Louth's grassroots music scene takes centre stage as 01507 Fringe set to bring the town together

A new festival celebrating Louth’s grassroots music scene is set to take place this month from November 17 to 22.

01507 Fringe is about celebrating the musicians, venues and music lovers who already make Louth's music scene so special, while exploring what more could be possible when everyone works together.

Named after Louth's telephone dialling code, 01507 is about bringing the town together through music. From familiar venues to unexpected spaces, the festival will encourage audiences to discover new sounds, visit somewhere different and support the people and businesses keeping live music alive locally.

Led by Checkmate Productions, working alongside Magna Vitae Trust for Leisure and Culture, 01507 Fringe is bringing together local musicians, venues and independent businesses after securing funding and backing from East Lindsey District Council and Arts Council England.

Katie-Lou Green of Checkmate Productions says: “The festival is all about showcasing the incredible music already happening in the town, encouraging audiences to discover new venues and artists, and exploring what we can achieve by working together.”

The festival follows the first 01507 Think Tank in October, which brought together 30 people from Louth's music community to share ideas, discuss opportunities and help shape the future of grassroots music in the town.

Those conversations reinforced the importance of building on what Louth already has, connecting artists, venues and audiences rather than creating something separate.

Across the festival, venues including The Boars Head, Munyard's Brewery, Off the Beaten Tracks and Louth Jazz Club are among those contributing to the celebration, alongside other local spaces and businesses.

From vinyl nights and intimate performances to live bands and opportunities to discover something different, 01507 aims to create a buzz across the town and encourage people to explore Louth's existing music offer and celebrating what's already here.

Lizzie Atkin, Director of Checkmate Productions, said: “We've been blown away by the enthusiasm for 01507 so far. Having 30 people come together for our first Think Tank really showed how much passion there is for grassroots music in Louth, and how many people want to see it thrive.

“What makes this exciting is that we're not trying to reinvent Louth's music scene. There are already brilliant musicians, venues and people making things happen here. We want to celebrate that, bring everyone together and see what else becomes possible when we start working more closely.

“This first festival is a chance to try things, encourage people to visit venues they might not normally go to and create a bit of a buzz around live music across the town. We're still learning, listening and developing 01507 with the community, and that's exactly how we want it to be. This is just the beginning.”

01507 Fringe forms part of a wider grassroots music development programme running through to the end of 2028.

A full programme details, participating venues and further information can be found at: www.01507.co.uk Follow @01507 on social media for festival updates, or visit participating venues to find out what's happening throughout the week.

Checkmate Productions is a female-led creative production and events company based in Lincolnshire, delivering cultural events, live music, community engagement and event production across the region and beyond. Working with artists, local authorities, cultural organisations, venues and communities, Checkmate Productions specialises in developing and delivering ambitious events and programmes with strong production, creative, community and safety expertise.