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Since the majority of Devon’s dedicated music venues closed in the last 15 years, only the medium-sized Plymouth Arena remains alongside a few independent bars catering to the city’s entire music scene. In February one such venue, electronic and rave music hotspot The Depo, won BBC Radio 1 Dance’s Grassroots Venue of the Year, marking an important stage in the South West’s industry’s recovery.

Plymouth City Council have worked hard with booking agents and promoters to take advantage of the Devon coast’s mild climate and natural beauty to introduce several new entertainment ventures. Football ground Home Park has welcomed shows from the likes of Muse, Kaiser Chiefs and Elton John, while the scenic seaside patch at the Hoe has hosted multiple day-festivals over the years, with its 2025 Summer Sessions headlined by Snow Patrol, The Corrs and Pendulum.

The Summer Sessions have been cancelled for 2026 due to promoters Cuffe and Taylor scaling back their operations, but the vacuum created by its absence has opened up a new opportunity. Discovery Festival was founded with its first event last July in Dundee’s Slessor Gardens with appearances from The Human League and Tom Jones, but it has now expanded to Plymouth and Darlington. Holding three nights of live music in each city, they’ve gradually dripped out the lineup for each evening, and it’s a stroll down memory lane for many of us.

The full lineup for this year’s Discovery Festival Plymouth

The Friday is a trip of ‘90s boy-band royalty, with Five and Blue joined by The Wanted, sure to satisfy anyone with a fondness for cheesy pop music. Saturday night boasts an eclectic mix of acts with electronic pioneers Orchestral Manoeuvrers in the Dark playing after jazz-funk-pop tinkerers Level 42, ‘Kids In America’ singer Kim Wilde and more.

The bill for the Sunday was announced this Monday, capping the weekend off in style with a roster of rock and indie, old and new. Opening with recent breakthroughs Swim School, SOFY and Kid Kapichi, the afternoon moves back in time to 2000’s indie rock with Maxïmo Park. Co-headlining the day are Welsh rock legends Feeder, whose hit ‘Buck Rogers’ and its line “get a house in Devon” is fondly and loudly sung in bars across the county. The night is closed out by Pete Doherty and his group The Libertines, with a set of their indie rock anthems.

This blockbuster weekend of music comes to Plymouth’s Central Park from Friday 12th to Sunday the 14th of June. You can find tickets for the first-ever Discovery Plymouth dates, as well as the festival’s sister events in Dundee and Darlington here. Official tourist board website Visit Plymouth have also provided a map to the site in Central Park, as well as information on other entertainment around the city.

Burn It Down has become a highlight of the alternative music scene in the Westcountry over recent years, with the novel concept of bringing some of the heaviest touring bands to a quaint seaside resort. Held in Torquay, Devon, it draws acts ranging from rock, hardcore punk, metal and acoustic music to a cluster of independent venues around a scenic harbour. The promoters announced the date of the festival and the first set of artists today, coinciding with the first day of the national Independent Venue Week initiative, which will see hundreds of performances held across the UK in support of our local music businesses.

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The first Burn It Down (BID) festival ran in 2018 as a one-day affair at the start of September, following years of independent venues shutting down in Devon’s cities of Exeter and Plymouth. Promoters BYP saw an opportunity to bring a different live music experience to the so-called “English Riviera” of Torbay, a pocket of towns on the Devon coast which is extremely popular with tourists. However, Torbay lacked any kind of indoor arena designed specifically for live music, so the festival was held in partnership with local pubs and nightclubs in Torquay.

The first event was a huge success, drawing attendees from across the UK, and shining a light on up-and-coming British talent in the nation’s underground scenes. In particular, Malevolence, who were one of the top bands on the inaugural bill, have since gone on to become one of the most exciting and popular hardcore bands both in the UK and beyond. Burn It Down continued to build up steam over the following years, before expanding into a two day format in 2022. They also managed to attract bands with higher profiles, such as English rockers Deaf Havana in 2022, and California post-hardcore band Being As An Ocean in 2023. 2025’s edition upped the ante again, adding a third day to work with Bob Vylan during the fallout from their controversial Glastonbury set.

The reveal for 2026 has a lot going on. With no formal headline act shown, BID-debutants As It Is, who label themselves as “transatlantic pop-punk” from Brighton are the first and perhaps biggest name on the poster. London hardcore unit TRC last played the festival in 2021, and will be looking to bring a bit of energy to the pits, alongside Burn It Down regulars Pintglass and Overpower. Two-piece Essex outfit The Meffs will also be bringing a dose of punky liveliness to the Southern coastline. Last on the list is Berlin-based Vianova, whose 2025 genre-bending album ‘Hit It!’ confused and intrigued listeners in equal measure.

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Burn It Down 2026 is booked in for the 3rd, 4th and 5th of September, being held across The Foundry, The Attic and The Apple And Parrot, three independent bars in Torquay. Tickets are available now from BYP’s website, with many more acts to be announced later in the year.