Stoke-on-Trent is once again gearing up for a celebration of its vibrant music scene with its annual Your City Festival event. From Friday, May 3 to Saturday, May 4, the city will come alive with a whole host of emerging talent spanning a range of genres across four of the best-loved venues for a one-off Piccadilly Party.
The fringe-style festival will be held on a slightly smaller scale for 2024, but ticketholders will still be treated to at least 17 local bands, rappers, artists and musicians – and this year, it will be free to enter.
The performers will play some of the city’s much loved venues, including The Sugarmill and The Underground, as well as The Backyard and, making its Your City debut, Captain’s Bar.
It comes after the festival almost didn’t go ahead at all this year as a result of finances or compromising the quality of the event, but working alongside Stoke-on-Trent City Centre BID, organisers have been able to still put on what will no doubt be a fantastic event for the city.
Founder and event coordinator, Ben Nixon said: “We’re very lucky to be able to host any event at all this year, it looks like a lot of independent festivals are suffering at the moment, so we are not alone! Fortunately though, thanks to the generosity of BID Stoke-on-Trent, we’ve been able to put an event together that goes back to our roots with having a focus on the epic local talent that the city has to offer.
“Piccadilly Party has been created to give something back to the city, which is why we’ve made it a free ticketed event so that the people of Stoke can come and bear witness to the prodigal talent of local musicians.”
Your City’s Rich Hearn and Ben Nixon
Whether you’re a music enthusiast, a supporter of local artists, or simply looking for a memorable way to spend your bank holiday weekend, Piccadilly Party has something special in store for everyone.
Here’s everything we know about the event so far:
When is the Your City x BID Piccadilly Party?
Piccadilly Party 2024 will take place across the early bank holiday weekend from May 3-4 and it has been described by organisers as an all-day event.
Where is Your City x BID Piccadilly Party?
There will be live music playing across four stages within the city centre, each just a short walk from one another. The venues hosting the festival include:
- The Sugarmill – Brunswick Street
- The Underground – Morley Street
- The Backyard – Albion Street
- Captain’s Bar – Lichfield Street
Line up/venue splits/stage times
The festival kicks off with a bang on May 3 with Camen’s Work/Life/Balance album launch gig at The Sugarmill, setting the stage for an electrifying weekend of music and entertainment, with support from the formiddable Queen Cult.
Then, on Saturday, May 4, Piccadilly Party will take over four iconic venues in the city, with at least four acts performing at each location.
The Sugarmill
- 21:00 Finney
- 20:10 Side Eye
- 19:20 Barracuda
- 18.30 Brandon Grindey
The Underground
- 21:45 Black Coast
- 20:55 Mercury
- 20:05 Gnawing Hunger
- 19:15 Foul Play
The Backyard
- 19:45 Pale Red
- 18:55 Miss Stylie
- 18:05 Geth and Steph
- 17:15 LFE
- 16:30 Natasha Birks
Captain’s Bar
- 23:00 Foxa Riot
- 22:10 Shared Systems
- 21:20 Electric Cafe
- 20:30 Poppy Blond
In addition to the main stage performances, Piccadilly Party Festival will feature DJ sets and acoustic performances across the city centre to help you celebrate your Bank Holiday in style.
How to get tickets
While Your City x Stoke-on-Trent BID’s Piccadilly Party is free to enter, you will need a ticket. But securing your spot at Piccadilly Party Festival is easy, simply grab your free ticket via this link and exchange it for a wristband at The Backyard on the day, granting you access to all participating venues on Saturday, May.
The festival’s free ticketing system underscores Your City’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, ensuring that everyone will have the opportunity to experience the community and creativity cultivated here in Staffordshire and Cheshire’s music scene.
The Camen’s album launch gig on Friday is a ticketed event, with entry from £6, which you can find here.
Walter Kocays
Parking
There are a number of options when it comes to the city centre event, and where you park will mostly come down to accessibility and the length of time you plan to be there.
For those popping in for less than three hours, Tesco is probably the best and easiest option – however, if you’d like to spend the whole day exploring the best of what the local music scene has to offer, then here are a few other options:
The Potteries Centre
The multi-storey car park for The Potteries Centre has around 900 parking spaces including disabled, electric car charging and parent and child spaces. The car park is open from 8am to 12am every day, and costs £1.40 for one hour from Monday to Saturday, £2.70 for two hours, £3.90 for three, £5.20 for four and so on. There is a flat rate of £1.50 after 4pm on Saturday.
On Sunday, up to five hours costs £1.70, while over five will set you back £3.50. Visitors can pay via the Potteries Centre app, via contactless payment on exit, or at the pay stations with cash or card.
Brakes Car Park
Based on Broad Street on the site of the former ABC Cinema, Brakes Car Park has 130 parking spaces and is in the ideal location for The Underground and The Backyard especially. The car park is cash only and costs £1 an hour, £3.50 all day, or £4 to midnight Alternatively, it’s £3 from 4pm to 7am the following morning, £2.50 from 5pm, £2 from 6pm or £1.50 from 7pm.
Clementsons Car Park
Alongside the former Rockermans furniture store on Clough Street is a 267-space car park and it’s a surprisingly affordable £3 all day. You can use cash or card, with the car park using ANPR technology to recognise number plates – so you don’t actually have to display your ticket after purchasing it.
Smithfield
The newest NCP car park in Hanley is one of the most expensive, though it is fitted with over 100 CCTV cameras, has a roller shutter entry and exit system, and has a number plate validated entry system.
It offers 730 spaces, with electric charging points and disabled spaces, costing £1.90 for an hour, £3.20 for two, £5 for three, £6.30 for four or £12 for 24 hours.All machines accept payment by card, while two machines also accept coins and notes.
Food and Drink
All of the venues hosting music acts have their own bars where you will be able to purchase reasonably priced drinks throughout the day, including beers, ciders, spirits and mixers, as well as a selection of soft drinks. But if you’re feeling peckish, then there are plenty of places to pop in and grab a bite to eat, though it is recommended that you book a table, as some places are likely to get quite busy.
Here are some of my top tried and tested picks for food and drinks in Hanley:
- The Slamwich Club – massive burger-like toasted sandwiches
- Little Dumpling King – awesome dumplings, bao buns, rice bowls and natty wines
- The Gin Rummy Kitchen and Bar – authentic woodfired pizzas, burgers and sides
- Bloom – flavoursome small plates, cocktails and mains
- Restaurant Six at The Hilton – cosy and sophisticated pub grub
- Bottlecraft – a selection of keg, cask, bottle and can, plus ciders, wines, spirits and more
- The Victoria Lounge – perfect if you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle for a little while with a fully-stocked traditional bar
With a lineup that celebrates local talent and a spirit of community at its core, Piccadilly Party promises to be an epic event for all who attend. And already the organisers are planning the ‘biggest and best YCF to date for 2025.
To get in on the action this year, though, mark your calendars, grab your tickets, and get ready to enjoy some of Stoke’s very best homegrown talent.
