Bay Days 2026, a staple music festival in Chelmsford, will return on Saturday, August 1, with an expanded size and a free community area. The festival now features four stages and 32 artists across multiple genres, hosted by local microbrewery Radio City Beer Works and local promotions company In The Abyss.
Venues and Lineup
The festival spans three venues: Radio City Social, Hot Box Live, and Chelmsford Theatre. Ticketholders can enjoy 22 bands performing throughout the day. Headliners include London's PENGSHUi, Hull's Mastiff, and Bristol's Mother Vulture, each headlining a different stage.
Free Community Area
The fourth stage, located in the Festival Village on Marconi Plaza (behind the Bus Station) in Chelmsford's West End, will host 10 local acoustic artists, including BBC Introducing's Katy for Kings and George Bone. This area is free and open to the public, offering live music, food pop-ups from Zorba The Greek, Squares and Circles Pizza, and Smashed Essex, locally brewed beers from Radio City Beer Works, wines and spirits from The English Vine, and other local stalls.
Revival and Growth
Bay Days originally took place at The Bay Horse pub and later The Golden Fleece before ending in the mid-2010s. With the blessing of original organizers, the festival has been revived to bring an independent music festival back to Chelmsford. The expansion reflects the growth of the local live music scene, particularly the alternative rock revival since Radio City Social opened in 2022. Hot Box remains a key live music venue, and the inclusion of Chelmsford Theatre's Studio adds to the festival's appeal.
Quotes from Organizers
Dan Harvey, owner of Radio City Social, Radio City Beer Works, and Bay Days Festival, said: "Bay Days Festival was a staple of the live music scene in Chelmsford in the 2010s, and we're really proud that we have been trusted to take it forward into a new era. This is a local festival, hosted by local people for local people, that was created to celebrate music, to offer a fantastic experience to both fans and artists and ultimately, to build memories in the city we love. This is just the beginning; we have huge plans for Bay Days and a desire to create a significant, independent music festival in Chelmsford that the City can be proud of."
Steve Tonkin, owner of In The Abyss Promotions, said: "Fast forward to 2026 and our second involvement with Bay Days. The rapidly growing heavy music scene in Chelmsford has truly blown us away, and we believe Bay Days is the future of that. There is a real buzz going on in Chelmsford right now, and we couldn't wish for a better city to co-create such an exciting festival... 2026 is just another step in future of Bay Days."
Tickets and Access
Tickets are available now via Eventbrite. Access to the Festival Village on Marconi Plaza is free on the day without requiring a ticket.
