Amped Berwick Fringe 2026: Two Days of Live Music, Community and Creativity
31 July – 1 August 2026 | News & Updates
What started as an ambitious idea became something pretty special this summer, as Amped Berwick Fringe Festival brought two days of live music, creativity and community spirit to venues across Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Delivered by Amped Berwick CIC on Friday 31 July and Saturday 1 August 2026, the inaugural festival was built around a simple idea: to celebrate grassroots music, create opportunities for emerging performers and bring people together through live music.
And Berwick certainly got behind it!
A Festival Built Around Musicians
Unlike a traditional music festival, Amped Fringe was designed as a multi-venue celebration, bringing live performances into pubs, cafés, community spaces and outdoor locations throughout the town.
From intimate acoustic performances to full bands on the Town Hall stage, the programme showcased an incredible variety of musical talent, creating opportunities for both experienced artists and those taking their first steps onto a stage.
Fairness and accessibility were central to the festival's approach. Our supporter wristband scheme allowed audiences to contribute directly to the musicians they wanted to support, with artists retaining 100% of their own wristband sales.
The First Fringe in Numbers
1,417 supporter wristbands sold
Over 100 musicians involved across the festival
5 first-time performers given an opportunity to take to the stage
2 days of live music across Berwick
A fantastic network of local venues, businesses, volunteers and supporters making it all possible
Beyond the numbers, the festival brought a real sense of excitement to the town, with audiences moving between venues, discovering new artists and supporting Berwick's grassroots music scene.
More Than Just a Music Festival
For Amped, the Fringe was about much more than putting on gigs.
It was an opportunity to demonstrate what can happen when musicians, businesses and the wider community work together. It also provided a platform for emerging performers to gain experience, develop confidence and connect with new audiences.
The festival brought together many of the principles behind Amped's wider work: Learn, Create, Perform and Connect.
Looking Ahead
As a first-year festival, Amped Fringe was always intended to be a starting point. We've gathered valuable feedback from audiences, musicians, venues and volunteers, helping us understand what worked well and where we can improve.
There are certainly lessons to take forward, but the response to our first festival has given us plenty of reasons to be excited about its future.
A huge thank you to every musician, venue, volunteer, sponsor, supporter and audience member who helped make the inaugural Amped Berwick Fringe Festival a success.
This was just the beginning.
Building confidence and creativity through music.
Find out more: Amped Berwick
