Mercury Prize shortlisted Geordie jazz band Knats in an in-conversation and listening party.
Knats are playing the John Marley Centre in Newcastle's West End on Tuesday 20 October. It's part of the 2026 Mercury Prize Fringe, which returns to the city from 15 to 22 October with more than 30 events across nearly 30 venues. This is the Fringe's second year in the North East, following the first-ever Fringe in 2025. The week is presented and funded by Newcastle City Council and the BPI, and programmed and led by Generator, the region's leading music development agency. It brings together live performances, listening parties, screenings, workshops, talks and one-off events.
Knats, described as local lads from Newcastle's West End, were shortlisted for the Mercury Prize for their album A Great Day In Newcastle. The evening is billed as a homecoming: an intimate listening party and in-conversation exploring the tracks, stories and inspirations behind the record, and the people, places and experiences that shaped their sound. It's a chance to hear the album and the conversation that goes with it in the same neighbourhood where the band comes from.
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The night sits within a wider week of music across the city, with the Fringe running from 15 to 22 October. Knats' session takes place on Tuesday 20 October at the John Marley Centre in the West End.
