Discover Eastgate Quarter

LOADS OF LIVE MUSIC! FANTASTIC STREET FOOD! And THE OFFICIAL FESTIVAL QUIET SPACE for when it all gets a little too much..!

Here’s a full rundown of the key attractions in the Eastgate Quarter for the Rochester Sweeps Festival 2023:

STREET FOOD:

Four local hospitality businesses – SMOQE, THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE PUB, THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND PUB and TONY LORENZO COFFEE SHOP - will be bringing you some of the best street food, from gourmet burgers to Bratwurst, anywhere at Sweeps.

At SMOQE they’re renaming their signature burger especially for the festival – the Grim Reaper becomes the GRIM SWEEPER for the weekend.

They’ll also be offering all-day sausage or bacon baps, Smoqe n’ Bacon and On Yer Jack burgers – all washed down with... Pimms! Cheerio!!

At The QUEEN CHARLOTTE street bar, there’ll be craft beers, Heineken, and more

THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND have their hugely popular, genuine German and Austrian sausages including traditional Bratwurst, Kasekrainer –

a cheesy take on the Bratwurst, Krakauer – a peppery shot in a sausage!, and Steigl lager on tap.

And at TONY LORENZO’S you can get coffee, traditional sausages rolls and pasties, doughnuts and other sweet treats

You’ll find their pop-up stalls surrounding the EASTGATE STAGE and they’ll be serving right through the festival up to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, and 4pm on Bank Holiday Monday.

QUIET SPACE:

This year for the first time, Rochester Sweeps Festival will have its own official Quiet Space where you can take some time out from the hustle, bustle and noise.

Self-service hot and cold drinks will be available, in the peaceful surroundings of Eastgate Garden at the rear of Miss Twinkleton’s Coffee House – reopening specially for Sweeps for the first time in three years!

To find the Quiet Space, just come to Eastgate House, go through the gates and walk towards Rochester Hub – you’ll find Miss Twinkleton’s opposite – or look for the red direction signs featuring the Rochester Coat of Arms.

LIVE MUSIC:

Live music (and dancing of course!) is the heart of what Sweeps’ is all about – and at the Eastgate Stage and the surrounding venues, you’ll find some of the best live musical talent anywhere in the Festival.

One venue of special note is THE RISING SUN PUB, in King Street, just a couple of minutes walk up Star Hill from the High Street.

Regular visitors to Sweeps’ will remember The Good Intent pub, which was like a ‘Festival within a Festival’ every year since the start. Sadly, The ‘G.I.’ was demolished three years ago and has been replaced with housing.

But... step forward Billy Dutton, who used to run one of the other Sweeps’ venues, The Queen Charlotte. He took over the tenancy last June and negotiated a complete refurbishment of THE RISING SUN – just in time for Sweeps’.

He contacted Karen Woeberly, who many will know as the former landlady of The G.I., and together they’ve recreated what that venue stood for during every Sweeps’ festival up to 2019.

This Sweeps’ Festival, THE RISING SUN will have a fantastic music offering – and more – just like the G.I. used to do.

Here’s what’ll be happening there:

Friday 28th April

7.30pm – HOG EYE MEN

Saturday 29th April

1.30pm - LUNA BARGE

3.15pm - STUART BLACKLEDGE

4.30pm - THE DEVIL’S PREFECTS

6pm - FOLK SING AROUND

6.30pm - S.I.R.E.N.

Sunday 30th

3pm - MOKUM

7.30pm - THE BEARD CONSPIRACY

Monday 1st May

8am - JACK IN THE GREEN AWAKENING

1pm - FOLK SING AROUND

3pm - SUNDOWN SOIREE

7.30pm - SWEEPS SUNDOWN WITH HENTY & ENGLISH

PERFORMANCES AT OTHER VENUES IN EASTGATE QUARTER

THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND:

Saturday 29th April

3pm - RAVEN DRUMMERS
8pm - SHANAKEE & GYPSKAZZ

Sunday 30th April

12.30pm - SHANAKEE

Monday 1st May

1pm - HARTLEY SINGERS

2.15pm - HOG EYE MEN

THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE:

Saturday 29th April

7pm - MARVELLOUS MO & BLACKLINE FERRETS

Sunday 30th April

7pm - FATE THE JUGGLER

OLIVERS BAR:

Saturday 29th April

2pm - ROSIE EADS FOLK PIXIE

5pm - HENTY & ENGLISH

Sunday 30th April

2pm - S.I.R.E.N.

5pm - STOMPIN DAVE

Monday 1st May

2pm - SKINNERS RATS

EASTGATE QUARTER STAGE

This year, we have an all-new stage in Eastgate, right outside the old Post Office building. It’s bigger and brighter than ever before – and we’ve got a brilliant schedule of acts. Stay in Eastgate and get to see the best performances of the festival, with all the food and drink you could wish for right alongside!

Saturday 29th April

11am - THE BOUNTY HOUNDS

12 noon - LEMON & PAICE

1pm - THE BEARD CONSPIRACY

2.15pm - RICHIE TRIANGLE

3.35pm - PRETENDING PEOPLE

Sunday 30th April

11am - S.I.R.E.N.

12 noon - FAITRUKEIRAS

1pm - CRISIS

2.20pm - WASHED UP JUG BAND

3.35pm - TWO MAN TING

Monday 1st May

11am - RAVENS WEDDING

12.15p - HOG EYE MEN

12.45pm - TRIBAL BANSHEES

1pm - THE OLD COUNTRY CROWS