GCT Beer Festival 2026
Friday 31 July, 4pm - 11pm
Saturday 1 August, 12pm - 11pm
Sunday 2 August, 12pm - 6 pm
£8 for over 18s - kids go free. Pay on the door.
The entry fee includes branded pint glass to reuse and take home, and gets you repeat entry for the whole weekend with a wristband.
More information about your visit can be found here.
Our family-friendly, dog-friendly, community Beer Festival is back with tons of live music, street food, crafts for the kids and importantly LOADS of beer. We even have plenty of not-beer and no and low alcohol options for those just wanting to come down for the vibes (which are immaculate...)
This year marks 10 years of Gosforth Civic Theatre, so this will be a great occasion to celebrate our community by coming together!
Friday: Funk, soul, pints & pizza
We’re kicking things off in style! The opening night brings funk and soul as TWIG takes the stage, delivering a high-energy set to launch the weekend. Be the first to get your hands on the full range of beers on the bar before they’re gone. Sustenance will be delivered by delicious offerings from Hizzys Pizza, alongside offerings from our own kitchen.
Saturday: Live music & daytime family fun
Saturday is packed from start to finish! The daytime brings family-friendly fun with Mini Crafters in our studio, plus mouth-watering food from Meat Stack and our own kitchen. As the day rolls into the evening, there will be live music from Jamagotchi, who will be playing the biggest pop, dance and indie bangers from the 90s, and Phantom Bagman with their genre-blending mix of indie, funk, soul and modern jazz.
Sunday: Mini chilled out music festival vibes
Wind down the festival on Sunday with food from our kitchen and a lineup of live music from local artists, including The Early Purple, bringing Northumbrian indie-folk to the stage. Food is served by our kitchen throughout the day, and we have a gaming pop-up corner in our foyer, featuring a collection of retro consoles and games from our GCT Gaming Social. It's the perfect way to end your weekend while savouring the last of our festival beers!
Support and celebrate with us
By attending the GCT Beer Festival, you're supporting an independent, community-focused event. All proceeds from our bars and food go directly back into our work, once festival costs are covered. If you love the festival and want to support us further, donations are welcome throughout the weekend.
Join us for a memorable weekend!
Be a part of this incredible celebration. Whether you're here for the beer, the music, the food, or just the community spirit, there's something for everyone at the GCT Beer Festival. Mark your calendars and get ready for a weekend to remember!
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Highlights
Drinks TBC
Our full drinks lineup is still being finalised. In the meantime, here’s a taste of what we poured at last year’s festival:
Our 2025 festival bar boasted 20 taps of keg, 10 taps of cask beer from 16 different local and national breweries and represented a range of styles for all tastes. Wanted sessionable pales? You got it! Belgian ales, saisons and sours? Yep. Something dark? Oh you bet! Classic bitters and IPAs? Don't worry about it. Plus the odd rarity and special in there.
The breweries we have confirmed so far:
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Brass Castle (GF specialists)
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St Dominics (one beer brewed with company members)
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First & Last (inc one of their special 10th anniversary brews)
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Vaux
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Donzoko
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Twice Brewed
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Signature Brew Co - Backstage IPA (supporting the FAC UK Artist Touring Fund)
Plus we will have a dedicated spirits and wine bar on our Theatre bar, with no and low alcohol bar option, so if beer isn't your thing you can still come down and have a great time.
TWIG
Twig have been formed from the ashes of the great King Bee, who opened Gosforth Civic Theatre back on 2 September 2016 and was responsible for our original bees and flowers artwork on the North East side of the building.
Established in early 2026 and based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Twig is a four-piece jazz-funk fusion powerhouse put together by composer and multi-instrumentalist Dave Wilde and his long time friend and guitarist Athol Cassidy.
Dave’s talents on sax, flute, keyboards and vocals carry forward the distinctive DNA of his previous creation, the brit-funk seven piece King Bee, so expect his trademark solid grooves and irresistible rhythms throughout.
Joining Dave is bassist John Pope. He needs no introduction to fans of the north east music scene who will be familiar with his dexterity on the electric bass and his lifelong engagement with jazz-funk and rock music.
Athol Cassidy has extensive experience teaching touring and recording across a wide range of music settings performing with bands such as Smoove and Turrell and with fellow band mate John Pope in their own funk and electronica project Twin Beam. His relaxed seemingly effortless style belies his astounding wizardry on the guitar.
Completing the quartet is Mark Johnson. Mark has been a professional drummer for over 10 years and, in his own words, is “the type of nerdy musician that is passionate about sharing his knowledge, rhythm and approach to music” performing on the Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury, the BBC Proms and the World Cup Final in Qatar - a solid man at the back!
A great way to kick off the weekend and to mark 10 years of GCT.
Friday 31 July
Jamagotchi
Step into a neon-soaked time machine with Jamagotchi, the ultimate 90s tribute band that's ready to unleash a wave of nostalgia!
Get ready to nurture your inner 90s kid, because Jamagotchi delivers a live experience that's addictive and interactive. Not just songs; Jamagotchi ignite a full-blown party atmosphere where the energy is infectious and the good vibes are cranked to eleven. You'll be transported back to a golden era of pop, grunge, Indie, and dance anthems.
Expect to belt out every word to your favourite sing-along songs, from Brit Pop icons such as Oasis, Pulp and Blur, as well a TV themes and Old School Rave classics. Jamagotchi doesn't just play the hits; they embody the spirit of the 90s, bringing the fashion, the attitude, and the sheer joy of a decade that gave us so much iconic music.
So dust off your trackies, dig out your glow sticks, and prepare for a night of pure, unadulterated 90s fun. Come join the Jamagotchi family – where every gig is a reunion and every song is a memory waiting to be relived.
Saturday 1 August
Phantom Bagman
Phantom Bagman are a North East based Indie Jazz Group which started as a group of friends from university and has spread into an ensemble of like-minded music lovers. Fusing elements of Indie Rock, Funk, and Soul with Modern Jazz aesthetics, Phantom Bagman create a sound unique to the roster of people involved, and the city that has brought them together.
The last twelve months has seen Phantom Bagman go from strength to strength, performing across the North East at notable venues such as Pilgrim, The Globe and Little Buildings, culminating with a performance at The Glasshouse ICM in conjunction with BBC Introducing North East, with more exciting events on the way in 2026!
MEMBERS
Vocals: Siena Anderson
Trumpets: Ben Tattersall
& Dom Purefoy
Guitar: Luke Carey
Piano: Matty Turnbull
Bass: Jamie Watkins
Drums: Matt Brown
Saturday 1 August
Marina Josephina
Marina Josephina is a soulful singer-songwriter from Stockton-on-Tees blending soul, jazz and R&B with powerful vocals and emotionally honest songwriting. A BBC Introducing North East “One to Watch 2025”, she’s played The Great Escape, Sound City, and Kendal Calling, and supported Alexander O’Neal and Brooke Combe.
Saturday 1 August
The Early Purple
The Early Purple is the indie-folk project of Northumbrian musician Matt Saxon, crafting a sound that blends the warmth of Fleet Foxes with the depth of Midlake. Built around rich three-part harmonies, fingerpicked acoustic guitars, ethereal synth textures and gently propulsive rhythms, his music balances intimacy with atmosphere.
Working closely with producer Will Thorneycroft (The Dawdler, Lovely Assistant), Saxon has gained recognition for his evocative, introspective songwriting. His releases have been described as “lush ghost-folk” and “heartfelt indie-folk” by The Glasshouse and Narc Magazine.
Recent highlights include the release of the richly textured single The Greek Key, featuring contributions from Sam Fender, alongside appearances at the BBC Proms, a residency at the Glasshouse Summer Studios, and support slots for artists including Flyte, Efterklang, John Francis Flynn, Mason Lindahl and Bernard Butler - further establishing The Early Purple as one of the North East’s most distinctive emerging voices.
Sunday 2 August
Eddie Doyle
Newcastle (UK) based Eddie Doyle is an exciting new voice in experimental music. Her self-described ‘post-Catholic post-rock’ draws influence from an eclectic mix of electronic, trip-hop, art-rock and beyond; a unique blend. Growing up learning classical technique, and singing in church choir, her emotive vocals find a confrontational vulnerability. Lyrically delicate and introspective, she has been cleaving open UK audiences, and pulling them back close, since early 2025.
Sunday 2 August
Callum O’Neill
Raised in County Durham and destined for the world stage, Callum O’Neil is a promising new voice in the indie bedroom pop scene. The singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has nearly a decade’s worth of experience - from cutting his teeth in primary school music classes and playing his first show aged 11, to more recently recording his long-awaited debut single with longtime mentor Tony Brown.
For fans of his own musical heroes - Sam Fender, Novo Amor - Callum’s music is lyrically striking, thoughtfully crafted, and full of heart. It’s easy listening, without compromising all things hard-hitting - because Callum O’Neil has got earnesty in spades. The 18 year old’s
lyrics hit you where it hurts, but carry you through in a whirlwind of unforgettable melodies, personal storytelling and undeniable musical charm.
Prior to even having released any music, Callum’s talent is broadly recognised by his region - he was recently one of just six to be awarded competitive funding and support from reputable community music organisation We Make Culture, as well as having grown up an active member of prominent youth arts collective Right Track. Years in the making, lots in the pipeline; Callum’s future is bright, and you won’t want to look away.
Sunday 2 August
WIG
WIG is a trio from the We Make Culture Young Musicians Project. The group performs acoustic covers of popular artists including Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish, bringing their own style and energy to contemporary pop music.
The Young Musicians Project brings together young people aged 13–19 to create original music, develop their musical skills, and become part of a supportive creative community. Participants work alongside professional musicians and collaborate with one another, gaining experience, confidence, and opportunities to perform and grow as artists.
Sunday 2 August
Mouthful Voices
With an emphasis on having fun singing brilliant songs together, Mouthful Voices sing songs from different global folk traditions, as well as contemporary material and original compositions/arrangements.
They enjoy making beautiful sounds together, as well as more 'crunchy' harmonies and uplifting songs.
Sunday 2 August
Mini Crafters
Mini Crafters is a children's craft group led by Lynn Wandsworth; they have previously run sessions at our Reopening weekend in 2023 and our Family New Year's Eve Party.
It inspires and encourages children to be creative through engaging craft workshops. They theme each event they do and have 3 to 4 stations that families can work on, making something that kids love and can take home with them, We love them and look forward to having them for the weekend this year!
In our studio, Saturday 1 August
Gaming pop up
We’re bringing together a selection of games and consoles from our GCT Gaming Social to create a gaming corner in the foyer on the Sunday of our Beer Festival weekend.
Expect a space to keep you and your kids entertained, packed with nostalgic throwbacks and classic consoles. It’s the perfect chance to pick up a controller and play some old-school games.
Sunday 2 August
Hizzys Pizza
Hizzys Pizza have been honing their pizza recipe over the past 15 years, from their roots in restaurants in Newcastle, kitchens in the French Alps to some of the biggest festivals and sporting events around the country.
All their pizzas are made with tipo 00 flour proved for at least 48 hours & topped with the finest ingredients from Italy and the North East.
Serving Friday 31 July
