Kent's biggest alternative music festival returns to Folkestone's Creative Quarter for its third edition. Two days, 40 independent acts, seven small venues, all within a short walk of each other by the sea. One wristband gets you into the lot.
COMPASS FESTIVAL 2026 Friday 27 + Saturday 28 November 2026 Folkestone Creative Quarter, Kent
Compass is Folkestone's alternative music showcase, and the only multi-venue festival of its kind in Kent. Over two days we take over the independent venues of the Creative Quarter, a handful of brilliant small rooms all within a few minutes' walk of each other, with the harbour at the end of the road, and fill them with 40 independent acts you'll be glad you caught early.
Expect rock in all its forms, from indie to post-punk, alongside singer-songwriters, alt-folk, alt-pop, live electronica, modern takes on soul and blues, alternative hip-hop, and the odd glorious thing that fits nowhere at all. Everything you'll hear is original music by independent artists, at least half of them from Kent and Sussex, on a gender-balanced bill. No covers bands, and no major label plants!
One wristband gets you into every venue across the festival, so you can wander, take a punt on a band you've never heard of, and find your new favourite artist in a small, intimate room.
Venues confirmed so far include the skate park F51, dive bar and burger joint Black Market, micropub The Blind Pig, and arts centre Quarterhouse, with more to be announced. Capacities run from 30 to 330.
First acts announced: NO TV (Margate), Regal Cheer (Brighton), Miler (Hastings), Sugarburn (Folkestone), with the rest of the lineup revealed in waves between now and October.
Tickets
The earlier you buy, the less you pay. All prices below are before booking fee.
Two-day pass (both days, all venues, and a quarter cheaper than two single tickets; only 250 available) Early Bird £25.50 · Regular £31.50 from 2 September
Friday only Early Bird £12 · Regular £16 from 2 September
Saturday only Early Bird £22 · Regular £26 from 2 September
Concessions (one per person, run entirely on trust, no proof needed; please use them if you need them and leave them if you don't) Students and under-25s, 30% off: Friday £11.20 · Saturday £18.20 · two-day £22.05 Low or no income, 50% off: Friday £8 · Saturday £13 · two-day £15.75
Music Sounds Better With You (one ticket, admits two adults, cheaper than buying separately) Friday £20 · Saturday £40 · two-day £45, for the pair of you
Pay It Forward (pay a little more to support our nonprofit festival to keep going, and in keeping tickets affordable; those tickets funds our no income concessions) Friday £20 · Saturday £30 · two-day £35
Good to know
Age: 14+ across the festival, with some venues only accessible to 18+ from 9pm.
Access: Most of our venues are wheelchair friendly, though access does vary from space to space, so please get in touch before booking if you'd like the details on a particular venue. If you're disabled and need a carer with you, message us and we'll sort your carer ticket.
Refunds: Tickets are non-refundable, and the lineup and venues are always subject to change, but if your plans change, you're very welcome to pass yours on to a friend.
Getting here: Folkestone Central is around an hour from London St Pancras on the high-speed line, ten minutes from Dover and fifteen from Ashford, with the Creative Quarter a short walk from the station. There's parking in the town centre, and every festival venue is within walking distance of the others.
Staying over: Folkestone has plenty of places to stay within walking distance of the venues, and a two-day pass plus a night by the sea in November makes for a very good weekend!
About Compass
Compass Festival is produced by Compass Music C.I.C., a not-for-profit community interest company based in Folkestone. We book only independent artists playing original music, we pay every single act who performs, and we've delivered a gender-balanced lineup every year since we started in 2024 as a Keychange pledge signatory. We have no core funding and no public money behind us, so every ticket sold goes directly into paying artists, paying crew, and keeping this festival on its feet.
Last year we brought 45 acts and over 130 musicians to seven venues, and put an estimated £20,000 into Folkestone's independent venues and bars across a single weekend.
Join us in championing the next generation of grassroots and independent music from Kent and the coast!
compass-music.com · Instagram @compass_music_
