Invention Festival

About Invention Festival

Invention Festival 2026 arrives in Derby on 19 September as an inaugural one-day grassroots music festival. It is the first edition. The bill moves from alternative and indie into post-punk, punk, metal and rock, then out toward electronic experimentation, psych-folk and intimate acoustic storytelling.

The official plan sets out 40+ live acts across six city-centre venues, with organisers hoping to engage 2,000+ people. The project is a direct partnership with Arts Council England, the Music Venue Trust and Gigantic.

Lineup and Programme

Announced acts include Good Health Good Wealth, She Drew The Gun and TVAM. The format is mobile. Ticket-holders move between venues through the day, with busking stops hosted by Furthest From The Sea also part of the footprint.

Who Is It For?

The stated audience runs from grassroots music fans and vinyl collectors to urban creatives and families looking for a one-day exploratory event across Derby’s independent venues. Families are in scope. Its city-centre route also points at audiences looking for grassroots rooms rather than a single outdoor arena.

The Venue and Site

The Hairy Dog, The Wardwick, Electric Daisy, Dubrek Studios, Mr Shaw’s House and Chapel Street Arts Centre make up the venue run. Six rooms, one city centre. Busking stops hosted by Furthest From The Sea sit alongside the independent venues.

The site works as a one-day urban circuit across existing venues rather than a campsite-based field.

Travel to Invention Festival

Derby is the rail anchor. The festival footprint sits in the city centre, with 19 Chapel Street used as a reference point in published access information.

• Rail: Derby Railway Station is about 1.5 miles, or a 30-minute walk, from 19 Chapel Street.
• Road: Access from the M1 is via J24 using the A6, A50, A38 and A52, or via J25 on the A52 towards Derby city centre.
• Parking: Chapel Street Car Park is opposite 19 Chapel Street. Derby also has city-centre parking and Park & Ride at Pride Park off the A52 and A6, next to Derby County football stadium. Car parking charges apply.
• Nearby cities: Nottingham, Leicester and Birmingham are each under 30 minutes from Derby by train.