Friday 13th November will be lucky for some, when one band or artist will be crowned Scunthorpe Rock Open Winners 2026.
Doors 7:30pm
First band/artist usually around 8pm
Entry is cash on the door £5
Ages 18+
The Scunthorpe Rock Open is a long-running annual live music competition basically a “Battle of the Bands” showcase celebrating emerging regional talent from Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, and surrounding areas.
The very first Scunthorpe Rock Open was launched in 1982 and hosted at Tiffany’s nightclub on Doncaster Road. The inaugural contest was won by local band Music UK, who marked their victory by releasing their debut single, “House With The Red Gate”.
Following the closure of Tiffany’s in early 1984, the competition moved to the council-run Baths Hall, becoming a staple of the local underground and rock scene. Over the years it’s graced many different local venues, all with their own vibe from the legendary Lincoln Imp, The Crosby Hangar, The Beckwood and now in more recent years it’s move to the Black Beauty, they’ll be more; and I’ll have missed them off so feel free to comment your memories of where you attended.
The Rock Open competition vanished from the scene for a number of years, so when it finally returned I was thrilled. Rock Open is a staple memory of my youth, I wasn’t there for the start of the competition back in the early 80’s (I wasn’t born until the late 80’s) but it was an honour to judge the semi final with the guys who were there and remember it so fondly.
For Rock Open 2025, we saw The Glasshouse take the win. Excellent band with great potential and although I can’t make the final, I know the competition will be tough and some amazing music will emerge from it.
Friday 13th November line up features five heat winners:
- For I The Badger (Lincoln) — Heat 1 Winner
- Dead In Blue (Hull) — Heat 2 Winner
- The 413 (Hull) — Heat 3 Winner
- The Collective Band (Grantham) — Heat 4 Winner
- Amielia (Scunthorpe) — Spooky Semi-Final Winner
So back your original local scene and get yourselves to the Rock Open Final, it’s ordinarily £3 for the heats but the grand final is just £5.
A big thank you to the Cromack’s for their dedication in organising the event.
