Stockton Calling unveils 2027 headliners

Two bands have been revealed as the first headliners for a Teesside music festival returning next spring.

Liverpool six-piece Red Rum Club and Leeds band Adult DVD will lead two stages at Stockton Calling, which returns to venues across Stockton town centre on Saturday, March 27.

Red Rum Club will headline the main stage at ARC, while Adult DVD will top the bill at The Georgian Theatre, with further headliners and dozens more artists set to be announced in the coming months.

The festival will feature more than ten hours of live music, combining established names with new and emerging artists.

Fronted by Fran Doran, Red Rum Club have built a growing following with their brass-driven indie sound and a live reputation developed through extensive touring.

The band enjoyed a major 2025, performing at Glastonbury, Reading & Leeds, Tramlines and Y Not, as well as touring with The Wombats.

They also played an 11,000-capacity hometown headline show at Aintree Racecourse and are currently undertaking another UK tour.

Chris Cobain, of festival partners Tees Music Alliance, said: “This is exactly the kind of announcement we wanted to start with.

“Red Rum Club are a brilliant live band who have built a huge following through years of touring, while Adult DVD are right in the middle of a really exciting moment.

“Their debut album has just arrived; they’re playing packed rooms and there is a genuine feeling around them that you're watching a band moving very quickly.

“Putting them into The Georgian Theatre is what Stockton Calling is all about. You're going to get the chance to see a band at a really exciting point in their career in a brilliant, intimate venue.”

Adult DVD, meanwhile, arrive at Stockton Calling following the release of their self-titled debut album through Fat Possum Records in September.

The Leeds six-piece combine indie, synths and electronics with influences from 1990s acid house and have attracted support from BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6 Music, with single Real Tree Lee reaching the latter's A-List.

They were also named among Rolling Stone UK’s Ones To Watch for 2026 and have expanded their live profile internationally with debut tours of the USA and Japan.

Their recent appearances have included SXSW, Glastonbury, Green Man and End Of The Road.

Adult DVD

Stockton Calling has brought live music to the town since 2010, building a reputation for combining established performers with artists earlier in their careers.

Previous editions have featured acts including Sam Fender, Self Esteem, Blossoms, Circa Waves and Reytons, while the 2026 festival was led by Hard-Fi, Young Rebel Set, Gurriers and The Molotovs as part of a line-up featuring more than 60 artists.

The 2027 event will once again allow festivalgoers to move between venues throughout the day, with stages at ARC, ARC2, KU Stockton, The Social Room, The Georgian Theatre, The Green Room and The Link.

Jimmy Beck, of KU Promotions, added: “Red Rum Club have been friends of ours for a long time and we’ve watched them grow into a band capable of commanding some seriously big stages. 

“Having them headline ARC feels like a perfect fit.

“They’ve built their following the right way – through great records, touring and connecting with audiences – and they're exactly the sort of band we know will deliver a brilliant headline set at Stockton Calling.

“Then you've got Adult DVD at The Georgian Theatre, who are one of those bands everybody seems to be talking about right now.

“And this is only the start. 

“We’ve got a lot more artists still to announce across the festival and we're really excited about how the 2027 line-up is coming together.”

Further headline acts and the wider line-up are set to be announced over the coming months.

For tickets and further information, click here.

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