Hope & Social
Hope and Social
Entry Requirements: VENUE ENTRY 18+ AFTER 7PM / DAYTIME ENTRY U18s CONTACT VENUE
Hope & Social and their blue-jacketed joyousness returns in 2026 with their trademark life affirming show to win over the hearts and minds of gig-goers across the land.
Hope and Social gigs are an emotional rollercoaster mix of chaos and superlative musicianship, built on some of the finest songs you’ll ever hear, and garnished with generous portion of Northern, self deprecating humour. With a 3 piece horn section and 5 part harmonies, Hope and Social make a massive sound that draws influence from soul, indie, folk, disco and art rock. You’ll sing, you’ll dance, you’ll smile so much your face will hurt.
Continually striving to be the best band you’ll ever hear, playing it’s bloody socks off. Think Dexys. Think The Hold Steady. Bowie meets Bruce and the E Street Band. Think the grooviest, funnest bar band you can imagine!
The last 16 years have seen the boys in blue tour extensively around the U.K garnering the praise of many a fan, fans-to-be, and critics on the way. From folk clubs in the deepest south of England to the cavernous Leeds Arena. No stranger to the Festival circuit, H&S have chalked up an impressive list of UK appearances including Glastonbury, Durham Brass, Yorkshire Festival, Moonbeams, Deershed, Just So Festival, Greenbelt and the Piece Hall, Halifax… not to mention shows as far afield as Georgia, and Kazakhstan.
Hope and Social aren’t just about gigs. As part of their mission to involve people in most everything they do, they’ve completed a huge number of ridiculous projects and events involving dozens, hundreds and now thousands of people in what they do. Teaching thousands of people how to play with them at shows the nation over, a wine bottle orchestra, the worlds biggest Christmas dinner made from food earmarked as food waste, a big-band show, immersive art installations, fan fueled music videos, 12 shows in a day… they’ve done it all.
Line Up
Hope and Social are a band... but not just any band. As well as all the normal things bands do (shows, tours, festivals, making records and the like), they do the extraordinary, and put people at the heart of all they do.
Hope and Social make events to remember - they really do.
What H&S are all about..?
Over the last 6 years H&S have done some amazing things with their fans. They have: • turned their studio into a bistro and had 70 people join them to record as a wine-bottle orchestra • chartered an open-top bus for a day trip to the seaside culminating in a show on Runswick Bay beach • staged a magical garden party, bringing together some of Yorkshires' finest home-grown food, ales & independent artists • Performed “The Big Wide”, at the opening ceremony of the Tour de France with a 10,000 strong live audience and 300 million TV audience across the globe • worked with Arts Council England and the British Council in the UK, Georgia and Kazakhstan developing and performing “Bring The Happy” with interactive arts company Invisible Flock. • taught 1200 people how to play with Hope and Social as “The Band Anyone Can Join”, playing 12 shows in 12 towns along the route of the Tour De France Grand Depart over 4 days • collaborated with “The Real Junk Food Project” to feed 400 and make the world's largest Christmas dinner ever made from food destined for waste. And put on a darn spiffing show to boot! • working with Durham International Brass Festival, traversed the north of England teaching people how to play plastic pBone brass instruments and perform with H&S
It’s all online (hopeandsocial.com/projects) and it was all only possible because fifty... five-hundred... five thousand people came together to make good things happen.
What the press say about H&S...
"a big sound from this impressive outfit...inspired, anthemic, great" - Q magazine
“Brilliant, uplifting and inclusive. That was amazing, here’s your cheque” - Michael Eavis, Glastonbury Festival
“Rousing, joyous” - The Guardian
Hope and Social have fun, and make art.
