Gloucester has got the blues this July and August 2026, as the much-loved Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival returns to the city.
Supported by Gloucester BID, venues across the city centre including Cafe Rene, The Thirsty Pine, Dr Foster, The Hop Kettle at Gloucester Food Dock, The Fountain Inn, and Crimson Spire at Hotel Indigo Gloucester are playing host to live bands across the 10-day festival, with performances happening every night – and entry is free to every concert at every venue.
The lineup spans blues music of all kinds, from trad to some of the most exciting contemporary blues music being made in the country.
Some of this year's highlights are sure to be the UK Blues Federation's Blues Band of the Year 2026, The Cinelli Brothers, who play Cafe Rene on Friday 31 July, and Emerging Act of the Year 2023 winner, The Terraplanes Blues Band, who return to The Thirsty Pine on Saturday 1 August 2026, with other noteable names on the lineup including Stompin' Dave with Lucy Piper, Kevin Brown, and Sons of the Delta, as well as south west favourites like Dirty Weather Blues Revue, Big Joe Bone, The Bob Porter Project, and Luke Philbrick & The Solid Gone Skiffle Invasion.
For the first time this year, the long-running festival is part of Visit Gloucester's new initiative, Gloucester’s Summer of Sound, which also includes Gloucester Cathedral Organ Festival, Three Choirs Festival, Gloucester Food Dock's Sunset Sessions, and Gloucester Guildhall's week-long family-friendly venue takeover, 'Lost In Music', celebrating the power of sound in the city.
Gloucester Rhythm & Blues Festival takes place from Friday 24 July until Sunday 2 August 2026.
For more information, and to see the full lineup, visit gloucesterbid.uk/gloucester-rhythm-blues-festival-2026.
