THE FERRET is 20!
This year marks The Ferret's 20th Birthday! Throughout the year, we'll be bringing back some of our favourite artists from across 20 years of incredible live music, as well as introducing you to some incredible brand-new acts (as per).
And now, we’re very excited to announce a new project!
“The Ferret is 20!” is a series of special events celebrating 20 years of The Ferret in Preston. Between May & August, we’ll be presenting a series of shows featuring some of our favourite artists from around the world - as well as grassroots artists from the across the North West & around the UK.
AND, thanks to public funding by Arts Council England, this series of shows will all be FREE ENTRY &/or very low-cost. Our aim is to encourage more people to experience world-class live music in the intimate setting of The Ferret.
We’ll be asking you to tell a friend, invite someone who has never been to The Ferret, invite someone who loves live music but hasn’t been to a gig in yonks, maybe invite someone who doesn’t even realise what’s right on their doorstep.
The Ferret is 20! - Show #1
BONNIE TRASH
Ontario - Canada - Post-Punk + Goth Rock
TWO TONNE MACHETE
NW + North Wales - DIY Feminist Punk
+ GUESTS TBA
(Local grassroots bands + artists are encouraged to apply for support slots - here)
Thurs 21st May 2026
7pm - 10:30pm
The Ferret, Preston
Claim your free tickets here:
To buy tickets for this event please visit our events page: The Ferret is 20! Bonnie Trash + Two Tonne Machete + guests tickets from Skiddle .
Capacity is limited, so grab a FREE TICKET now to guarantee entry. PLEASE only take as many tickets as you need - if you need to return any tickets, please let us know so other Ferret Friends can use them.
Claim your free tickets at skiddle.com/e/42434771
Supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
Check out the amazing lineup:
>>> BONNIE TRASH
Bonnie Trash is the project of twin sisters Emmalia and Sarafina Bortolon-Vettor, wedding post-punk's steeley-eyed austerity to goth rock's brooding grandeur. Rather than fashioning nightmares into reality, the band paints reality as a nightmare; rife with pain, suffering, and gothic theatre.
Like their forebears Joy Division, Black Sabbath, or John Carpenter, Bonnie Trash understands that everyday atrocities haunt the periphery of our lives. A black cloud looming on the edge of our vision. Curses abound. You can't ward them off. You'd best make an unholy racket.
Where their first full length, Malocchio (2022), shrouded Bonnie Trash's nightmares in dusky dreamlike reverb, Mourning You (2025) is vivid and immediate. Mourning You is less a post-mortem fantasia than a sudden, swift dagger to the heart. This is sorrow not as a lingering bruise, but a gushing wound.
Bonnie Trash has performed at renowned festivals across Canada, and has shared the stage with TRAITRS, Chastity, Dilly Dally, Bria Salmena, and The OBGMs. In 2025, they embarked on their first UK and USA tour, and played to a sold-out crowd at Reeperbahn Festival in Hamburg. They have been featured in Guitar World, Metal Hammer, Classic Rock Magazine, Exclaim!, BrooklynVegan, and The Line of Best Fit.
>>> TWO TONNE MACHETE
TWO TONNE MACHETE are a feminist alt punk band who make authentic, high energy, feel good punk anthems based in North West England and North Wales. Fronted by Emily's powerful vocals and guitars, their sound is bass-driven, melodic and unrelenting-landing somewhere between Mannequin Pussy, IDLES, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Distillers. Fiercely political and unapologetic, their songs tackle misogyny, control, toxic masculinity, sexuality and dissent with full-throttle energy and depth, keeping punk ethos front and centre.
Proudly DIY yet fast gaining momentum, TTM have been featured on BBC Introducing Merseyside and Radio X (John Kennedy), nominated for Radio Wigwam's Best Band, and won Best Band and Best Song at the Punk AF Awards 2025. With standout festival appearances at Focus Wales, Manchester Punk Festival and Rebellion Festival, they're building serious buzz.
>>> PLUS GUESTS TBA
Local grassroots bands + artists are encouraged to apply for support slots. Please listen to the acts on the bill and put yourselves forward for relevant shows only. Applications can be made via our Apply To Play form which you can find on The Ferret website - theferret.live
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The Ferret is 20! - Show #1
BONNIE TRASH
TWO TONNE MACHETE
+ GUESTS TBA
Thurs 21st May 2026
7pm - 10:30pm
The Ferret, Preston
Claim your free tickets at theferret.live/tfi20 or skiddle.com/e/42438587
Capacity is limited, so grab a FREE TICKET now to guarantee entry. PLEASE only take as many tickets as you need - if you need to return any tickets, please let us know so other Ferret Friends can use them.
Supported using public funding by Arts Council England.
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All ages welcome (under 18s must be accompanied by a responsible adult).
Accessible ground-floor venue & facilities.
Dog-friendly venue.
