The message on Girlband’s drummer’s tee shirt may well be true in a normal week – but this ain’t no normal week; it’s time for the annual This Feeling By The Sea festival with a cracking line-up for the two day 2026 edition.
What a line-up it it is too if you want to catch some of the hottest young indie bands around and also discover some brand new names who may well be tomorrow’s big thing.
Tastemakers This Feeling are respected live music promoters and now have a record label too.
They have their finger on the pulse and that is proven again this year with not only the headliners The Lilacs and The Clause, but also a host of other exciting bands and artists such as The Rosadocs, Girlband!, The Bracknall, Cruz, The Cavs, The Slates and The Cases.
This Feeling By The Sea launched in 2023 at the stunning Art Deco 3,800 capacity venue Bridlington Spa on the sea front. Friday 2026 almost sold out. Two stages; main stage and the small “Sessions” stage, all indoors.
One of the ‘forgotten stars’ of this event is most definitely the venue itself. Bridlington Spa is an art deco dance hall, theatre and conference centre, and popular wedding venue which opened in 1896.
The ballroom has a stunning glass dome and ornate, circular frieze in the ceiling, It is a popular venue on the UK touring circuit for concerts.
It was here at Bridlington Spa that Oasis played their final indoor concert in August 2009, as a warm up for the V Festival, before splitting up. The beauty of this event; the weather – wet on Friday – is irrelevant as both stages are inside.
Fridays’ bill-toppers The Lilacs sold-out their recent 2600-capacity headline show at Manchester Academy, and Saturday’s headliners The Clause, powered into the Top 20 of the UK Official Album charts last year.
The Lilacs’ vocalist/guitarist Ollie Anglesea says,”We first played This Feeling By The Sea back in 2023 when we were younger and a lot more naive. It has definitely played a huge part in us being the band we are today. So many people still say ‘We first saw you at This Feeling By The Sea’, so it’s clear to see the power of the festival. So to now be headlining it really feels like a full circle moment and is a really proud moment for us.
“I even remember being stood in the crowd watching the headliners of the night we played thinking, wouldn’t it be great to be headlining one day and here we are, three years on. I think it goes without saying how crucial This Feeling have been in our careers and no doubt hundreds of other bands out there.
“They give so many up-and-coming bands the chance to show their worth, putting them on a platform to build from and we wouldn’t be where we are today without them, so we genuinely owe them the world.”
The Clause frontman Pearce Macca adds, “The first time we played Bridlington Spa was to around 30 or 40 people in the small upstairs room in 2023. I remember getting a peek into the main room there and we all fell in love with it. We said to each other, ‘We’ll headline this room one day.’
“We’re buzzing to be headlining it for the first time as This Feeling By The Sea’s headliner. We’ve been working with Mikey and the crew at This Feeling since we were kids and they’ve followed us every step of the way, we love them. We feel blessed to be headlining this festival alongside some of our favourite people, can’t wait to get up on that stage.”
Six new artists triumphed against intense competition to win the ‘Apply To Play’ and the ‘Road To By The Sea’ events; rewarded with the massive opportunity to play This Feeling By The Sea 2026.
Radio X broadcaster John Kennedy chose two artists who won the nationwide heat. Manchester’s Dreaming Of Citra, who play euphoric indie-pop built, open proceedings on the main stage on Saturday. Warrington-based solo artist Olivia Booth will hit the Sessions stage with a style that echoes of Blondie, Amy Winehouse and Courtney Love.
BBC Introducing’s Jericho Keys was trusted with choosing bands from the Yorkshire region. He chose the buzzsaw melodics of Counterproducts to get Friday’s main stage underway. Over on the Sessions Stage, he opted for Astoria, a five-piece from Leeds.
The final two new names were selected by local music promoters Live In Bridlington and Metalines Promotions. Full-throttle psyche and uninhibited garage-rock from The Velvet Tuxedo who open the Sessions stage on Saturday. The Glasshouse opened Friday’s Sessions stage.
This Feeling founder Mikey Jonns says, “From grassroots venues and festival stages to the glorious Brid Spa every act playing and everyone coming we’ve been on a journey and it makes for a special atmosphere. It’s 100% real and I am very proud of that. I’m not sure if there’s another festival like By The Sea…”
* This Feeling By The Sea 2027 is announced as 9th & 10th April and is on sale now.
Check back on Sunday in the “Live Zone” to see our coverage of Saturday’s proceedings…
Photos by Liam Battersby
Words by Steve Best
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