https://stoke2012live.co.uk/ Live music, festivals & city stories from Stoke-on-Trent en Sun, 08 Nov 2026 00:46:15 GMT https://stoke2012live.co.uk/bunting-bands-bins-stoke-festival-season-regeneration/ https://stoke2012live.co.uk/bunting-bands-bins-stoke-festival-season-regeneration/ Stoke-on-Trent's community festivals don't usually get the big headlines, but across 2026 they have been doing the slow, practical work of bringing town centres back to life. This is an argument for taking the folding-table economy seriously — and for giving the volunteers behind it more than a round of applause. Stoke 2012 Live Opinion Sun, 08 Nov 2026 00:46:15 GMT https://stoke2012live.co.uk/plug-in-turn-up-start-small-stoke-off-stage-music-map-2026/ https://stoke2012live.co.uk/plug-in-turn-up-start-small-stoke-off-stage-music-map-2026/ Gig listings get the attention, but Stoke-on-Trent's music scene runs on cheaper, scruffier spaces: rehearsal rooms, record shop counters and volunteer-run DIY rooms. This 2026 field guide looks at the infrastructure that turns bedroom projects into bands worth booking — and how to use it without taking it for granted. Stoke 2012 Live Live Music Sun, 08 Nov 2026 00:46:15 GMT https://stoke2012live.co.uk/after-last-orders-stoke-night-time-economy-cultural-manifesto-2026/ https://stoke2012live.co.uk/after-last-orders-stoke-night-time-economy-cultural-manifesto-2026/ Stoke-on-Trent's 2026 regeneration talk is full of late licences and levelling-up language, but too little about the stages, studios and promoters that make a night out worth having. It is time for a culture-first manifesto for the Potteries after dark. Stoke 2012 Live Opinion Sat, 07 Nov 2026 20:46:29 GMT https://stoke2012live.co.uk/six-small-rooms-one-loud-city-stoke-micro-venues-2026/ https://stoke2012live.co.uk/six-small-rooms-one-loud-city-stoke-micro-venues-2026/ From a Burslem pottery workshop to a Tunstall pub back room, Stoke-on-Trent's smallest stages are doing some of the heaviest lifting in the city's music scene this year. We profile six micro-venues, share practical tips for first-timers and ask what their rise means for regeneration. Stoke 2012 Live Live Music Sat, 07 Nov 2026 20:46:29 GMT