From grassroots beginnings to a growing two-day event, we speak to Andy Lee about Remedy Festival and its place in the North East.
As festival season returns, the North East finds itself in a period of change. Larger events are shifting or stepping back, and in that space smaller independent festivals are beginning to carry more weight. Remedy Festival sits firmly in that category.
Set at the Hammer & Pincers in Newton Aycliffe, Remedy does not attempt to compete with large-scale commercial festivals. There are no oversized stages or headline-driven lineups designed purely for reach. Instead, it has built its identity around something more grounded. Music, people and consistency. That approach is exactly why it has grown.
Remedy did not begin as a festival. Its roots go back to 2016, where a series of small charity events brought people together around causes that mattered locally. There was an immediate response. The appetite was there, not just for events, but for something that felt more connected to the people attending.
“It started with the pop-up charity events. Every one of them in aid of a Northeast cause we genuinely care about and the appetite was clearly there.”
The venue helped shape that direction. The Hammer & Pincers offers a natural intimacy. There is little distance between the DJ and the crowd, and no sense of scale for the sake of it.
“Non-towering stages, intimate, organic. Boutique by design.”
By 2018, Remedy had developed into a fully formed event, but it never drifted away from those original principles. The charity element remains. The focus on community is still visible. The atmosphere still feels intentional rather than manufactured.
That sense of purpose was also a response to what was happening more broadly across the region. With venues closing and many heading to larger cities for deeper music, something was missing locally.
“Those of us who had lived through the rave era knew there was so much more to play. Remedy was built to make space for it.”
Musically, Remedy sits between eras. There is a clear respect for house music’s history, reflected in bookings like Tom Wainwright and Lisa Loud, while newer names such as Maslow Unknown represent a more current side of the scene. Alongside that is a strong local network of DJs who have played together for years and understand the crowd they are performing to.
This is not a lineup built purely on names. It is built on familiarity and trust, and on a willingness to push beyond the obvious.
“Our crowd is educated. We can dig deeper. We can take chances.”
The expansion to multiple stages in 2026 allows that balance to develop further. House classics, deeper underground sounds and more soulful selections all have space, but without losing direction. It feels considered rather than crowded.
What ultimately defines Remedy is the crowd. This is not a space driven by spectacle or social media. People are there for the music, and that shapes everything from the moment you arrive.
One of the more distinctive ideas behind the festival has been encouraging people to attend alone, removing a barrier that still exists for many.
“I kept hearing the same line. My mates are not into that kind of music. It is really sad to think someone is missing out because of that.”
The result is something more open and more connected, without needing to formalise it.
“You are not buying a ticket to a brand. You are buying a ticket to a community that gives a damn.”
With the regional landscape shifting, there is now more space for independent festivals to define what comes next. Remedy does not appear to be chasing scale. Instead, it is focused on maintaining what already works. Controlled growth, consistent curation and a clear sense of identity.
Because while many festivals expand quickly and lose direction, Remedy has taken a slower approach. One that prioritises experience over size. As it moves into a two-day format with three stages, the challenge will be holding onto that identity.
“The future forms after the event, not before.”
So far, there is little to suggest it will drift from it.
“When the bass drops, that moment is yours.”
Interview with Andy Lee
What was the moment that made you start Remedy? Was there something missing from the Northeast scene that you felt needed building?
It started with the pop-up charity events back in 2016. We were running these little gatherings, every one of them in aid of a Northeast cause we genuinely care about and the appetite was clearly there. The venue itself, Hammer & Pincers in Newton Aycliffe, lent itself perfectly to something more intentional. Non-towering stages, intimate, organic. Boutique by design. By 2018 we’d put a proper stage on and Remedy was born. That charity DNA never left us.
What was missing? Most local nightclubs had closed and people were heading to Newcastle, Manchester or Leeds for anything with depth. Locally it felt like a lot of house nights were similar with the same handful of classics on rotation, no one really digging into the genre. Those of us who’d lived through the rave era such as Carl Cox, Laurent Garnier etc knew there was so much more to play. Remedy was built to make space for it.
Remedy has grown from a small idea into a full two-day, multi-stage festival. How intentional has that growth been, and what have you learned along the way?
Intentional, but never reckless. We’ve stayed boutique on purpose, capacity that gives people room to breathe, dance and move, not just be rammed in. The heat map tells the story. In the early days the audience was Newton Aycliffe, Darlington and County Durham. Now it’s grown further and wider.
The biggest learning is to never ignore the post-event debrief. Every year we run a proper teardown, what worked, what didn’t, where the sound was clashing near the bar and we adjust the following year. Production value goes up every time. We’ve put Void, Function-One and RCF rigs on site, and we engineer noise mitigation in from the start. Slow, organic, deliberate. That’s the only way to grow this kind of event without breaking what makes it work.
You have really pushed the idea that people should not be afraid to come down solo. Where did that come from, and have you seen it genuinely change the kind of crowd that turns up?
It came from a few places at once. I’d lived in London long enough to see people happily turn up to gigs solo and have brilliant nights, making friends, swapping numbers in the toilets, dancing with strangers. But in the Northeast, it feels there’s still a stigma about doing things alone. Some people won’t even go for a pint by themselves! I kept hearing the same line: “My mates aren’t into that kind of music,” or “I can’t drag the wife along.” It’s really sad to think someone’s missing out because of that.
Then I met a guy at Houghton Festival who’d flown in from abroad on his own. He left with thousands of new Instagram followers, having made friends across the weekend. That clinched it.
Remedy Connect isn’t a lonely hearts club. No wristbands, no markers, no spotlight. Emma will be on site with a Remedy Connect lanyard and a Remedy t-shirt photo in the Facebook group so people know who to find. If you’re nervous, come and find her. She’ll get you a beer, walk you to the bar, introduce you. Once you’re in the crowd, that’s it. Northeast warmth takes over.
It plays into something we care deeply about. We’ve supported Man Health who tackle male depression and suicide here in the Northeast for years and blokes are notoriously poor at admitting they’re alone or struggling. If Remedy Connect makes one bloke or one woman more likely to walk through the door, that matters.
We’ve already got a solo guest in the group who’s a bit nervous but up for it. After the event, we’ll speak to every solo attendee what worked, what would they want different. If even one person turns up who wouldn’t have come otherwise, that’s mission accomplished.
This year’s line-up mixes names like Tom Wainwright and Lisa Loud with newer acts like Maslow Unknown. What is your thinking behind that balance?
We’re lucky. Our local network is incredible DJs we’ve worked with for years who, if they were based in Manchester or London, would already be on much bigger stages. The Hoax line-up Dan Bradshaw, Dale Jefferies, Callum Till and the Miyagi Music residents that’s properly world-class talent on our doorstep.
Then we layer the bookings. Tom Wainwright I first heard at Warehouse Project in Manchester and knew straight away he’d resonate at Remedy. Lisa Loud, of course and a woman headlining Remedy is something I’m genuinely proud of. Past headliners like Josh Baker, Cinthie, Josh Butler, CJ Mackintosh, K-Klass every one of them down to earth and lovely with it.
The crowd’s educated. We don’t have to roll out the same ’94 classics every other festival relies on. We can dig deeper, take chances. Three stages this year means we can, house classics on the main, cutting-edge underground (think Houghton and Fabric energy), and the new Tipi stage doing soulful, vocal disco. Something for everyone.
Is there anyone on the line-up this year you think people might be sleeping on?
Honestly, between Tom Wainwright and Maslow Unknown. Maslow consistently shares some of the best music I see anywhere on Instagram, and he’s followed by some of the world’s best DJs himself, including Cinthie. He’s a right little treasure. Watch that name.
You are not just organising it; you are part of the line-up too. Does that change how you approach your set at Remedy compared to other gigs?
It changes everything. With most gigs you’ve a rough idea where the room will go, at Remedy I know exactly. The set still moves with the crowd and with which stage I’m on, but the audience is one I’ve played to for years.
The bigger thing is what happens before the set. So much work goes into getting the festival up and running that when you finally stand behind the decks, you take a breath, look out at it all the lights, the people, everything Lisa, Emma and I have built and you can say to yourself. “ We did that “ It’s a priceless feeling, probably a bit emotional too, if I’m honest.
How do you see the Northeast house scene right now? Does it feel like it is growing, changing, or still a bit under the radar nationally?
It’s healthy. Really healthy. Strong young DJs are coming out of Newcastle and across the region and the appetite is there, when the right events happen, people grab them. Carl Cox just played Newcastle. The more top-tier DJs come up, the more they realise this is a crowd that means business.
Nationally we’re still under the radar. The narrative keeps centring on London and Manchester. But the Northeast has always had a deep appreciation for what’s gone before, and those 90s and early-2000s sounds re-emerging now sit perfectly inside the Remedy bracket.
Our talent comp this year said it all — five mixes shortlisted, thirteen judges, five points between them. So close. We then set up a WhatsApp group for the new DJs alongside the residents, with a meet-and-greet on the Friday. Nobody arrives a stranger. Everyone’s in the conversation.
With big regional events like Hardwick Festival stepping back recently, does that create more opportunity for independent events like Remedy, or does it bring new challenges?
Both, but mostly responsibility. Hardwick is a different beast — family festival, live bands, a much wider remit. The post-Covid events boom is contracting, cost of living is biting, and we’re very aware of where the regional spend sits. Our weekend ticket is one of the lowest in the country for what you get on the day. We don’t lose sight of who we’re for or where we are.
There are a lot of festivals out there. What do you think genuinely sets Remedy apart when someone walks through the gates?
Three things. First, intimacy — no towering stages, no separate fields, no two-mile trek through the woods. You get your steps in on the dance floor. Second, openness — once you’re past the wristband check, you can see most stages from the centre, drink in hand, and mooch. Third, the love at the gate. A lot of people come back every year, so it’s hugs and handshakes from the moment you arrive. New faces and same faces side by side.
And we’ve never let go of the charity DNA. Past Remedy editions have raised funds for Missed A Beat (life-saving defibrillators across our local area), ManHealth (male mental health in the Northeast), and Action on Hearing Loss. The 2024 and 2026 editions are both supporting Missed A Beat. That’s the difference, really — you’re not buying a ticket to a brand, you’re buying a ticket to a community that gives a damn about its own.
Looking ahead, do you see Remedy becoming something much bigger, or is the goal to keep that intimate, community feel even as it grows?
We’ve already scaled this year — two days, three stages, and the new Tipi stage bringing soulful, vocal, disco, glitter ball energy. That frees the main stage to play with a bigger palette: deeper, more minimal, more underground when the moment’s right.
The next move forms after the event, never before, once we’ve debriefed with the DJs, the founders, the Remedy Connect attendees and the headliners, we look at what worked. The dream? Take the Remedy ethos to a much bigger UK festival — our own stage somewhere major. Or build the artist family the way SlapFunk has — Remedy DJs travelling under the brand, smashing other festivals. Both are real possibilities. But it’ll be organic growth, every time. Never throw money at it, there’s a lot of Corporate festivals out there.
If someone is on the fence about coming this year, what would you say to them?
If you’re sitting on the fence, get off it. Whether you arrive with ten mates or on your own, when the bass drops, that moment is yours. Three stages, two days, and three things you can’t fake a proper sound system, a proper crowd, and a proper community feel. Remedy Connect is there if you’re solo. Tickets are at remedy.wescantickets.com. Hammer & Pincers, Newton Aycliffe, 15–16 May 2026. See you on the dance floor.
Tickets are available here. Location is Hammer & Pincers, Newton Aycliffe, Co Durham, DL5 6JH — Friday 15 May, 4pm–11pm | Saturday 16 May, 12pm–11pm.
