Hull’s Humber Street Sesh Saves the Beat with Community Power!

Humber Street Sesh, Hull's largest festival for new and emerging music, has managed to avoid shutting down after facing serious financial challenges. The festival, which is set to return to Hull on August 1, has now become a Community Interest Company. This change means the festival is now a special type of company that exists to benefit the community, not just to make money. Because of this, the organizers can now apply for grants and other funding, which will help make the festival more stable and secure for the future.

Mark Page, the founding director of Humber Street Sesh, explained that the past year was very difficult. Costs for running the festival kept rising, and it was hard to keep up. He said, 'We didn't really think we could come back for 2026. We thought the journey had finished in 2025. ' The festival's old way of doing business just wasn't working anymore because everything was getting more expensive. Mark said, 'The costs are going up astronomically each and every year. It's the same with every business sector. Fees are going up and we just needed to address that. '

The festival is known as the biggest grassroots music festival for new music in the country. Dave Mays, the Festival Director, said the one-day event brings more than one million pounds in social value to Hull and has a huge positive impact on the city. He said, 'It is an event that is completely unique to the city. There's nothing else like it in the country. ' Even though the festival will happen this year, Mark Page said the future is still not completely certain. The ticket price will stay the same this year, but it might have to go up in the future. The organizers also hope to make the festival bigger and better, with more than 100 acts performing on about 10 stages. This year, they are excited to invite not just local and national musicians, but also some international acts. The festival is important for Hull's music scene and helps new artists get noticed. Kath Wynne-Hague from Hull City Council said the festival plays a vital role in supporting new musicians and helping the city's music strategy.