Featuring talented multi-instrumentalists, collaborative blues jams, big bands, and internationally acclaimed acts, Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival brings electrifying live music to venues across the city centre for 10 blues-filled days this July and August 2026.
Here's who's on the lineup this year.
Friday 24 July at Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival 2026
Kicking off this year's festival are JUKE at Crimson Spire inside Hotel Indigo at 6pm, followed by Bob Bowles at 8pm; Mark I at The Drunken Duck at 7pm; JJ Jooks at 7pm at The Hop Kettle at Gloucester Food Dock; Big Mudfish at 7pm at The Sisters; while at 9pm, it's Blues Triad at Cafe Rene, and Luke Philbrick & The Solid Gone Skiffle Invasion at The Thirsty Pine.
Saturday 25 July at Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival 2026
Getting things started on Saturday, the Watson Jazz Quartet perform at The Drunken Duck at 2pm, followed by Ged Wilson at 4pm; Ben Hemming performs at The Hop Kettle at 5pm; Rich Gardiner performs at Cafe Corretto down at Gloucester Docks at 6pm; at Crimson Spire, Henry Slim Trio are on at 6pm, followed by Tim Lee at 8pm; at The Pelican Inn, Pete G and the Magnitones perform at 7pm; and Out To Lunch perform at The Sisters at 7pm.
While at 9pm, Blue 2 The Bone close out the night at England's Glory, and Last Train Smokin' hit The Thirsty Pine stage.
Sunday 26 July at Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival 2026
Crimson Spire plays host to three fantastic acts on Sunday, with JP Oldfield at 1pm, Barney Newman at 3pm, and Sons of the Delta Duo at 5pm; while The Sisters hosts The Bob Porter Project at 1pm, and Stompin' Dave and Lucy Piper at 4pm; The Mike Parker Duo are at The Hop Kettle at 2pm; Gordon Wood Duo play Dr Foster at 4pm; and Lil' Ian Goodsman is at The Pelican Inn at 7pm.
Monday 27 July at Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival 2026
The Fountain Inn joins the party on Monday, with Dr Grrrs Blues Surgery at The Fountain Inn at 8pm, while The Worried Men are at Cafe Rene at 9pm.
Tuesday 28 July at Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival 2026
On Tuesday, Debra Susan and Ritchie Dave Porter play The Sisters at 7pm, while at The Fountain Inn, Will Killeen performs from 8pm, and at Cafe Rene, Big Joe Bone is on at 9pm.
Wednesday 29 July at Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival 2026
Luke Philbrick & The Solid Gone Skiffle Invasion tear things up at The Drunken Duck at 7pm; The Thirsty Pine hosts the Official Blues Jam from 7.30pm; Cole & Ward perform at The Fountain Inn at 8pm; and The Lewis Creaven band close proceedings from 9pm at Cafe Rene.
Thursday 30 July at Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival 2026
Thursday sees Rev Ferriday play The Pelican Inn at 7pm; Sons of the Delta Duo perform at The Sisters at 7pm; and Big Joe Bone hits the stage at The Fountain Inn at 8pm, and Crawfish play Cafe Rene at 9pm.
Friday 31 July at Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival 2026
The second weekend of the festival gets started at 7pm, with Mike Davids Band at The Pelican Inn and Kevin Brown at The Sisters. The Hoochie Mojos are at The Fountain Inn at 8pm; at Cafe Rene, The Blues Conspirators open at 7.30pm, followed by Ben Poole at 9pm, and The Vodka Shots take the stage at The Thirsty Pine at 9pm.
Saturday 1 August at Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival 2026
The festival's penultimate day starts at The Fountain Inn, with Gordon Wood & Friends at 1pm, followed by The Earl Duo at 4pm, then The Bob Porter Project at 8pm.
The Worried Men are at England's Glory at 5pm, followed by rock covers outfit Fracture at 9.30pm. Anthony Craig is at Cafe Corretto at 6pm; Blind Justice Page is at 7pm at Dr Foster; and Cole & Ward Band are at The Sisters at 7pm.
Cafe Rene promises a whole day of music from 2pm, with Rev Ferriday, Xtra Tacos, Hayden Lloyd, Poorbox Brothers, The Desperados and The Albert George Collective all performing, before what's sure to be one of the highlights of the whole festival, UK Blues Awards Blues Band of the Year 2026 and 2022 UK Blues Challenge winners, The Cinelli Brothers.
While at The Thirsty Pine, UK Blues Awards Emerging Act of the Year 2023 and UK Blues Challenge finalists, The Terraplanes Blues Band, hit the stage at 9pm.
Sunday 2 August at Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival 2026
The final day of the festival features a packed line-up, kicking off with Tall Ship Blues Day at The Tall Ship, featuring a performance from Dr Grrr's Blues Surgery at 5pm.
Tim Lee opens proceedings at The Fountain Inn at 1pm, followed by Rev Ferriday at 3.30pm; at The Drunken Duck, Mark Watkins performs at 2.30pm; The Jelly Roll Brothers are at Dr Foster at 4pm; while The Sisters hosts Bevan at 2pm, followed by JP Oldfield at 7pm.
Then at Cafe Rene, there's live music all day long once again, starting from 2pm with the Cafe Rene Jamily, followed by Laurence Jones, Will Killeen, and Upton Blues Festival legend Trevor Babajack Steger, with Bristol-based The Dirty Weather Blues Revue closing out the festival at 7.45pm.
