To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Friars, an anniversary concert was organised by Stopps and his team for 1 June 2009 almost exactly 40 years to the day since the first concert and nearly 25 years after the last.. This featured bands from the early era, Pretty Things, Edgar Broughton Band and The Groundhogs. This was considered by as a resounding success. Another concert was held on 23 October 2009 with Friars legends Stiff Little Fingers, Penetration and The Disco Students selling out well in advance for SLF's return after 27 years. The final anniversary concert, billed as the probably last Christmas party took place on 27 November and featured memorable performances from Kid Creole and the Coconuts and China Crisis.
