TOMORROW’S GHOSTS 2026 – Whitby Gothic Festival Announces The Mission + Full Line Up

The festival that dishes out your annual dose of darkness like no other – TOMORROW’S GHOSTS – will return with a fresh serving in 2026.

After another sell-out triumph in 2025, Whitby’s ultimate Gothic weekender is supremely pleased to confirm the artists who will be flying the flag at its next Gathering.

Circle Halloween weekend in your diaries once more, because on Friday 30th and Saturday 31st October next year, TOMORROWS GHOSTS will be welcoming goth royalty THE MISSION for not just one, but TWO HEADLINE SLOTS at the Whitby Pavilion in 2026. The band’s first UK shows since 2024, this is a residency that is guaranteed to be completely unique.

Speaking about the residency, Wayne Hussey says:

“November 10th, 2026, will mark the 40th anniversary of the release of our first album, God’s Own Medicine. As part of our celebrations we will playing two nights at the Whitby Pavilion as headliners of the Tomorrow’s Ghosts Festival. I have played in Whitby now a fair few times, both with the The Mission and solo (perhaps my personal favourite performance being with The Divine in 2019) and they have always been great celebratory occasions. We couldn’t think of a better place than the fabled, wind battered, cobbled streets of Whitby to spend what for us will be very emotional evenings.

Both shows will feature very different sets – we will be mixing it up – but one evening will be a performance in full of the album we’ll be celebrating, God’s Own Medicine. Fancy it? Come and sing along to all your fave Mission tunes and more….” – Wayne Hussey, Oct, 2025.

No strangers to TOMORROW’S GHOSTS, the red velvet carpet will be rolled out for Wayne, Craig, Simon and Alex as they rock up to deliver a two-night, three-part extravaganza unlike any performance they have produced at the festival before. It may seem like yesterday, but 2026 in fact marks the 40th Anniversary of THE MISSION’S seminal debut album ‘God’s Own Medicine’. Featuring smash singles like “Wasteland” and “Severina” the album would thrust the band into the limelight, go onto sell over 5 million copies, and rewrite the goth-rock agenda. From there, The Mission would achieve remarkable success throughout a career that has seen them score 13 UK Top 40 singles, release ten landmark studio albums, sell millions of albums worldwide, headline major festivals all over the globe (including the renowned Reading Festival twice) and continue to tour extensively to this day.

Marking their illustrious four-decade career with two headline sets at TOMORROW’s GHOSTS FESTIVAL, the Friday night (30 Oct) will see the band perform ‘God’s Own Medicine’ in its entirety for PART I of their set, followed by a set of classics in PART II ‘86-26’ : 40th Anniversary Set. Then, on the following day (Saturday 31st October) the band will finish the job with a further PART III – ‘86 -26’ : 40th Anniversary Set. Miss these at your peril!!

Across both nights, audiences can expect appearances from some choice supporting acts too. On Friday night, a Very Special Guest performance will come from The Cure’s own… LOL TOLHURST. An acclaimed musician, songwriter, producer, podcaster, author and of course drummer with The Cure: Lol Tolhurst is a straight-up goth icon who needs little introduction. Accompanied by his son Gray, a guitarist and songwriter in the band Topographies, the father-son partnership have already performed together across the United States and Europe and impressed fans on the “Stranger” tour with the Miki Berenyi Trio. Making his long awaited TOMORROW’s GHOSTS debut, expect performances of early cuts like “10:15 Saturday Night” (a performance of which went viral across the pond recently), and a set that promises to be full of classics from one of the all-time goth greats at Whitby next year.

While the following Saturday, a Very Special Guest appearance will come from Yorkshire Goth maestros: THE MARCH VIOLETS. Nearly 45 years on since they first formed, the boundary-shredding Leeds act are on a roll right now. Following a spate of reunion shows, a reappraisal of their classic works in a series of reissues on the Jungle Records label, plus an acclaimed comeback album in 2024’s ‘Crocodile Promises’; the cult band are clearly revelling in their recent revival. Comprising founding members Rosie Garland (performer, poet and author) and Tom Ashton (Guitarist, producer and studio owner), plus William Faith (musician and vocalist with Faith & the Muse, Conflict, The Bellwether Syndicate), the band’s recent shows have been a celebration of The March Violets’ legacy, while also honouring the irreplaceable contribution of friend and founding member Simon Denbigh. Catch them reeling through Indie Charting hits like “Grooving in Green”, “Snake Dance”, “Deep”, and “Walk Into The Sun”, as well as vital new cuts, surprises and so much more.

Elsewhere across the weekend, there will be supporting sets from EVI VINE (Friday) and TRISTWCH Y FENYWOD (Saturday). Born in Belfast but raised in London, Evi is renowned for her ethereal vocals and captivating soundscapes and has carved out a unique niche in the alternative landscape, drawing inspiration from artists as diverse as PJ Harvey to Cocteau Twins. Whereas formed down the road in Leeds, but with lyrics sung entirely in the Welsh language, Tristwch Y Fenywod are a band of three queer women who play avant garde Gothic rock using folk, rock, and digital instruments. With themes of sapphic love and desire, existential darkness, political and environmental anguish/celebration, psychogeographic romance, pagan mysticism, imaginal explorations of Celtic history and myth, psychedelia, and myriad other variations of reverie flowing through their music, they are sure to feel right at home at Tomorrow’s Ghosts 2026.

As per previous years, alt/rock DJ legends CARPE NOCTUM, who will be burning the midnight oil and bringing the tunes as they reprise their notorious death disco into the early hours.

Around the site, attendees can also expect to see the return of the Gothic and Alternative markets, as well as other special events – to be confirmed in due course.

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Hosted annually at the Whitby Pavilion, the town that saw Bram Stoker gift the world with the original Gothic masterpiece ‘Dracula’, since 2018 TOMORROW’S GHOSTS HALLOWEEN GATHERING has earned its place as the UK’s ultimate Gothic destination festival. Delivering expertly curated line-ups, markets, talks, club-nights and so much more, fans of the Goth subculture flock to Whitby every Halloween in what has become an annual pilgrimage for its devout following.

Following the consecutive sell-out successes of 2022-2025, the festival will be going back to black in 2026 with a line up that is stronger and darker than ever before.

Returning to Whitby next year, TOMORROW’S GHOSTS HALLOWEEN GATHERING, takes place 30th October to 1st November 2026. Tickets on sale as follows…

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TICKETS / INFO

TOMORROW’S GHOSTS FESTIVAL // HALLOWEEN GATHERING 2026

WHITBY PAVILION, WHITBY

FRIDAY 30ST OCTOBER – SUNDAY 1st NOVEMBER 2026

Friday Tickets are priced at £46.00 STBF

Saturday Tickets are priced at 46.00 STBF

Weekend Tickets are priced at £91.00 STBF

Tickets will be on general sale: Monday November 3rd 2025

Available here:

https://tomorrowsghostsfestival.seetickets.com/event/tomorrow-s-ghosts-festival-2026-halloween-gathering/whitby-pavilion/3521685

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Ages 8+

Under 14s to be accompanied by an adult over the age of 18 at all times.

Over 18s only for after show club night events.

Evening shows – Doors 6.00pm / Curfew 2.00am

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PARTNERS

As with the previous editions, the TOMORROW’S GHOSTS // HALLOWEEN GATHERING 2026 festival will be partnering with the Sophie Lancaster Foundation. A charity committed to stamping out prejudice, hatred and intolerance everywhere, the ideals of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation and Tomorrow’s Ghosts couldn’t be any closer aligned. 18 years on from Sophie’s tragic passing in a vile hate-related crime, the festival will be supporting the exceptional work of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation throughout the weekend.

The festival will once again be teaming up with certified goth aficionados, Vive Le Rock Magazine, who will be the festival’s official media partner for 2026.

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TOMORROW’S GHOSTS 2026

– LINE UP –

Friday 30th October 2026

Headline Artist

THE MISSION

Part I – ‘God’s Own Medicine’

. Intermission .

Part II – ‘86 -26’ : 40th Anniversary Set

Very Special Guests

Lol Tolhurst Plays The Songs of The Cure

Support

Evi Vine

Saturday 31st October 2026 : Cygnea Cantio

Headline Artist

THE MISSION

Part III – ‘86 -26’ : 40th Anniversary Set

Very Special Guests

The March Violets

Support

Tristwch Y Fenywod

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

w/ https://www.tomorrowsghostsfestival.co.uk

ABOUT TOMORROW’S GHOSTS

Established in 2018, Tomorrow’s Ghosts Festival has become an annual Halloween fixture at The Pavilion in Whitby (UK). A celebration of all things Gothic that also embraces a wide range of alternative culture, the festival aims to host both established and up and coming bands to reflect the diversity of the goth and alternative music scene as well as similar highlights from the mediums of film, art, guest appearances and theatre.

Previous editions have hosted acts including The Mission, Fields Of The Nephilim, The Loveless, Peter Hook & The Light, New Model Army, Lord of the Lost, Wayne Hussey & The Divine, Paradise Lost, Creeper, The 69 Eyes, The Chameleons, Theatre Of Hate, IST IST, Cold Cave, The March Violets, Clan Of Xymox, Lebanon Hanover, UK Decay, Balaam & The Angel, Ghost Dance, Then Comes Silence, The Rose Of Avalanche, Into A Circle, The Skeletal Family, Pop Will Eat Itself, Pink Turns Blue, Salvation, Evi Vine, Membranes, Evil Blizzard, Ash Code, The Eden House, Heathen Apostles, Bootblacks, Black Doldrums, Auger, Westenra, Sometime The Wolf, The Society, Terminal Gods, Auger, Sweet Ermengarde, All My Thorns, Saigon Blue Rain, Westenra, The Gospel, Christine Plays Viola & Mercury’s Antennae

One of the most unique festival experiences in the country, expect diverse performances and surreal happenings aplenty when Tomorrow’s Ghosts returns for an all-new Halloween Gathering in 2026.