Lincoln’s live music scene with Jo Richards

The Cosmic Sausages did not disappoint last weekend. 

I enjoyed them so much at The Vic on Friday that I caught them again at The Sausage Festival on Saturday. 

And what a heaven-sent day it was, sitting in the castle grounds, bathed in warm autumn sunshine, tucking into a Lincolnshire sausage butty.

It's now time to start thinking about planning next year's festivals. Cuffe and Taylor have begun to announce their show dates for Summer 2026 at the Castle, with David Gray, Billy Ocean and Pete Tong being released so far. 

The ticket prices might make you wince, but these are high quality, well-organised gigs with the chance to see some big names right on the doorstep. I'll be keeping an eye on the full programme, which ran to nine shows last year.

If you fancy a trip back to the 90s, then this weekend both The Lightning Seeds and Dodgy will be on stage. Ian Broudie, frontman of The Lightning Seeds (pictured) is probably most famous for the No.1 football anthem Three Lions, but he's also a talented producer, having worked with artists such as Echo & the Bunnymen, The Fall and The Coral. The pick of the rest is as follows:

Friday, October 17

• The Engine Shed – The Lightning Seeds + Casino
• The Jolly Brewer – Brandon & the Memphiz Kutoutz
• Dog & Bone – Kriz Garrick

Saturday, October 18

• Southside – Tim Reaper (Future Retro) 
• Adam & Eve – The Hot Tamales 
• The Scene – Laura Olivia as Chapelle Roan

Sunday, October 19

• The Drill – Dodgy
• Jazz Café – Lincs Soul Collective Trio