at Fenwick Fanzone – a special live lounge space ‘created for fellow music obsessives’ is promising a treat for music fans at the Newcastle store on October 16: read more here.
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We have a dedicated newsletter for What’s On news and reviews. It’s free and you can sign up to receive it here. It will keep you up to date with all the latest updates on food, drink, entertainment and events in and around the North East.
ChronicleLive has created a dedicated WhatsApp community for What’s On news and updates. You can join this WhatsApp community here. It will keep you up to date with things to do around the North East and breaking gig announcements, sent directly to your phone.
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