Melting Vinyl promoters and Innerstrings have announced the details for Lewes Psychedelic Festival which is returning on Friday 23rd (7.30pm-11pm), and Saturday 24th January 2026 (6pm-11pm) offering visuals and music for the senses. This will be taking place at the Lewes Con Club which is located at 139 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 1XS.
Once again they will be bringing together a wide variety of acts under the psych umbrella. As ever, international visual artist Innerstrings will be providing the visuals, turning both rooms into an experience of swirling liquid light.
Since 2009, Lewes Psychedelic Festival has been known for its mind-expansive lineups, showcasing a range of psych wonders from Brighton and beyond. This year will be no exception, with even more rule-breakers and genre-defyers than ever. Expect to hear a mix of psych, komische and psych-funk grooves on Friday. On Saturday the dial changes to post-punk, motorik repetition, heavy-psych, experimental shoegaze, and many flavours in between.
Historically this unique event sells out well in advance; so we advise the early purchase of tickets to avoid disappointment.
Artist details for Friday 23rd January:
Black Market Karma is technicolour liquid audio machine with a thick and colourful sound rooted in 60’s guitar and pop music, with layers of 90’s psychedelia, fuzzed out tones and drunken grooves. They’ve incorporated touches of folk, blues, lo-fi electronica, hip hop influenced beats and traditional Indian music. Hailing from London and now residing on the South Coast of England, the band have 11 albums in their catalogue, all written and self produced in their entirety by band leader and multi-instrumentalist Stan Belton. They are recognised and respected by their peers within contemporary psych-rock, having toured with The Black Angels and The Warlocks, and collaborated with Sonic Boom (Ex Spacemen 3) and The Telescopes, Tess Parks and The Underground Youth.
“Black Market Karma offer unadulterated dynamism and sincerity in their sonic approach; a cacophony of beguiling melodies, killer hooks and an abundance of playfully distorted wobble” – Clash Music.
Project Gemini have firmly established themselves as leading exponents of cinematic psych-rock. Following well-received headline shows and a successful UK tour supporting The Brian Jonestown Massacre, the Project Gemini live band, featuring Jack Sharp (Large Plants/Wolf People/The Thorn) on guitar, Tony Coote (Little Barrie/PP Arnold/Greg Foat/Steve Craddock) on drums and Bert Page (The Cromagnon Band) on keys have become a formidable unit, taking the sound of the recorded music into expansive new territories. A live show truly not to be missed, for lovers of guitar-heavy funk, acid-folk, Anatolian rock, ’60s psych and dusty breaks.
“A gloriously globalist psych-funk experience” 4/5 Shindig Magazine
Minor Dents from Brighton are a propulsive kosmische trio with Holly Finch on vocals and bass, Ryan Bollard on drums and Al Strachan on keys, cornet and electronics (a veteran of three previous LPFs, Al also plays in Crayola Lectern, ChopChop, Zofff and more). They draw comparisons to Broadcast, Stereolab and Nico, and a recent live show inspired music writer Everett True to describe them as, “Mesmerising… Hypnotic goodness. Goodly hypnosis…. Goody goody gumdrops.”
Their first release is out on Rose Hill Records on January 23rd – timed to coincide with their Lewes Psych Fest show – with limited edition vinyl copies will be available on the day.
Artist details for Saturday 24th January:
Aircooled are a five piece disco rock band made up of five disparate and eclectic musicians of artists also from Neotropic, Future, Sound of London, The Wedding Present, Elastica, Suede, JAMC, Elastica and Miki Berenyi Trio.
A crazed concoction of extended motorik beats and disco grooves; mirror ball disco-funk-rock from a band that’s clearly and unashamedly having a very good time. By the time they were on their 8th show they were on the road with Suede and have celebrated sold out shows at The Lexington, The Trades, The Windmill and others, and have opened for The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Wonderstuff and more.
The sound of Aircooled runs from the super solid, relentless grind of Katharine and Justin’s stainless steel rhythm section to the twin-voices-as-one vocals from Riz and Ollie and the psyched-out riffing, wig-out guitars and synthesizers. This is disco-fuelled locked grooves with rock swagger and glittered poise, but with an expanded palette that brings vocals and songsmithing to the fore in equal measure.
“The greatest Kraut-gospel-funk party album ever?” – Mojo.
Dactyl Terra from Wales experimental heavy psych-rock mixing krautrock instrumentation, proto-metal riffs and psychedelic melodies into a groovy fuzzy sauce. Performing with 2 drummers and blending synths with guitars, Dactyl Terra may send you into a state of groovy hysteria.
“Playing a lively, groove-laden brand of psychedelic rock, the thrilling live shows of Dactyl Terra have turned them into a key act” – Buzz Magazine.
The Sick Man Of Europe: Emerging from London’s underground music scene, The Sick Man Of Europe is distinctly monochrome in its outlook. Each note counts in this climate; economical but played with absolute precision and conviction. Propelled forward by machines and seeking solace in repetition. There are echoes of the post-punk and European art rock pioneers at the cusp of the 80s, but re-tooled for the present. The same fears. Looking for answers or something to believe in, but finding more questions in an age of absolutes.
“Here is a dance of post punk and krautrock, pushing the boundaries with a bunch of a groove-y, authentic visions” – Where The Horn Blows
Holy Springs masterfully blend their love of shoegaze guitars and lofi psychedelia. In 2022 the band released their debut LP ‘E.A.T’. The follow up ‘outside’ was released in August 2025 and sees the band peeling back the layers to focus directly on the songwriting and the primary instrumental parts whilst still remaining true to their unique sound.
“A planet of unexploded noise in a molten pink cloud atmosphere” – Noise Me.
Swallowtail from Brighton blends the fuzzy aspects of shoegaze with the intricate melodies of post-punk, creating an elegantly gritty soundscape. Fresh off tour supporting ‘bdrmm’ and with standout festival performances, as well as a string of sold-out shows across the country, Swallowtail continue to establish themselves as a distinctive force among rising alternative UK bands.
“Think heavy reverb-laden guitars colliding with wiry, melodic basslines, all wrapped in a hazy, melancholic intensity” – NottsRocks.
Lewes Psychedelic Festival tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online HERE and in person from Union Music Store.
Read our account of 2024’s event HERE.
