Compass Music C.I.C. is an independent, grassroots live music promoter and music development organisation based in Folkestone and operating in East Kent, on the UK South Coast. We champion independent music communities through bold programming, DIY spirit, and long-term artist support.
We produce and promote our own live music events, workshops, and conferences; curate stages or events for venues and festivals; run community-led music projects such as social meetups for musicians and music lovers; and support early-career musicians and aspiring industry professionals in the South Coast and Southeast while fostering and championing collaboration across the region.
From intimate gigs to large multi-venue festivals, our mission is to build a fairer, more vibrant music ecosystem rooted in place, purpose, and equity.
🎯 Vision: A thriving, inclusive grassroots music scene in Kent and along the coast—one with a national reputation on par with Brighton, Bristol, Liverpool, and Manchester.
🌱 Mission: To empower local musicians and behind-the-scenes creatives to develop sustainable careers, lifting the entire regional scene and putting Kent’s music communities on the map.
We work to bring cultural and musical diversity to audiences in Folkestone, Dover, and beyond—areas often bypassed by the modern touring circuit—and to inspire the next generation of musicians, songwriters, and producers, but also behind-the-scenes engineers and photographers, and music execs such as promoters, artist managers, booking agents, label founders, publishers, music marketers, and more.
Current Projects:
🧭 Compass Music Festival – a multi-venue, multi-day celebration of independent music in Folkestone, spotlighting underrepresented artists across genres and scenes. Compass Festival started in August 2024 with 32 bands playing across 6 venues and 2 days in Folkestone’s Creative Quarter, and return in October 2025 for a 2nd edition.
🎸 Riot Gulll—live music and club night platforming women- and gender-diverse-fronted bands and DJs in punk, rock, and beyond. Starting in November 2022 in a sold-out The Chambers, Riot Gulll takes place every few months in Folkestone’s various venues, with 3-5 acts on the lineup, and has brought to Folkestone 30+ hot emerging acts from all over the coast and the UK, including but not limited to Hot Wax, congratulations, Shelf Lives, Dream Nails, CIEL, CLT DRP, Loose Articles, Ghost Car, and local legends Pink Suits, Estelle Mey, The Echograms, Hidden Bittern, and many more!
🌊 Nu:Wave—an intimate, immersive live music and sessions series showcasing indie, alt-pop, folk, and lo-fi acts from Folkestone and other coastal towns. The first events happened in 2023 and 2024 at Speedway and The Music Workshop, featuring Lo Barnes, VESU, Yesterday’s Flowers, and more.
We exist to connect, support, and celebrate the people making music happen at a grassroots level in Kent and the South Coast.
