Bringing live performances and thousands of music fans into the heart of the city, the weekend of the 11th to 13th of September is the much-loved Worcester Music Festival!

The festival highlights the ongoing collaboration across Worcester’s retail and leisure sectors with event organisers and local good causes. Local traders and venue operators will be opening their doors to host special sets and to welcome shoppers for live music, creating a vibrant cross-city trail.  

This year’s festival is in support of the local charity, ONSIDE, who support local adults, children and young people who may be in crisis, feel isolated, or are struggling with their mental or physical health. ONSIDE provides a wide range of services for adults and children, including advocacy, mental health and wellbeing support, social prescribing and community-based link workers. ONSIDE supports more than 14,000 adults, children, and young people each year, and is unique in providing open access to local people who don’t know where to turn. If we can’t help, we know who can.

Speaking about the upcoming event, local traders said: “Events like the Music Festival show the incredible energy of our city centre. It brings people together and showcases the very best of Worcester’s independent spirit.”

Attendees can expect a variety of bands and musical acts across multiple stages, as is typical for the festival. The event usually features a mix of genres, including rock, pop, indie, and electronic music, along with local and international performers.

For set lists, visit https://www.worcestermusicfestival.co.uk/.

We are excited to see Worcester’s venues join the festival, letting new people find them and discover why they should return. Venues include Bottles, Cathedral Square, Circle of Swords, The Conservatory, The Dead Dove, Drummonds, Elgar School of Music, Henry Sandon Hall, Huntingdon Hall, The Kings Head, The Oil Basin, Spin the Black Circle, St. Swithun’s Church, St. Swithun’s Institute Halls, The Swan, TONIC and Worcester City Art Gallery and Museum.

In addition to this exciting weekend, there will also be a Record Fair presented by Raspberry Records at Worcester City Museum and Art Gallery on Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13, 2026, from 10 AM to 3 PM! This event is a vinyl collector’s paradise, showcasing a treasure trove of local independent traders filling the galleries with hard-to-find titles and bargain classics. Whether you’re a vintage vinyl collector, a music lover, or just looking for pocket-money finds, there’s something for everyone, from jazz and punk to reggae, pop, and beyond. Plus, if you have duplicates gathering dust at home, bring your own records to trade or sell! The passionate dealers love a good haggle and are always eager to chat about tunes.

Press here to see the event details: https://www.museumsworcestershire.org.uk/events/record-fair-with-raspberry-records/

As the city prepares for an action-packed weekend, local traders invite residents and visitors to explore the high street and support city-centre businesses.