Well James Scarlett organises two – 2000Trees and ArcTanGent – so he’s clearly a glutton for punishment, but even he must have had a bit of a wobble on Friday evening when Alkaline Trio announced they were having to withdraw from the rest of their UK tour less than a week before their Thursday night headline slot.
In a statement on Instagram, the band said:
We are immensely sorry but we must cancel our dates in England, including tonight’s show in Birmingham, due to medical issues Matt has been suffering from that have worsened. He’s gonna be okay but needs to be treated stateside as soon as possible.
We will be back healthier and stronger!
Skiba then followed up with his own video from a hotel at Heathrow Airport, apologising and updating fans on his condition, saying: “I got numbness in my feet, numbness in my hands, as you can tell I’m losing my voice so I can’t really talk, walk, play or sing. But I’m OK. I’m just a little tuned up but I’m gonna go home and get looked at and we’ll be back as soon as we can.”
Responding to the news in pretty much real-time, the 2000Trees team posted a statement of their own:
We’re gutted that Alkaline Trio will no longer be able to make it to 2000Trees next week, but health comes first and we wish the band the best – we know this won’t be an easy decision they’ve taken lightly.
We will have more news about a replacement as soon as possible. We’re actively working on getting something awesome for you all, and you’ll be the first to know – stay tuned for more info soon.
Speculation (or hopeful delusion?) filled social media as fans pondered who would step in at such short notice. Bands currently touring including Enter Shikari, Frank Turner, unpeople, Skindred, Knocked Loose and perhaps most delusional of all – My Chemical Romance.
Having already delved into the little black book to replace Lambrini Girls with The Wildhearts after Phoebe Lunny underwent surgery to deal with an acute brain injury which forced them to cancel Coachella, it was all hands on deck.
Shining the proverbial Bat Signal into the sky, James Scarlett’s call for help was answered within hours…but by who?
Fresh off the stage at Finsbury Park as part of their support slot for Biffy Clyro, the men from Don Broco checked their voicemails they said yes!
Having closed out 2024’s festival with an incendiary set (literally, they had fireworks and everything!) there is little doubt of the Bedford band’s ability to deliver the goods and the reactions on social media were full of celebrations. Updating the fans on the official trees app, organisers said:
Amazing news for you this gloriously sunny evening!
The one & only Don Broco have literally saved the day & will now be headlining the Thursday of 2000trees. This comes after today’s announcement from Alkaline Trio, who unfortunately now can’t make it.
We’re super happy that Don Broco are returning to 2000trees after a barn storming show back in 2024 and we’re massively grateful to their (& our) whole team for pulling this out of the bag at such short notice. What a result!!!
Lots of praise was rightly poured on Mr Scarlett and the Trees team for their swift actions and delivering, arguably, a bigger headliner with such short notice. The collective exhale from Upcote Farm could be heard from the N4 postcode! Hats off to the team.
Review by The Punk Buddhist Journalist – Stewart Campbell
Since 2019, Raehills Meadows, near Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway, has been the site of Eden Festival, an independent, not-for-profit celebration of music, arts, and culture.
‘Showcasing both internationally acclaimed artists as well as local up-and-coming acts, from Folk, Soul and Electronica to Jazz, Rockabilly, World and everything in between. With more than 250 acts over 10 stages.’
Jude Norton-Smith at Rabbie’s Tavern is my first port of call. As I walk towards the entrance, a delicate, tender, nurturing music hastens me in.
Jude’s recent EP, “I’ve Seen a Many Strange Things”, played in full, works as an enchanting, enriching overture for the many strange and wonderful things one can and may hope to encounter at this now 18-year-old festival.
Jude Norton-Smith
“I’d describe my music as alt-folk. It’s tender music, full of love and light and mischief while also occasionally swelling into a beautiful chaotic racket.
“We’ve now got this beautiful strange elastic band, and I think we’re all pretty logged onto this shared folkish musical world.
“We’re all using the language and sounds of folk music to give it this really live and embodied feeling – it feels very human and joyous. I’m inspired by nature and the natural world, but recently I’ve found the music I’ve written has had this extra layer of memory on top. like remembering the memory of remembering nature.”
It’s 4:15pm, I sit upon the Good ship Cheesecake that overlooks the cycle-powered Reaction Stage. Newly pressed boot prints lay upon the expectantly muddy footpath and stage front. Sherlock finishes their set; relaxing lo-fi rap beats soothe the transition from reality into the sacred festival site.
You slink along to the Bodega, a hypnotic bar within a permanent wooden structure.
Old-time swing music plays subtly in the background. I feel a swell of nostalgia for a time period outwith my own.
My inner Holden Caulfield is awakened as I sit at the back and survey the scene. The prices are reasonable… if you’re rich, which I’m not. I’m not complaining, there will be someone who can afford the drinks at festivals, but it’s not me. A wall-mounted arrow points towards a DJ booth with a neon “Desiato” above it. The arrow proclaims, “Make a jazz noise here”.
The Bodega hosts talks, workshops, and in the evening, it becomes an alluring neo-nightclub, like dancing between dreams inside an ultraviolet mood lamp. I remember completely missing this space the first time I came to Eden and stumbling upon it at 1am on my first night of my second time with my friend. We felt like we’d stumbled upon a hidden room in a labyrinth we thought we’d mastered.
Hypnotised by the room, we catch each other’s eyes.
“…I don’t remember this space?”
“Me neither.”
“How could we have missed this?”
“I don’t know.”
“…Is this actually here?”
“I don’t know.”
We looked at the room in silent bewilderment, caught each other’s eyes once more, nodded and left.
Never to speak upon what had changed.
I can now confirm, one year on, that the room is indeed both there and real.
Reality is not all it’s cracked up to be, kids!
I make my way to the main stretch of the land, and I stumble upon the Barrett’s Bananas. Upon graciously receiving a banana, I speak to Captain Banana, Gordon. He tells me the founder of the Barrett’s Bananas, Richard Barrett, passed away in 2020 of Motor Neurone Disease and Eden Festival is always an emotional time as it’s the first festival Richard ever handed out bananas.
What more wholesome and delicious gift could a person receive than human generosity and a banana during a weekend of partying?
So now the Barrett’s Bananas raise money and awareness of Motor Neurone Disease whilst delivering banana-y goodness.
I’ve now used the word banana 9 times in this paragraph, here’s another to make it a round 10: banana.
After my banana (that’s 11 times now), I meet old friends and sit by the Garden Bandstand for our annual catch-up.
Since first going to Eden in 2022, it has been a site of meeting friends old and new. Festivals are the perfect place to meet sandcastle friends (whole, complete friendships formed in brief moments, sharing our hearts one to another, before the tide comes in, the weekend ends, and what once seemed corporeal melts as breath into the wind).
These are my favourite moments. I love the music and the atmosphere, but it’s the quiet conversations, the people, and the openness found in these moments that reinvigorate my soul.
I even once met Jesus here…nice guy.
It’s 7:15pm and Glasgow rockers Telekinephews take the pagoda-shaped Garden Bandstand. With two tracks featured on BBC Introducing, the most recent of which springs forward from the stage with such infectious energy, we cannot help but ponder upon the immortal question posed by singer Joe Miskimmins: “Can you drink 45 pints of fortified wine?”
No sir, I do not believe so, but damn it, I feel an almost patriotic duty to try!
Telekinephews
Joe tells me he’s playing again at the Woodland’s Bandstand Stage tomorrow and he’s also helping run the stage with his friend Cal, using and donating their own sound system for the weekend:
“These small stages are important for grassroots artists without funding.
“I was brought in as an artist with Telekinephews but, through the spirit of DIY culture, we brought the P.A. and had a bigger role in sound engineering and booking the bands.
“Festivals are a place of discovery. We want to think of these stages as being a mine for hidden gems and creating ‘if you were there, you were there’ moments (the musical equivalent of my sandcastle friends).
“It’s important to nourish artists. I guess very quickly Telekinephews understood the need for DIY culture, to promote honesty, integrity and give a platform; so, we developed Big Nephew events to promote those sorts of events.”
Joe talks with such passion about music and making music happen it’s infectious. As are Telekinephews on both performances, as the sense of care and enthusiasm Joe has for music is transfused through him and the rest of the band.
I’m Holden Caulfield again as I go to get a programme for stage times to properly plan the weekend. What really knocks me out is £6 for a programme! I don’t know what festival etiquette is, but to not offer the information of who is playing what stage and at what time is the equivalent of going to the cinema, buying a ticket and not telling you what time the film starts or what screen it’s on.
To be fair, you could walk round each stage and take a picture of each chalkboard by the stages, but there was not, as far as I could see, one at the main stage.
So, here’s a few pictures of what some poor sucker had to pay £6 for.
Tucked away from the main walkway is the Woodland Bandstand (the very same one mentioned by Joe), and Makongo takes to the stage.
Singer Ngana takes a step toward the audience, wearing shades and a Scott McTominay overhead kick T-shirt, and asks us: “Are you ready for the Revolution!?”
Makongo
! Listen, pal!
We the people are stronger united.
We the people are better together.
I want you to have a better life.
I am just here to make my life better.
I am not the problem.
The problem is not me.
Not me, not me.
I am just the scapegoat!
Described as blending traditions from across the globe, music rooted in hip-hop yet reaching far beyond it, fusing cultures, stories, and experiences that celebrate collaboration and resilience.
Ngana tells us before his next song that the best dancer gets a passport! He’s not joking. It’s one of the best pieces of promotion/merch I’ve seen. Each band member is inside, along with the story of the band and the lyrics.
Makongo finishes up and a Scottish festival tradition begins.
It starts to rain.
I retreat to the sacred, hallowed ground of my one-man tent. It’s the sophomore slump of the day as the afternoon coffee en route has long since left the system…
It’s Saturday.
I awake from my beauty sleep feeling less rested than before I slept, the wonders of camping! My neck and back want to speak to the manager. But if you want to make a festival-y omelette, you’ve got to break a few spinal column-y eggs.
I stumble forth and sit with my fellow weary travellers; a communal Kraft macaroni is cooked and handed out. Mankind has peaked with macaroni for breakfast.
At 2am Scotland will play their first World Cup game in 28 years, and Rabbie’s Tavern stage will be showing it live. I’m as excited as can be and can’t think of a better way to take it in than in the middle of a field in Dumfries and Galloway. Armed in my new Scotland shirt (fakey, of course, I’m not made of money, you know. £75 for a top at retail! The biggest rip-off since Programme Gate!), I make my way in.
Midday, Rabbie’s Tavern, and Vibrant Rebels open the Saturday stage. Two days running I’ve stumbled into this venue to start the day. I count nine members, the sound as full and whole as you’d imagine. It’s a decent crowd for what followed an undoubtedly heavy night for a good portion of the attendees; hangovers hover softly in the morning air.
The crowd is sprinkled with children and families, some of which are possibly attending their first festivals together. You can see early memories being formed. Having families and kids at festivals helps keep you grounded, bringing forth an automatic level of care and responsibility we’d hope others would show if we had young kids of our own there.
That is another thing I like about field festivals. It comes with a sense of communal care and a genuine sense of wanting to make sure everyone around you is safe which, sadly, can feel somewhat lacking living within the hustle and bustle of city life. For me at least, I come with the intention and notion of supporting the communal atmosphere and respecting the land.
A thumping rendition of “Feel Good Inc” by Gorillaz bursts forth and the early crowd erupts. The saxophone player jumps from the stage to dance and play with the audience, the slick guitar riff piercing through the early-day grog and blaring like an alarm clock for the recently awoken.
It’s across to the Vishnu Lounge, where Fettle, a two-handed folk duo, offer a softer, soothing alternative to the start of the day… the start of the day for me at least. Because from 10am on
Friday till 4am Monday morning, the Vishnu Lounge is constantly open and hosting performers or playing music. That’s crazy!
Two wooden structures with hanging hammocks both in front of and behind the performers, where a row of bathtubs (unfilled) work as seated additions. Surprisingly comfortable, tricky to get out of, or maybe that’s just me after a night of camping. Like a fading action star, every year after the first night of camping I slowly rise, I look upon the site, body aching, slowly inhaling and exhaling a cigarette, and say, “I’m getting too old for this shit.”
Flanked by leather sofas and a hanging teepee-like structure, this is the kind of place you could sit and become absorbed by the sounds and welcoming atmosphere. Hours could go by without noticing. Often these are my favourite moments, when the rules and concept of time no longer apply.
I sit in the bathtub and talk to the kilted man beside me. He tells me he’s worn his kilt for four straight days. He puts my Scottishness to shame but bestows upon me a pink flowery wreath I promise to wear for the rest of the day and return to him at the Scotland game (I’m so sorry, Nadean, I couldn’t find you and still have it at home! Hit me up, bro!).
I meet another friend from Glasgow. We sit and roll a cigarette, her voice rough and coarse. She played the Cabaret Bar last night but, upon going up, her technician had vanished, so just belted her songs out acoustic. This is somehow more rock and roll than if her set had gone to plan, art from adversity.
She says, “Right, shall we mosey on up to purgatory?” and so we do.
Polar Bears in Purgatory
Polar Bears in Purgatory, described as: “An energetic, melodic punk trio whose down-to-earth humour and catchy hooks are unparalleled.” What’s not to like?
I’ve seen them before, but there’s an extra member this time on keys and trumpet.
I ask him, “Are you a new polar bear?”
“Ehh… I’d say half polar bear.”
No matter the percentage ratio of polar bear to man, he’s a welcome addition to Purgatory.
The songs are fast and frenetic. This sort of music reminds me of the early 2000s, sitting and scrolling between the two music channels we had at home, sitting in hope more than expectation to catch a video or song I liked.
They play a song, “How Hard Is It Not To Be A Dick?” — another pertinent question. I think about how profound some of the questions have been this weekend. Can I drink 45 pints of fortified wine? Am I ready for the revolution?
Before the next song starts, the singer states: “This next one’s not a song; it’s a recipe for chips.“
Wow! Soul-searching and cooking instructions!
It’s the Main Stage for Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5. It’s as busy as I’ve seen so far. The front of the stage is a muddy marshland, but the dancers seem undeterred, dancing with the same bombastic energy that comes with this huge-sounding 11-piece band!
Colonel Mustard and the Dijon 5
“Ok, the front is really marshy, is there a space in the middle we can make a little dancing amphitheatre?”
Despite being Glasgow and festival stalwarts, this is somehow, and rather criminally, the first time I’ve seen them! I’ve been missing out. How could you possibly not be in a good mood while listening to Colonel Mustard?
It’s the sort of feel-good music festivals were born for.
“We’re gonna try a new one and it’s called ‘In the Moment’, which is the only place to be.”
It feels like the feel-good hit of the summer…well if that wasn’t already a song by Queens of the Stone Age.
“So just live in the moment… and behave yourself.”
I catch stray lines as I write, something about “a taxi driver with flatulence” and something about drinking Buckfast. I ponder if the good Colonel has ever considered if he himself could drink 45 pints of said beverage?
A selection of beach balls lay in the marshy stage front. There are kids in wellies and families kicking them about and enjoying it with equal pleasure, as if they were at the beach. One of them comes my way and I pass it back. A wee boy passes it to me again, which I return in kind. I find myself in a passing drill, which moves on to him taking shots at me as a goalkeeper.
I wish I could say I was letting the shots in, but honestly this kid, at five, is better at shooting than I am with an actual ball.
His mum comes over and we chat about how a “beat the goalkeeper” with a set of goals would have gone down really well. An opportunity missed, perhaps.
I refrain from my Gianluigi Buffon duties to acquire strong coffee number two of the day before returning for She Drew the Gun.
She Drew the Gun, fronted by Louisa Roach, are described as entering a “musical world informed by influences ranging from 80s electronica, hip-hop, political poetry, and cosmic Scouse psychedelia”.
I’ve often found it hard to describe music, ironic, I know, as I sit trying to do just that. I have a very strong musical sense and intuition, but trying to define or pigeonhole a genre of music almost feels like it does the music itself a disservice.
She Drew The Gun
Seeing as that’s why I’m here though… The set reminds me of something between Billy Nomates and Kae Tempest.
In particular, “Became” is a standout. I personally like music with that slight darker edge and this one drips in it.
“And it’s for Land money power
And that’s the truest why
And every second minute hour
Will never satisfy
The black hearts of the war men
As they launder genocide
And the weak hearts of the law men
With power on their side”
It’s a great set and I promise myself I won’t write anything silly or cliched like “She Drew the Gun and blew me away”… I suppose I just did, dammit.
One final return to the Woodland Bandstand for another hidden gem and potentially my highlight of the festival: Sloblins.
Sloblins
Described as: “Scottish Budget Slob Rock. The simplicity of a nursery rhyme, the smell of a nappy crime.”
This is like if The Grinch Who Stole Christmas formed a punk band.
Fully kitted in all goblin attire, songs abruptly stop so Mr Sloblin can attempt a handstand and cartwheel and, of course, songs about finding it hard to pee and poo.
Now, depending on your taste, this may sound absolutely awful or absolutely amazing. Honestly, there will exist bands where the goblin aspect is a gimmick to disguise the music not being very good. But honestly, these guys are excellent.
Don’t be fooled by the foolishness.
Or maybe do be fooled by the foolishness!
If Dick and Dom had pursued punk music instead of kids’ TV, it would be this.
Sloblins
Just before approaching the Main Stage, to the right is The Melodrome, tucked in beside the beautiful old-fashioned ferris wheel. Some form of child-like wonder pulls you towards it like a moth to a flame, and I find myself throughout the day just sitting by it and watching it go round.
Another activity that can make time dissolve.
The Melodrome resembles an old Punch and Judy-style stage, with curtains that both cover and reveal the bands.
Maz and the Phantoms
It’s here I’m seeing Maz and the Phantoms (with the added bonus of Jude Norton-Smith also being the bass player, does their talent know no end!?)
Described as: “A kaleidoscopic fusion of genres that incorporates surf guitars, catchy sing-along hooks, dance-inducing breaks, and an unparalleled electric intensity.”
It’s a powerhouse performance, full of energy, enthusiasm and connection with fans new and old.
Having played the Main Stage the day before, they now play a packed Melodrome as the sun sets and the colours become richer. A beaming yellow light from the ferris wheel and the rich stage lights combine to create some of my favourite photos from the weekend.
The audience dance along to their latest single, “Pigeon Song”, with Jude dutifully demonstrating the moves to be followed along with.
As a pigeon lover, I can’t express the joy of seeing a crowd full of people mimicking the world’s best bird! Pigeon lovers of the world, unite!
Rabbie’s Tavern, 1:30am.
I’m there early, of course I am, both me and Scotland have waited long enough for this moment!
Have Mercy Las Vegas finish their set with renditions of “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie” and “We’ll Be Coming Down the Road”.
The place is absolutely bouncing. I subsequently find out the band are responsible for arranging the stream and the game being shown at the festival, so hats off to you. I hope Las Vegas does indeed show you mercy.
As they finish, I make my way to the front and see if any help is needed in the set-up.
The anticipation is building.
The plan is to stream it from a laptop through the projector onto a screen. Perfect, though it’s 1:55am and the kick-off is at 2am.
I strike up a conversation with the person next to me. I say, “I’m really excited but I’d also be more calm if the projection was on within 5 minutes of kick-off.”
“…his laptop has just started updating.”
With the bizarre kick-off time of 2am, I’d imagine that’s when the computer may automatically set itself to update.
Another slightly worried-looking guy comes over asking if it’s working yet.
I say to the guy: “Why don’t you go to the sound desk and get the radio commentary ready and we can play it over the speakers?”
A genius idea, I thought. He hurries away.
2 mins to kick-off. Squeaky bum time.
The crowd, being incredibly patient and trusting, breaks out into ‘Flower of Scotland’. I’m suddenly transported from being anxious for the stream; this alone is just fantastic.
And just as the room finishes its rendition, the live feed works, the projector is on and Scotland at the World Cup is up on the screen!
The cheer that erupts is equal to that of having scored.
It’s jubilant, it’s wild.
“No Scotland, no party, baby!”
…and then the football starts.
Boy, oh boy, Scotland are a tough watch.
I pity the football neutral tuning in for patriotic curiosity only to watch this dire, dire style of football play out.
But at the end of the day, it’s all about the result and, despite playing fairly uninspiring football, this Scotland national team is the most successful in my lifetime.
Scotland go on to beat Haiti 1–0.
Apparently, the national anthem in the stadium was the loudest noise recorded at a World Cup game, but Rabbie’s Tavern upon the final whistle can’t be far off.
Terrible, terrible football!
Brilliant, brilliant result!
By the time we stumble out it’s 4:30am and its essentially daylight, so we go in with dark skies, Scotland wins, and beautiful blue skies shine upon the land of the free… (the land of the free, who voted against our own independence…)
I decide to go for a walk around the empty stages.
I love empty spaces after big events have occurred. It’s got a haunting quality, like the memory and energy of the event still linger in the air for a while after. The ghost of events past, present and yet to come.
There is an almost mist-like fog that hangs in the air, and through the fog appears… a bottle of fortified wine?
“Is this a Buckie bottle which I see before me?
The handle towards my hand.
Come, let me clutch thee.
I have thee not, and yet I see thee still.
Art thou not, fatal Buckie, as sensible to feeling as to sight?
Or art thou but a Buckie of the mind, a false creation.
Proceeding from a Buckie-oppressed brain?”
As the time of night/morning finally catches up with me, I follow the air-drawn Buckfast towards my tent and into slumber.
It’s Sunday.
I find myself at the Main Stage for the first performance of the day.
Niamh Corkey plays, lullaby-esque, to the early-day risers. It’s perfect Sunday music.
Niamh Corkey
Mid-song, the stage generator suddenly goes out. Without missing a beat, Niamh and her band come to the front of the stage, climbing down onto the speakers so they are right at the front and continue playing acoustic, a cappella style.
This is met in kind by the audience, who all move forward and congregate around the stage front. This offers a wonderful intimate, interactive performance for the rest of the set, just like one of Joe Miskimmins’ “if you were there, you were there” moments.
Honestly, it couldn’t have gone better had things gone to plan. Once again, art from adversity.
To top it off, the warm sun has begun pushing through the clouds and arching just over the top of the stage.
Niamh Corkey
I’m back in the bathtub, where to the rather shall his day’s hard journey soundly invite him?
A lilting, ethereal music drifts from the stage.
Half-conscious couples sway from hammocks, lulled by the soothing sounds, sleep-deprived and spent but finding simple comfort and solace in one another’s arms.
Warm bodies, warm souls.
My friend Claire tells me she’s just spent the last 10 minutes gently rocking Bob from Telekinephews in one of the hammocks like a baby while he lay dreaming.
Ah yes, sleep. Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleeve of care.
And it makes me reflect upon the weekend.
Am I ready for the revolution? How hard is it not to be a dick? Can I drink 45 pints of fortified wine?
I realise every single one of the musicians who have played here this weekend will no doubt have dreamed of doing so at one point. Every single great band and moment of time started with a dream, a notion, and over the course of the weekend, as lack of sleep leads to waking dream, dreams and reality intertwine and become one beautiful dancer.
So literally anything you can hope to achieve is possible. Anything that can be conceived sitting in a bathtub in the middle of Dumfries and Galloway can be accomplished.
So, I make the decision to visit the wishing tree. A table with material strips and marker pens lies vacant. The universe, like a genie, at this moment offers me the chance to make one wish. One wish to make my dreams come true.
I pick up the pen. Ponder briefly. And then write what my heart desires.
I place the pen back down and tie it to the tree. I take in my masterpiece. Thank the tree. And then walk away.
Knowing with this request in the hands of the universe, everything’s going to be alright…
This year Wychwood celebrated a momentous milestone, with the beloved independent festival marking its 20th anniversary.
Having started back in 2005 (with two years off due to Covid-19) the festival has developed a reputation for its welcoming atmosphere and expert curation over the last two decades. While the festival still continues to grow and evolve, they are staying true to their roots and maintaining that status as one of the UK’s most loved festival weekends.
Fresh from being crowned Family Festival of the Year at the UK Festival Awards 2025, Wychwood continues to set the standard for inclusive festival experiences. Thousands flock from around the UK in growing numbers each year, and it’s no wonder with the hundreds of family-friendly activities, arts, comedy, children’s literature and workshops laid out across the weekend – plus it’s free for under 10s, ideal for when you’ve run out of ideas over Half-Term!
As excitement built, festival organisers received a spanner in the works with the news Craig David would no longer be performing – leaving a substantial gap in the schedule and not a lot of time to resolve it.
Thankfully, Sophie Ellis-Bextor was there to save the day – bumped up from her evening slot to headline with her sequin-studded disco to light up the night. She last played Wychwood in 2022 where she also topped the bill on Friday, so everyone could breathe easy knowing it was in safe hands.
Credit: Wychwood Festival
But what about her original slot, you may wonder? Answering the proverbial Bat Phone (Baz Phone?) was none other than Shaun Williamson aka Barry from EastEnders!
That’s right, the legendary Barrioke has been promoted from the Howlin’ Pete’s tent to the Sam Shrouder Main Stage, bringing the ultimate karaoke party with him as part of his farewell tour. Having packed out the tent in the last few editions of Wychwood, it felt like the natural next step – particularly for that one last time.
It wasn’t the only storm Wychwood had to navigate this week as we were treated to a spectacular lightning display over Cheltenham in the wee small hours of Thursday morning. The rain brought some much-needed relief following the hot and humid conditions caused by the heatwave, but with a sunny weekend forecast for the festival the warm weather looked set to continue.
Wychwood always makes an effort to get people to think about the environment when choosing how to arrive – encouraging the use of public transport and car sharing as low-carbon options for travel.
The roadworks from last year have also been completed to reveal a new cycleway which was officially unveiled by Chris Boardman (he of Olympic and Halfords bike fame) a week ago – perfectly timed for anyone travelling light and looking to make the most of the good weather by cycling to site. There are 52 secure bicycle parks next to the Centaur and the Best Mate Enclosure entrances to the racecourse – so get there early if you want one!
There are also e-scooters dotted around Cheltenham, including at the train station, which can be hired for use. These are provided by VOI, so if you’re feeling less keen on pedal power then you can feel the need for (limited) speed by renting one out via the app. The map for the network comes to a stop at the racecourse park and ride, so there’ll be no opportunity to ride it all the way down onto site…alas.
Which segues beautifully into the next transport related intel! For the first time, organisers have worked with local business Renishaw PLC to put on a Shuttle Bus service. It picked up from the park and ride car park near the Evesham Road entrance of the Racecourse to the pickup/drop off point on Friday, Saturday and Sunday for £1.50 – which gets you there and back.
Credit: Summer Festival Guide
The shuttle bus ran every 20 minutes starting at 9:30am each day with the final bus leaving the car park just after the Box Office at 11:20pm each night. A welcome addition for sure!
For anyone who isn’t driving to or camping on site, the local Stagecoach West operated D bus service runs from Cheltenham Spa train station, through the town centre and out to the park and ride at the racecourse. A day ticket costs £5.10 and lasts until 1am the next day with regular buses through the day and the last bus to town leaving the bus stop at the top of Evesham Road (next to UCAS) at 00:19.
There is also a designated pickup/drop off point in the racecourse grounds and local taxi firms such as Starline can be booked either direct through their app or using the Uber app.
Wychwood have got you covered for all your transportation needs!
If travelling light isn’t into your vocabulary then GOOD NEWS! A new e-cart hire service provided by Sherpas made its first appearance at Wychwood. The motorised trolleys were ideal for the anyone trying to juggle kids and all manner of extra bits for their day on site. Prices started at £20 per 30 minutes, or £175 for the whole weekend…supremely helpful for that trip to and from and to and from and to and from the car when setting up for the weekend.
THURSDAY
For the first time in the festival’s history, they opened the doors on Thursday giving those camping the chance to pitch up from 9:30am. This not only helped with the traffic management on site, but also gave those keen beans a chance to pick prime spots in the campsite.
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But convenient arrival and setting up wasn’t the only benefit for attendees – oh no. The festival also put on an evening of musical entertainment headlined by Dutty Moonshine Big Band.
The bill also included Freya Dalgarno, The Standard, Dr & The Medics and festival favourites Tankus – giving those committed souls a bonus night of fun and music in The Garden before most people had even arrived. Talk about the early birds catching the worms!
FRIDAY
For the rest of us, including day ticket holders, the main festival site opened at 12pm on Friday arriving to Tan Sholto’s gentle indie-folk on the Sam Shrouder Main Stage.
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The layout remained much the same as 2025 with a bank of catering options in the centre of the site and others at either end. The Garden Stage and Howlin’ Pete’s were on opposite sides to one another with the main stage at the bottom of the field.
Fair rides, ice cream vans and bars flanked the site including a VIP area which guests can upgrade their tickets to access. The frozen margaritas on offer in there were a thing of beauty – especially in baking hot conditions. Much like an adult slush puppy they were £9.50 a pop and with a limited supply so you had to savour them when you could get your hands on them.
Heading over to the merch tent the merch makers had yet again extended the largest size of the official festival T-Shirts by an entire X to an XXXL! Although I was informed there were only five of them…baby steps. The 20th Anniversary tee was a sure fire winner at £25, as well as the ever popular I Heart Wychwood shirt and a Wild West themed “Welcome to Wychwood Country” effort with cowboy visuals. Shirts were £25 for adults £20 for youths.
Hoodies were £38 for adults and £28 for kids, while the ever-present festival favourite the bucket hat came in at £15.
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Rising production costs have clearly struck home, as the lanyards with stage times on once again increased by £2 to a hefty £9. The lanyards are rapidly becoming the canary of inflation, surpassing the Freddo bar as the benchmark (35 bloody p!) – but they’re a handy thing to have, and the tan line left by the strap is this season’s must have.
Back over on the Main Stage and it was 16-year-old Luc Franklyn. His set of gentle Americana-tinged songs in the vein of Noah Kahan belied his years.
A quick stop by the bars to check out the offer followed. The usual collaboration with Stowford Press, Westons and Greene King were available – along with low and no alcohol options such as Guinness Zero. Gluten Free beers were also listed, along with a new addition to the roster, locally based Bottle Green.
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Armed with a sunshine friendly cider, it was food next and over to Think Greek for Lamb Pitta Souvlaki and Halloumi Fries which came with hummus and pitta, along. It came to £22 all in but was very tasty – and the portability of a Gyros will always triumph!
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Another new addition this year and the team from Nivea and Cancer Research UK were out in force with their cool down bus and various fun activities, as well as handing out much needed samples of sunscreen for those all-important top ups. As Baz Lurhmann said: “If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it”. The blue branded beachballs they gave away were inescapable over the weekend – a canny marketing tool to remind you to reapply!
If there’s one thing Wychwoodians enjoy it’s a folk band with fiddle. 3 Daft Monkeys from Cornwall returned to the stage for the first time since 2011 and gave a riotous performance drawing on Celtic and Balkan folk influences. Even their waltz turned into a proper hoolie!
By now the arena was pretty full and the seated groups who had arrived early to set up outside the barriers were causing a slight issue. In spreading out across the whole bowl with chairs and trolleys, it was nigh on impossible to get out of the Main Stage area alongside the VIP area. This created a hop scotch approach to exiting, lunging over picnic blankets and multiple camping chairs to make your way through. By the next morning clearly marked out areas had been spray painted to prevent the issues from persisting – if only for the sake of health and safety.
For anyone thinking “Well where am I supposed to put my trolley?” Friends of the Earth Birmingham offered a free property lock up service, along with power packs for rent for £5 with whatever cable your heart desires/phone requires. They took donations to use the lock up service, and to be honest it would have been a lot easier if folks had made use of it rather than circling the wagons and dominating vast swathes of space.
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With a Wild West themed T-Shirt on sale, it was only fair there was some Country & Western on the bill and Elles Bailey duly delivered. Born in Bristol, she dedicated a song to her husband in the audience who looks after their child while she’s touring. With them only living a short way away, this felt like a bit of a homecoming. The boom of shows like Yellowstone have put cowboys back on the map, and I’m absolutely here for it! Yee-haw!
Each year Wychwood runs an “Apply to Play” scheme, which gives new and emerging talents the chance to play on one of the stages across the weekend. One of those was Stroud’s Pebble Daisy – selected by last year’s winners Truck.
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The youthful three-piece were interviewed by the BBC before their set and clearly enjoyed themselves up on stage in a busy Garden tent. Their grungy-alt-rock sound included the song ‘Skater Boy’ which called out boys in shitty bands – something Pebble Daisy are an antidote to.
And now for something completely different…
Friday had more sequins on show than an Etsy enthusiast’s shopping basket and Boney M were responsible for a large proportion of them. Back for their third appearance and with OG member, the incredible Maizie Williams (looking amazing at 75!) they kicked off with a very apt ‘Sunny’. The Disco didn’t stop there as certified bangers Daddy Cool and Rasputin had the audience throwing shapes and putting Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue on standby with the risk of a sunlight x sequin wildfire in the overlooking hills.
Thankfully the human disco ball of the Wychwood crowd didn’t ignite anything other than a need for a pit stop at the bar and then it was time for another sonic shift to Bloodworm. Playing in The Garden, the Nottingham three-piece came their brooding goth-punk sound. With a sound offering snippets of Echo & The Bunnymen, Joy Division and wearing a Siouxie and the Banshees tee shirt, they’ve nailed their colours firmly to the mast. By colours I mean colour singular, black. Really enjoyable and ones to keep an eye out for.
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Another 180° turn and it was time for Barrioke on the Main Stage. Shaun Williamson has carved a niche for himself with his version of karaoke, taking it on tour to festivals across the land and filling tents and rooms wherever he goes.
Bedecked in (another) sequin jacket with ‘Barry’ on the back, he gave the packed crowd what they wanted. Part compere, part stand-up and singer – he is every bit the showman. The signed Barry masks were a hugely popular freebie, as Williamson looked out to a sea of his own face staring back at him. Far from unsettled, a set filled with instantly recognisable tunes such as S-Club’s ‘Reach’, ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ and this reviewer’s least favourite song ‘Sweet Caroline’ was delivered with the aplomb we’ve all come to expect of him. He leaves Wychwood with big boots to fill, but what an impact he’s had over the last few years. Thank you, Shaun.
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A brief stop for more refreshment (just water this time, thank you very much) and it was back to The Garden for indie scene stalwarts The Wedding Present. Despite 40+ years in the biz, this is their first time at Wychwood. The tent was packed with chaps of a certain vintage, relieving their C86 days as David Gedge and the latest line up (last count is 28 members throughout their lifespan) played the classics including closing out with the seminal ‘Kennedy’ and ‘Brassneck’. While I had expected there to be more of a scent of Voltarol and Deep Heat in the tent, the overriding aroma was that of hot piss (not a band) from the nearby urinals.
Despite the chronic nostril assault (also not a band) it was time for food before our Friday night headliner. A quick stop at Miz Mexican Street Food got me a Pork Burrito, ‘Yucatan’ style for £13. It was really good and I could probably have dealt with a portion of the Tacos too, but even 28,000 steps a day at a festival isn’t going to offset that calorie intake.
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And then it was Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s turn. Dressed in silver sequinned dress and matching heels, the memo had clearly gone round site.
Obviously, there was a disappointed element in the crowd following Craig David’s withdrawal, but Sophie knows how to work a crowd and gave the unexpected headline slot the reverence it was due.
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Tackling the situation head on, saying “You’ve probably guessed I’m not Craig David. He said he couldn’t perform on Sunday, Wychwood asked me on Monday, he was offering refunds on Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and I’m playing on Friday.”
A set filled with the vibes you’d expect from the Kitchen Disco Queen covered her own songs, such as ‘Music Gets the Best of Me’, ‘Take Me Home’ and ‘If This Ain’t Love’ along with mash ups of late 90’s and early 00’s Ibiza classics and more of that classic disco.
Ellis-Bextor is clearly a natural show woman, regularly checking in with the audience, thanking the crowd for turning out and reassuring us that we are gorgeous. She also has something of a fascination for the fairground, having been on one ride earlier that day and telling the crowd “I’ll see you on the Sizzler” in reference to the fast-spinning ride directly in line of site from her position on the Main Stage.
The Saltburn enhanced mega-hit ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ brought things to an end before it was time to make the way back home in preparation for another jam-packed day.
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SATURDAY
Rise and shine, it’s make sure you’ve got your Factor 30 on time! Another scorchio day up at Wychwood and Saturday is a busy one. The driver on the Shuttle Bus said it was the busiest start to the day so far as attendees packed into the bus.
Saturday is also the day when the fancy dress theme gives kids and adults alike the opportunity to express themselves beyond the usual Festival chic.
This year it was Under the Sea! Mermaids, inflatable Sharks, Jellyfish, Lobsters, Crabs, Baywatch, an Axolotl – there was a lot going on. I think the homemade costumes just about outnumbered the online ordered efforts – but whichever folks were wearing, the temperature was such that anyone wearing more than necessary gets my respect. Stay hydrated, fishies.
James Partridge’s Primary School Bangers filled the slot allocated to high energy work out sessions by Mr Motivator and Joe Wicks in recent years and brought a tongue in cheek Saturday morning singalong to the Main Stage. Given the heat, I’m sure everyone was glad of the rest!
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It’s not *just* music at Wychwood though. The Village Green always has a plethora of activities taking place over the weekend. There was everything from circus workshops, to yoga sessions (even laughing yoga!), sign language for beginners, learning to samba drum and much, much more.
There are musical performances, clowns, parades, games, pirates…even a lost property! It’s a corner of the site that feels almost as if it’s a world of its own. A place where creativity and curiosity meet with a constant buzz of excitement.
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Barbara’s Storybox is also up at The Village Green, giving wee ones the chance to hear readings from the heroes behind their favourite stories. It’s a tent full of wonder where imaginations are given space to run wild and they can even get their books signed by those authors and illustrators behind their faves. In a town known for its Literature Festival, books getting the attention they deserve up at the Racecourse is a good thing indeed.
After wandering around to soak up the atmosphere the heat drove me to the shade for a bit of a sit down in front of a fan. And then it was back to business with Thrill Collins.
Who? I jest. Thrill Collins are almost as synonymous with Wychwood Festival as the name Wychwood Festival. It’s their 16th time. Proudly announcing they have two new songs in their repertoire. The usual UK Garage mash up had a Craig David heavy leaning, despite percussionist Pete’s worries about starting beef with him. Guitarist Robbie pointed out that “He wasn’t going to see it” and so a triple up of ‘Re-Rewind’, ‘Fill Me In’ and ‘Seven Days’ delivered what Friday couldn’t.
The stomach was grumbling and Asian food was calling and on flipping a coin to decide between the three options, I went for Happy Dumpling 365. Six delicious pork dumplings and a spring roll for a pretty reasonable £12. The Bao Buns were absolutely gigantic – visible from space I’m sure – unless you’re relying on Blue Origin to get you there…
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Music didn’t start in The Garden until later in the afternoon each day, giving comedy slots chance to fill the afternoon and provide laughter along with much needed shade on a frankly face melting day for it. This included Card Ninja a.k.a. Javier Jarquin who delivered a PG-friendly daytime appearance as the former before a much LESS PG slot at the Saturday Late Night comedy in Howlin’ Pete’s.
First band up on stage in The Garden was another Apply to Play act – Underscore. The youngsters were clearly pumped for the show, with the band kicking things off before the frontman Bertie Glendon bounded on stage. They wear their influences on their sleeves, splicing early Arctic Monkeys with Fontaines DC via The Strokes – especially with ‘I’m Falling Apart Without You’.
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Back onto the Sam Shrouder Main Stage for The South. Formed out of the remnants of The Beautiful South in 2009, after they split owing to “musical similarities” the band’s set is a bright and breezy affair. Filled with chart bothering classics including ‘A Little Time’, ‘Rotterdam (Or Anywhere)’, ‘Don’t Marry Her’, ‘Perfect 10’ and ‘You Keep Ot All In’. It’s a great performance.
Prior to the next act, festival founder Graeme Merifield brought his photographer friend Potty up on stage. He said Potty had been “mithering him” to book the next act for years and duly followed through on the promise with Birmingham’s The Twang.
Now, when they arrived in 2007, I had a very visceral reaction to them and their sudden NME platforming. My ‘Nu-Raving, Cooler than thou Indie Boy snobbery’ was having none of it, and fast forward 20 years and, well there’s still some of that there. For example, their cover of Bran Van 3000’s ‘Drinking in L.A.’ cover is frankly something that doesn’t need to exist. BUT, the hit singles ‘Two Lovers’, ‘Wide Awake’, ‘Barney Rubble’ and ‘Either Way’ are all festival friendly, singalong, sunshine appropriate tracks and they nailed it. Not converted by any stretch, still – hats off.
The culmination of their set was followed by a big reveal. Hearing a plane was due to fly over with the hint as to who next year’s Saturday headliner would be, I immediately went into speculation overdrive. Would U2 be visiting Cheltenham? Or had the B-52’s had the offer? What about Aussie rockers Jet?
I should probably have paid a bit more attention to matters at hand, and looked to the skies to see a light aircraft pulling a banner with “DON’T YOU WANT ME BABY? SEE YOU IN 2027!” printed on it. An accompanying video on the screen on the Main Stage confirmed it was none other than The Human League!
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Pale Blue Eyes offered something entirely different to The Twang. The four piece of Matt and Lucy Board, Aubrey Simpson and Lewis J Kellett produce a dream-pop set inspired by shoegaze and it is bliss. With retro synths, driving guitars and melodic vocals entwining it’s hardly a surprise they’re drawing attention and will be heading to Greece to support Moby alongside Garbage in July.
With comparable temperatures at Wychwood to Athens this weekend, the festival served as a warm weather boot camp for the Totnes-Sheffield natives who will surely have a lot more followers after this stunning set. No notes, 10/10.
The sun was absolutely relentless at this point, so leaving the shaded safety of The Garden was a risk for a boy with Celtic-heritage. But that didn’t deter The Pigeon Detectives any. Speaking to SFG before their set, frontman Matt Bowman refused to be negative about the better weather, citing how we spend “10 months of the year in relative darkness, grey and wet” welcoming the celestial body like an old friend.
In a breathless set filled with indie dancefloor fillers, Bowman gave it his all up front. Leaping about on stage, high kicking, spritzing water like wrestler Triple-H, throwing water (and a very well shaken beer can) into the audience, bantering with the crowd and security staff, spinning the mic so violently it went for a flight across stage AND putting on a latex pigeon mask. All of that while still singing his way through a selection of the band’s greatest hits including genuine indie-bangers ‘This is an Emergency’, ‘I Found Out’ and ‘Take Her Back’.
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Bowman even has time to regale the audience with the link between pigeons and Cheltenham, having become a spa town once a farmer noticed pigeons drinking the water rising up on his land. Pigeon decorations are still scattered around the town centre, making this the perfect (accidental) collaboration.
Ending on ‘I’m Not Sorry’ the band have slaked the thirst of an audience reaching a quite literal boiling point from the early afternoon simmer – paving the way for the rest of the evening’s entertainment.
Back into the shade, sorry, The Garden and it’s Adult DVD. I’ll admit, doing my research before the festival they reminded me of that band Will booked to play the Christmas Prom in The Inbetweeners. But there’s hype around this band for a reason. The pulsing groove offered up by the guitar, bass, and drums combined with the synths makes for a danceable as flip performance from the Leeds based six-piece. They’re heading to Europe shortly before returning to our shores for appearances at Latitude and Truck Festivals. If you get a chance, see them before tickets are harder to come by than actual Adult DVDs.
I’m about to head to the Main Stage to see Feeder – I bloody love Feeder. There, I got my bias out the way early doors. Ever since I heard Insomnia in 1999, I’ve been following them and they never disappoint. Grant Nicholas’ voice is still exquisite all these years on. Taka Hirose is still the coolest bassist in the world and they have a back catalogue to envy.
Entering to Enio Morricone, the band stride out to a packed crowd with the sun gradually dipping beyond the horizon and launch into ‘Buck Rogers’. I was taken aback that they’d go so big so early, but it got everyone pogo-ing along to the repeated chants of “player” and “lemon”. A career spanning set followed, dipping into 97’s Polythene with ‘High’, Yesterday Went Too Soon for ‘Insomnia’, through the Echo Park era and all the way up to 2024’s Black / Red and the heavy AF ‘Playing with Fire’.
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The gentler moments for 2002’s ‘Just the Way I’m Feeling’ and “Woo-ooo-ooooh” singalong of ‘Feeling a Moment’ displays Feeder’s depth as a band – covering the full spectrum of everything modern indie rock was, is and can be. Closing with ‘Just A Day’ the iconic videos of fans singing and dancing to the song played on the big screen and faces were beaming brightly as voices strained to match Grant’s. A set of absolute joy. Thank you Wychwood.
It was time to make a tactical food stop, and so the aforementioned Bao Buns got their moment in the (setting) sun. Two amazing clouds filled with spicy beef, pork and prawn, chicken curry or began came in at £12 – although for just £3 more I could have added a third. Given the size of them I bottled it for fear of not being able to move thereafter but they were definitely up there with the best I’ve eaten.
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I didn’t manage to see Vote Pedro in Howlin’ Pete’s but watching videos back during my meal I definitely missed out! A mariachi band reimagining classic hits with a Mexican flavour – their version of Seven Nation Army is something special.
And so, to the Main Stage for our Saturday night headliners – Kaiser Chiefs. In the mid 00’s it was frankly impossible to avoid Kaiser Chiefs. They secured their place on radio playlists and DJ setlists with the release of Employment and steamrolled their way into the psyches of anyone with ears.
It was a masterstroke booking for a headliner. They have mass appeal and were announced shortly after 2025’s festival drew to a close – helping to drive ticket sales and set the stall out for the year to come. You’ll never keep everyone happy with bookings, but there weren’t many grumbles I heard when the news was announced – nor on the night.
With Ricky Wilson at the helm and more than 20 years of material to work with, the Leeds Lads arrived on stage to David Bowie’s Heroes. Now, as the saying goes, “not all heroes wear capes”. In this case our hero is wearing a striped blazer and is ready to save us all – with no sign of underpants over his trousers.
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The crowd was eating out of Wilson’s hand. Every command, instruction or request was responded to with near Pavlovian levels of obedience from the Wychwood audience – which is some going. He’s a sensational frontman and clearly wasn’t affected by his lunchtime ice cream (we saw you Ricky…).
Mega singalong hits “Everyday I Love You Less and Less”, “Modern Way”, “Never Miss a Beat” and “Ruby” were belted back at the band with gusto and likely responsible for some raw throats the next day – but based on the beaming faces no-one will mind a lozenge or a restorative bottle of green juice the morning after.
The encore kicked off with a cover of The Ramones’ ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’ and closed with ‘Oh My God’s’ repeat chanting of “Oh my God I can’t believe it, I’ve never been this far away from home”. Thankfully for this reporter, home was Cheltenham Town Centre – so that sentiment wasn’t applicable. A power walk through the campsite and car park and I was waiting for my bus home with other punters on a high from the day. No Angry Mobs to see here.
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SUNDAY
And just like that we’re onto the final stretch. The last day of Wychwood 2026, but there’s plenty to get through before we say goodbye for another year.
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You’d have done well to have avoided hearing or seeing anything related to K-Pop Demon Hunters over the last year. The hit track ‘Golden’ became the first-ever K-pop song to win an Oscar at the ceremony earlier this year and to be fair it’s an absolute stunner.
But if you’re a parent of a child who has listened to the soundtrack repeatedly over that time the thought of Wychwood hosting a K‑Pop Demon Hunters vs Swifty Disco is possibly complaint worthy. Still, if it keeps them occupied, eh? The thousand yard stare of parents surrounding Howlin’ Pete’s told its own story – as did the high-pitched screams of enthusiastic bairns within. A set mixing K-Pop hits and Swifty adjacent bops was ‘Taylor’ made for a Sunday lunchtime crowd coming down off what I can only imagine was a diet consisting of pure sugar prior.
Speaking of diets, my need for food crept up earlier than expected today and the queue at Slice One was finally down to a bearable length. We went for a Pepperoni pizza with added hot honey for 50p (to make it on trend) which was horsed down with a frozen margarita slushy. It was an excellent combination and I regretted nothing.
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Over on the Main Stage we had another of the Apply to Play winners, Pavey Ark. Hailing from Hull but named after a fell in Cumbria, the band’s music is described as cinematic and atmospheric. With soaring vocals, spiralling strings and dreamy brass – it harked to woozy summers surrounded by nature. When you’re at a festival with the Cotswolds in one direction and the Malverns in the other it was a perfect combination. A gorgeous treat for the afternoon.
Leaving the stage, the DJ took back over to provide background sounds as we went about our business. This is often the case, but there was something different about this song. It took me a while, but it was pointed out that the song – How Long? (Has This Been Going On) by Ace – continued to play for a lot longer than the 3:24 running time of the record. In fact, it went on for in excess of an hour!
This was in fact a nod to the next act on the Main Stage, The Horne Section. Its frontman is none other than Taskmaster star, (little) Alex Horne and as part of Stand Up to Cancer’s fundraising he performed that song for 24 hours. So, if you think it was hard work over one hour, think how he felt.
Named “Britain’s Funniest Band” by The Guardian, they’ve had two series of their own TV show and appeared on numerous others. Specialising in comedy songs that are heavy on wordplay and, perhaps surprisingly, cardio! With there being no like for like swap for the aforementioned Motivator and Wicks, it was time for lots of enthusiastic dancing and even some Zumba! I admit to snort laughing at least once (“It’s a Cailee Minogue!”) which I hope was drowned out by superb musicianship of the band.
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Another staple of Wychwood is the presence of Dub music. I’d wager most, if not all, of the Dub bands in the UK have had a dabble (or is that dubble?) on one of the stages at the festival.
This year it was the turn of Dub Pistols. Sharp dressed and meaning business, the Pistoleros delivered a set that hopped across genres including rap, ska, reggae and even jungle. It was a relentless show led by the irrepressible Barry Ashworth – energy, charisma and style throughout the set.
A sugary pick me up was required, and so it was over to the Churros Hermanos stand for a portion of churros with chocolate dip (£8) which definitely ticked off the sweet tooth requirements for the weekend.
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That set me up for the final push, starting with the one and only Chesney Hawkes. This is another canny booking from the Wychwood team. Sure, folks will have him labelled as a ‘one hit wonder’ – but he’s a consummate pro and still draws a crowd. A glut of covers – including ‘I Predict a Riot’ from last night’s headliners – was followed by new songs from his latest album before giving the fans what they want with 1991’s ‘The One and Only’.
Next up at The Garden was HUNNY BUZZ, a four piece out of Bristol with the mission statement of “making music your ex would hate”. Their talents are such that they’re able to move effortlessly from heavier numbers ‘Car Collision’ and ‘Mine’, into bright and breezy surf rock numbers like ‘Now I Can Get Over You’ and the frankly devastating ‘Joyride’. Lydia Read’s sugar-coated delivery belies the barbed messaging in the lyrics and you can almost imagine her singing the most shattering news to you and not actually minding…possibly even thanking her for it.
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Even an ex with awful taste in music couldn’t help but like what these guys are putting out. Big things must surely be ahead for them, and if there’s any justice that’s exactly what will be to come.
From new kids on the block, it was over to old hands who have their own 20th anniversary to celebrate. Maxïmo Park are up next on the main stage celebrating the release of their debut album ‘Apply Some Pressure’ in 2005. These anniversaries feel like a personal attack in all honesty. I was at university when it came out and that DEFINITELY wasn’t 20 years ago.
Frontman Paul Smith is as energetic as ever jolting around on stage as if a current was passing through him when ‘The Coast is Always Changing’ starts us off. In a fetching burgundy coloured suit, black shirt and hat he addresses the crowd, commenting: “Some say you shouldn’t play one of your biggest songs second” and is clearly not one to listen to such negativity as the band flies into a mighty ‘Our Velocity’.
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An era hopping “best of” set follows filled with danceable indie with razor sharp, intellectual lyrics – something that has always differentiated them from their peers. Addressing the fans Smith said: “Thank you Wychwood. Cheltenham. Which would you prefer?” and closed things out with a one, two, three punch of ‘Apply Some Pressure’, ‘Books from Boxes’ and ‘Going Missing’. It’s as good a show as we’ve had across the weekend and reaffirms (if it were needed) the band’s status as indie heroes. They’re playing a host of festivals in the UK while making time for a number of dates in Germany over the summer. Don’t miss ‘em!
The Ogretones were back at Wychwood for the second year in a row and clearly word had spread. Howlin’ Pete’s was packed to the rafters! The concept is thus. The band are dressed as characters from the Shrek series of films and they play songs from those films. Got it? Good! It’s terrific fun and even if there are some REALLY deep cuts in there (we’re talking DVD extras deep cuts…) the hits ‘Accidentally in Love’, ‘All Star’ and ‘I’m a Believer’ are all present and correct.
Another really exciting booking from Wychwood, Everything Everything made their way onto the Main Stage next. Emerging in matching yellow outfits, frontman Jonathan Higgs added a flourish to his with a grey over the shoulder effort which nearly matched the colour of the sky as clouds gathered above and a few raindrops fell.
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The band was another celebrating an anniversary as their breakthrough album ‘Get to Heaven’ turned 10 years old last year. That record made up the majority of their set, but newer tracks from 2024’s Mountainhead (‘Enter the Mirror’) and 2022’s Raw Data Feel (‘Pizza Boy’ – were they watching me eat my lunch?) ensured they were giving their fans a bit of everything.
Ending on the anthemic ‘Distant Past’ and recent smash ‘Cold Reactor’ the set closed with the sun was shining almost as brightly as their yellow uniforms. These guys are excellent. A flawless performance which you wouldn’t believe was live unless you were there – especially Jonathan’s vocal gymnastics. Luckily, they’re playing a heap of shows this year, so you can go and experience if yourself.
I last saw The Subways around 2005 at university and they still pack a mighty punch live. Their debut album ‘Young for Eternity’ is one of those indie rock LPs of the time that still stands up and live, the songs are even better. A busy Garden stage got a greatest hits run through with the anthemic ‘Oh Yeah’, ‘With You’ and ‘Rock n Roll Queen’ testing the vocals of the day three-ers amongst us.
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Changing the lyrics to the latter, Billy let us know that “Wychwood is Rock n Roll”. Here’s hoping for more bookings of a similar nature for future years
Taking the opportunity to strike while the crowds gathered for the final performance of the night, I secured my final festival meal from Oh Babu. A Naught Naan Roll (portable is king, remember) with grilled chicken tikka, katchumber salad and sauce filled me up nicely to settle in for our final set of the weekend.
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That responsibility fell to Levellers. Having headlined no fewer than five times since their first appearance in 2007 and with a die-hard fanbase, we knew we were going to be looked after. And weren’t we just?
With their own Beautiful Days festival taking place in Devon at the tail end of August, the band knows a thing or two about the pressures of putting on an event – not least picking the bands to play.
I’ll admit to not being hugely inspired by the selection on publication, but that was mainly down to not knowing many of their songs (other than ‘One Way’ and ‘What a Beautiful Day’), but it honestly didn’t matter. The band are veterans of the scene and prodigiously talented musicians, so it was a riot from start to finish.
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During ‘The Boatman’ for example I witnessed my first ever didgeridoo solo and I don’t want it to be the last. More obscure instruments in live performances please. Thank you.
And what did I say about fiddles? Correct. Wychwood bloody loves a band with a violinist giving it hell for leather. Frantic set closer ‘The Riverflow’ let Jon Sevink give his all for one last time despite having been non-stop since the opener. At one point the strings may have been smoking, that or someone’s vape cloud passed across my line of vision but either way it was epic.
The set was filled with their trademark impassioned folk-punk sound that they’ve cultivated over the last 30 plus years and a mighty sound it is too. It’s no surprise the crowd had an incredible time of it. What a finale!
Credit: Wychwood Festival
And with that, 2026 is done and dusted. Another one ticked off and the first step on the road to 20 more years!
It’s clear everyone involved in Wychwood Festival, from the volunteers to security, front of house staff to the unsung heroes working hard behind the scenes, that this is a labour of love.
Everyone gives their all to create the best possible festival experience for all comers. It’s no easy feat to curate an event that caters to such a broad generational mix but they manage it year after year.
Hundreds of much-loved festivals have ceased to be following the pandemic, so the financial pressures are plain to see. There’s a delicate balancing act to maintaining that independent status while making a festival financially viable and it’s clear Wychwood have been working really hard behind the scenes to form those vital corporate partnerships without “selling out”.
As a result, the festival is going from strength to strength, having increased the headcount from 10,000 to 15,000 this year and opening a day earlier than usual. Despite that growth Wychwood hasn’t lost any of its magic – which is some going. Long may it continue.
Early Bird tickets for 2027 went on sale on Monday 1 June and were sold out by Tuesday 2 June – such is the love this festival instils in both the regulars and first timers.
Tier 1 adult weekend tickets (with camping) are £139.50, 10–15-year-olds cost £76.45 and under 10s’ still getting in free of charge. For a boujier option, the VIP adult tickets come in at £219.50, 10–15-year-olds £119.50 and £33 for under 10’s.
With payment plan options along with the increasingly popular Ticket for Life scheme, there are convenient ways to book your place at the 21st edition of Wychwood in 2027. So, if you feel like you’ve missed out this year or the festival comedown is hitting hard and you want something to look forward to next year – you know what to do.
Back at it again at Krispy Kreme Southside. Unlike the scorching sun of yesteryear, we were treated to showers as we approached the site. However, the weather gods were kind (for now) and cleared the sky for our arrival so we had a nice soft ground for tent pegs, a dry inside tent and cool splatter paint job on the car. With provisions (earplugs, painkillers, battery pack) packed, it was time to head to the arena. So we thought. Opening was delayed by over an hour as organisers monitored the approaching storm clouds. Luckily the securities were super nice and chatty so there wasn’t much stress.
Once the arena opened the top priority was obviously merch, because there’s always a design that sells out and its usually the best one. This year it was a tie-dye shirt. And it was sold out. Shaking my fist at the Thursday arrivals. Sea Girls were delayed on the green stage so I took the chance to go round all the merch stands in the faint hope of tracking down this elusive shirt. No such luck. Settling for different design, it was time to go watch some bands.
Sea Girls had a shortened set of about five songs, including All I Want To Hear You Say and Do You Really Wanna Know? which were the two I knew. Great, upbeat opener to the festival, they seemed to have a good time on stage and were very grateful to be playing at all. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for UK dates near me. Turns out, having written that and then checked, they’re on UK tour in autumn. Wonderful.
Quick chance to grab lunch before returning to the Green Stage for IDKHOW who I did not know were American. The aviators in the rain should have given it away really. I found the song Nobody Likes The Opening Band thoroughly endearing, especially as there was a growing crowd braving the rain. They played a heavier version of Do It All The Time which worked really well. Their set was also shortened to make up for the time lost to the delayed arena opening, but the singer said he’s been on the stage crew side of things, so he got it.
The stage now had a water feature running down the front but luckily the increasingly dense crowd kept the rain exposure to heads and shoulders. As Feine Sahne Fischfilet’s pre-show songs started playing, including She’s Kerosene by The Interrupters, the crowd started moving and evaporating any rain that tried to reach us. I think there’s generally a divide about this band’s shows, personally I think they’re great and their crowds are a rowdy party in all the best ways. Endless mosh pits, smoke flares and chants. The opener was a bit of a slow one, but the second song definitely got the crowd going. From then it was full on for the set with only a brief respite while an emotional front man sang about how much he loves his parents and the fact they stuck with him through his rebellious youth. Toward the end of the set there was a generous distribution of free (plastic) bottled beer into the crowd with the encouragement to get on shoulders to catch it. Suddenly I was surrounded by a forest of people and the rain was replaced with beer showers as the bottles started flying. Beer was shared around, and the atmosphere was on point. The set was finished off with a huge wall of death with the lead singer in the middle.
Feine Sahne Fishfilet in 2019
Heading over to the Blue Stage for Editors, I realised how much Feine Sahne Fishfilet cleared out the rest of the arena, I arrived for the start of the set and walked into the second row unimpeded. The Blue Stage was not blessed with runway tarmac to keep us safe from the growing swamp, but if I’m honest it’s preferable to the dust bath of last year where breathing was precarious at times and mosh pits a guarantee for dusty lung disease. The rain was back in full force and a fuller crowd would have been nice for rain protection. Editors played a great set including old and new songs with an acoustic opening to Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors. Front man, Tom Smith, delightfully contorting himself around the stage as he is wont to do, thanking the crowd in German and blowing kisses into the mic. Unfortunately, the sound was very bass heavy and it was hard to hear the melodies at times. I think it got better as the set went on, but it was a shame as the band has some great riffs.
Editors in 2018
Arriving at Sum 41 about 20 mins into the set the crowd was jam packed so it looks like Editors got a bit unlucky with their line-up slot. Sum 41 really bought the skate-punk vibe, jumping around on stage and generally being really fun and energetic. I have to admit that I missed them in my youthful emo phase, so I’m late to this particular party, but all the better to enjoy them now. The crowd went predictably wild for the classics and there were fireworks on the stage, like next to the drummer, for Fat Lip along with fire and smoke along the front. The set included a cover of We Will Rock You with the obvious sing along from the crowd. For all the fun of the set, it was a bit anticlimactic when the band just kind of went “ok, thanks, bye” and finished quite abruptly with 5 minutes left of the time slot. But either way, a lot of energy both on and in front of the stage.
Keeping the vibe going, The Offspring were next. I’ve missed these guys, they are so much fun and their music lends itself so well to singing, jumping and moshing. All the hits were covered: You’re Gonna Go Far Kid, Self Esteem and of course Pretty Fly (For A White Guy). We were also treated to a bunch of True Facts™ like that there was a world record breaking 1.9 million people at Southside this year and that this show was the greatest thing to ever happen in rock’n’roll. Which doesn’t sound right but I don’t know enough about rock’n’roll to dispute it. There was 6 billion large beach balls thrown into the crowd during Why Don’t You Get A Job, normally great, however their mud coating meant that every time they bounced overhead you got a little mud shower and I was doing so well at keeping mud below the waist line…
The Offspring in 2019
Much of the crowd stayed in place for the Green Stage headliners Bring Me The Horizon. I recognised some of the front row from the start of the day, so one presumes they have not moved from there since 3pm. Some of the people were struggling a bit during the wait time. One young woman was handed water and a sweet by the securities, another was lifted out before things got started. The woman next to me had an impromptu whistling lesson from the guy next to her, so the wait passed quickly as the stage was set up. Red velvet curtains were draped along the edges of the three teered stage and a group of firemen got a tour of what I assume would be the ensuing pyrotechnics.
Bring Me The Horizon in 2022
The show started strong with DArkSide, front man Oli Sykes, remaining in the shadow of the stage lights. Three songs in, after MANTRA, the band suddenly walked off stage and stayed gone for a long time. The screens stayed on and the lights were cycling through as there appeared to be a mic check. Luckily, whatever the issue was, it was resolved, the band came back on stage, blamed it on gremlins and the full moon and launched into Teardrops. They had a fan on stage to sing Antivist, who was so nervous but did such a good job, death growls and all. The stage show was fantastic, but then I am a sucker for gothic church and cyberpunk aesthetics. There was plenty of pyro and fireworks, especially for the closing Throne. For the whole show, Sykes was skipping along the stage all smiley and the band were clearly having a great time, jumping and spinning around. It was an amazing show, I do have one criticism though: throughout the day I thought how much phone recording seems to have gone down, like the occasional photo or bit of song or crowd videos. The crowd for BMTH was having none of this “living in the moment” nonsense. I was a few rows from the front and had to crane my neck a lot to be able to see around the many phone screens held aloft. And I get it, you want a record of the show. But maybe not all songs and maybe less held above you.
I missed out on UK tour earlier this year but thought the band might go on tour again when the delayed NeX GEn album is out. I think the only new song to the setlist at Southside was top 10 staTues tHat CriEd bloOd, which to be fair, is a banger. Fingers crossed for an extended album tour when they’re back from Asia and South America.
Closing out the night, Deichkind finished up on the Blue Stage midnight to 2 am. I missed the first few songs moving over in the throng of people from BMTH but there was still plenty of dancing left to do. It’s hard to describe a Deichkind show in words and do it justice. It’s more like an absurdist art project with a banging soundtrack. I can’t say for sure how many band members there are, Wikipedia says four, but there were between one and about eleven people on stage at any given time and like 15 people took a bow at the end, so who is to say. There were loose but really fun choreographies, there was a giant barrel full of band traversing the crowd, there was office chair races. There was a giant selfie stick with matching giant IPhone, there was a song sung from a climbing portaledge, there were mini trampolines. One of the band members was replaced with a robot arm at one point. Of course, the robot arm kept up with the choreography. A good amount of the songs were different from the studio recordings, with various samples or style changes that worked superbly with the live show, really getting every last bit of energy out of the crowd. To finish it all off, the night concluded with a naked, masked man in y-fronts atop a giant inflatable ring bouncing over the crowd while emptying a huge sack of feathers upon the masses. Like I said, hard to really convey the mayhem, but an absolute spectacle. Even if you don’t understand the words, Deichkind is an infectious band with a one-of-a-kind show.
Deichkind in 2022
As thoroughly drenched and partied-out crowds trudged back to the campsites, mud solemnly squelching under hundreds of feet, I picked my way back home by torchlight, around guide ropes and past camping tables laden with empty beer cans. Once I was excavated from my mud coating it was time for bed amongst the sound of gentle snoring from the neighbours, ABBA playing in the distance and (to my dismay) the dawn chorus of birds.
Saturday
Saturday morning started with beautiful weather, perfect for lazy coffee in the sun without being boiled alive in the tent. The trip for washing up and water re-fills was a fun slip and slide. Some might say walking through a muddy field in flip flops is a questionable decision, I say it’s a rejuvenating mud mask for your feet. Clouds were moving in and there was a queue of people filling up 10l+ water canisters at the taps. I made it back inside my tent just in time for the heavens to open, thwarting my plans for second coffee for reasons like “lack of airflow” and “carbon monoxide poisoning”, sounds fake, but ok. I’m glad the festival app cheerfully informed be of the sunny weather because the increasing fervour of the rain beating down on the tent would have fooled me into believing otherwise. Now trapped in the tent by what I assume was the end times, we thought it best to wait out the worst of it rather than go from 0 to 100 in the moist department. Just as the rain began to ease the app announce impeding heavy rain. I hoped it was a delayed message. It was not.
Opting today for a more rain proof ensemble, I was surprised to find that wellies and a waterproof jacket actually kept you dryer than my previous thick hoodie and trainers approach. *Meryl Streep voice* Groundbreaking.
I didn’t really know The Gaslight Anthem previously and the studio recordings didn’t grab me, but as I joined the crowd for Handwritten the high-spirited audience dancing in the rain together had that wonderful festival vibe where most music is actually great and life is too short to not enjoy yourself.
The swamp at the foot of the Blue stage had expanded and deepened into a lake by the time that Irish post punk band Fontaines D.C. took to the stage. All dancing now resembled that scene from one of the most beloved movie sequels of our time: step up 2 the streets. But with mud. Frontman Grian Chatten, rocking 90s vibes in bright green plastic sunglasses and a light blue adidas jacket, wandered up and down the little catwalk attached to the centre stage. The setlist spanned the bands discography, finishing on Starburster.
More punk vibes with working class sentiment were on offer from Idles over on the Green Stage. Truly a man of the people, lead singer Joe Talbot was sporting one of the red rain ponchos from a festival stall. Idles had a bit more of a beat going on compared to Fontaines D.C. and definitely more political anger. Correspondingly, the crowd was more mosh than dance, though lyrics like “Best way to scare a tory” may have gone over the heads of the crowd. With the guitarist rolling across the crowd when I got there and announcements like “Andale you f*cking animals” launching songs the set had a riotous energy that absolutely got the crowd moving.
As we were waiting for The Kooks it was announced that the blue and green stage headliners were going to be streamed on the other stage which was a great idea as it would reduce the massive one-sided crowding of the arena at the end of the day. The crowd was singing along joyfully with the intermission songs including Don’t Stop Believing and Sweet Caroline before the band took to the stage. Starting off with energetically with Always Where I Need to Be the set drew a bigger and bigger crowd as time went on. I never know which UK bands are well known in Europe, turns out The Kooks have a long history with Germany and Southside festival. This was evident from the amount of crowd sing alongs, especially for the closing Naïve. The band also announced a new album coming soon, playing a new song Sunny Baby. Everyone clearly had a great time, frontman Luke Pritchard showing off his best dance moves and the sound was much better than yesterday.
I can imagine the sombre sound of The National being great in the sunset, but alas we had all cloud. But at least it was dry so a good time to queue for dinner. The usual roaming beer and ice cream sellers were replaced with troops equipped with back pack hot coffee dispensers and side pouches of those little milks you get in hotels. The crowd management was really good this year, the walkway between the first and second zone was being used to fill the front of stage area from both sides very efficiently, so it was no problem getting in even though it was busy. The soulful voice with the gentle brass section accompaniment made for a calm evening performance up to the point that lead singer Matt Berninger walked into the crowd. Normally not unheard of at a festival. Berninger made it interesting by using a cabled microphone that had multiple stage crew reeling out wire while not choking anyone along the route. The second time Berninger made any indication of walking off, the roadies sprang into action immediately.
The crowd changeover between The National and Ed Sheeran was chaotic with people trying to leave while others rushed towards the middle. But once everyone was in, we settled in to wait the 75 minutes.
A group behind me were entertaining themselves with their own sing along with hits including Bohemian Rhapsody, Backstreet Boys and a fair bit of High School Musical. Ed Sheeran came on stage by himself and launched straight into Castle on the Hill, with fireworks exploding in front and behind the stage for every chorus. Sporting an official Southside hoodie he explained the loop pedal set up of the performance, how he builds up the songs bit by bit and that they are deleted after every performance. At one point he messed up a section and had to restart the whole song (“that’s how you know it’s live”). The stage was backed with a floor to roof screen that accompanied the set with bright, colourful visuals that paired perfectly with the acoustic feel of this headlining set. Besides all of his hits, the set included Love Yourself,which he wrote and gave to Justin Bieber, and Eyes Closed in memory of a close friend. I have to be honest, I was expecting an overproduced show of an overplayed radio star, but it was an endearing, earnest performance.
Kontra K in 2022
In contrast, with Kontra K finishing up on the Blue Stage today it was very hard to tell what was irony and what we were supposed to take literal. On the one hand, knuckle duster microphone and gangster rap with all the associated attitudes, on the other hand he told people to share their feelings and love one another. There were bits that reminded me of self-help podcasts but then I figured it out, what was actually happening was fairly shallow platitudes that contained buzzwords that linked to the next song title. It was certainly an impressive stage show, and I think if you turn your brain off and go with it, it’s good fun. The show finished with a costume change, donning a big coat with the correct number of buckles (more than 5) he was set alight for the final song. Like I said, impressive to look at and the crowd was definitely here for it, just not my cup of tea. The show finished with the whole extensive crew on stage as he thanked them which was sweet.
Once back at the tent, the gentle embrace of sleep was accompanied by the dulcet tones of my neighbours trying to remember the name of Wallace and Gromit and discussing how it scarred their childhood. Perfect way to end day two.
Sunday
Sunday morning started with the app informing everyone about how to get out of the thoroughly soaked car park fields, encouraging everyone to help each other push, that there’s free rescues for those who can’t get out and asking for patience. There was hope that a dry Sunday night might make it easier to leave tomorrow morning. The drizzle set in as I frantically gathered stuff together and made it into the arena just in time for Danko Jones opening appropriately with Guess Who’s Back. What followed was an invigorating 45 minutes morning (2pm) workout of classic sex, drugs and rock’n’roll complete with little circle and mosh pits. The crowd started small but grew bigger and bigger despite the rain. The band was towelling down their guitars in between songs and pointing out the precarious decision to play in in a downpour surrounded by electrical equipment. Representing the first of the Canadian contingent of today’s line up, the band loudly declared their intention to have a Good Time,finishing the set with My Little RnR.
Slowing back down a bit, Bombay Bicycle Club on the blue stage played a relaxed set to a fairly loose crowd. Their backdrop of colourful streamers was swaying lazily in the breeze and the sun briefly peeked out behind the clouds. Before I could fully form a thought about suncream the sky disavowed that notion by getting back the scheduled rain. The arena had been generously covered in straw overnight, but the most travelled paths had already returned to the primordial soup. Crew was working hard emptying wheelie bins of wood chips in front of the stage so at least the securities and photographers could keep dry feet. After my personal favorite, Eat Sleep Wake it was time to head back to the green stage for Simple Plan.
Sunday Canadian act 2 out of 3 came on to the Star Wars theme then jumped right into I’d do anything. The sun was fully back now, and the tarmac actually dry in places, perfectly timed for Summer Paradise. The accompanying beach balls still had a light mud coating though, upgraded to a thick slathering after it fell in the mud at the side of the crowd so any contact with the crowd resulted in an unceremonious shower. The muddy threats were subsequently violently rejected by the masses. Turns out I’m Just a Kid is legally an adult now, so it made sense that the lead singer’s shirt got an update with kid crossed out and adult added. The back held true though. Life is a nightmare. As a mid 2000s limewire kid, Welcome to My Life bought the teenage angst flooding back in full force. Judging by the crowd response, I was not alone there. Besides the hits the set included covers of All Star, Mr Brightside and Scooby Do. Towards the end, the drummer, sporting a German football shirt, swapped round with the singer and went for a swim in the crowd. The set finished with Perfect, first verse and chorus being played on acoustic guitar before the frontman launched it across the stage to be deftly caught by the neck by the roadie. The band clearly had a great time and the crowd even more so.
Those who had a little more foresight and packed sunscreen today kindly shared it round while we waited for Leoniden to start. The band went way heavier than I expected for the intro with the guitarist swinging his instrument wildly by the strap and then the mic by the cable to the point where it’s a miracle he didn’t take out his bandmates. The band declared that they had a day off tomorrow so they would hold nothing back today. They really weren’t lying. Part of the show took place in the crowd, with both piano and percussion being carried into the masses at different points. The set included covers of Take on Me, Teenage Dirtbag and Smells like Teen Spirit. There was plenty of crowd interaction from the classic “sit down and jump up” through to “8 jumps left and right a la Dutch football fans”. A giant pink shark was leading one of the mosh pits, so really, how could I not? The band also announced the band mobile phone number to message with pictures, comments and to get exclusive merch. The second time they read out the number the crowd joined in. Next to Feine Sahne Fishfilet, this was definitely the most ecstatic crowd and the liveliest party of the weekend. Leoniden sing in English and are coming to London in December, I would highly recommend checking them out.
Jungle was hosting the perfect dance party in the evening sun as I went to get dinner before heading into the crowd for Avril Lavigne, giving The Hives a miss this year (they’re way more likely to be back than Avril Lavigne). The stage was adorned with pink hearts and skulls along with a selection of different coloured bejewelled microphones, exactly what you would expect from the icon of 2k teenage girl rebellion. Rocking a stunning punk rock outfit complete with skater skirt, high boots, patches and an over sized hood Avril came onto the stage to an instrumental intro before kicking things off with Girlfriend. The set was leaning heavily on the older albums including I’m with you, He wasn’t and Loosing Grip along with all the classics: Complicated, Skaterboi and Happy Ending. Simple Plan joined on stage for I’m Addicted, completing the Canadian triumvirate for the day beautifully. The flooded arena floor still made jumping a risk, so everyone was mainly swaying and singing along but all in all it was a great show from an artist I never expected to see live.
I stopped by the toilets/water taps for one last refresh before the final straight of the weekend. Clearly that was a very original idea as the area was rammed, but everyone queued nicely, and the infrastructure held. Turnstile finished 10 min ahead of schedule, but I still caught a bit of the set sitting on the tarmac by the stage. The area was already filling up for the final headliner of Southside 2024, so respite was brief as the crowd piled in. Somehow a group had enough internet connection to put the football onto their phone which was graciously held aloft, Swiss and German audience members reaching across the aisle with amicable respect. As the sun set there were a few medical issues, but crowds parted and helped carry wherever needed. I guess the sun had come a little unexpected, so heat exhaustion probably crept up on people.
K.I.Z in 2022
K.I.Z. last played Southside 2022, moving up into the top slot this year. The stage got a do-over, now consisting of three massive crystals in the centre surrounded by smaller crystals at the base. Throughout the show the crystals were filled with smoke, contained band members or had mesmerising laser shows on or through them, it looked fantastically alien. Wasting no time, the set unexpectedly started with Ein Affe und ein Pferd, a popular older one, which whipped the crowd into a frenzy. The whole arena became a mosh pit, with more people moshing than those standing in their isolated islands of relative safety. The band’s developed a bit since the last show, still boasting a dark humour buried so deep shock value that (hopefully) no one takes it literally and the occasional straight-laced line, the newer material had a lot more biting social commentary and solemn themes still delivered with a highly sarcastic sting (eg “of course we’re pro peace, but first we have to win”). Though the crowd went hard for the pretty much the whole set, there was a levity to the performance as well, the group was joking around on stage and making each other laugh. I knew they’d be good; I was not expecting the show to be THAT good. Admittedly, the language might be a barrier to entry here and googling some of the lyrics may land you in trouble with office HR at a minimum, but to be honest, I think the crowd carries the vibe across the language barrier pretty damn well. In an incredible contrast, the show finished with hyper violent BOOM BOOM BOOM into the incredibly sombre Goerlitzer Park, a song about the disenfranchised of a famous park in Berlin.
Red taillights lined the horizon as I got back to the campsite, so it looked like cars were getting out of the mud ok. Monday morning treated us to a beautiful, crips dawn and what was possibly the best shower off my life. The ground had dried up a little, so we managed to get the car out with only minor slippage. This was probably the best organised Southside I’ve attended to date, an absolute joy. See you next year.
With Highfield’s 2024 Line up announcement complete, let’s take a look at how 2023 went, and what might be on the cards for this years summer festival
Friday
It was gonna be a stupidly hot weekend, and I will be complaining about that throughout this review. Better stupidly hot than torrential rain though, so no hard feelings. We managed to find a small corner to pitch our tent, a sweat inducing activity. Neighbourly introductions were made followed by a quick trip to the merch stall because the best stuff always sells out quickly. There was a really good selection of designs this year, including tank tops, which were obviously going to be needed in good supply this weekend. To recover from all that very arduous work, we went to cool down in the lake, which was covered in weird grass balls this year for some reason. Luckily those balls made good throwing entertainment for the many many people also looking to cool down.
We caught Stand by Me from California punk band Pennywise on the way into the arena and made it to the stage just in time for Bro Hymn. Admittedly the only one of their songs I know, but I’m glad I made the effort. The energy from the crowd made it a great start to the weekend of live music, with the song’s chant lasting well past the finish of the set. The arena has isolated puddles in places and a brewing swamp on the way out of the front of stage area of the Green stage. Apparently, a heavy thunderstorm had passed over the area just before the festival, pretty fortunate timing.
We hoped to see Yaenniver on the Blue stage after, but there seemed to be some technical issues. About 20 minutes late, someone came to address the modest crowd, letting them know they’re still trying to figure things out. I got my Duolingo done for the day. At 25 minutes, there was a birthday celebration near the front of the crowd, with bubbles and every birthday song they could think of (two). This devolved into drinking songs and then a woman took charge from the shoulders of a friend, directing the chants and keeping us entertained. The act started just as Roy Bianco & Die Abbrunzati Boys started on the Green Stage, which sounded like a silly fun time, so I headed over there. It was a shame about Yaenniver, I was looking forward to seeing her solo stuff.
Von Wegen Lisbeth were going for a “padded cell but make it zesty” look this year, an inflatable orange cushion making up the majority of the backdrop. All instruments were in matching orange, it looked great once the sun set. They played Wenn du tanzt, one of their most famous ones, as second song in the set, mentioning that they might regret it. The crowd was clearly up for it, and after a hell of a lot of dancing and singing, still stuck around for the rest of the set. So, the bands worries were unfounded. I think more bands should play their big stuff sooner, it definitely gets the crowd going. For their song Bitch, the band declared they would no longer be singing that word as part of the chorus and invited the crowd to fill in their own single syllable word, preferable a non-discriminatory one. It’s a nice way of continuing to play older (I mean, is 2016 older now??) songs that you’ve grown past in one way or another, while avoiding the aspects that aren’t up to your standards anymore. The stage was bathed in a rainbow of lights for Meine Kneipe, which was followed by Elon at the end of the set. I don’t know if the latter was put in at short notice because there was time, it felt a little anti-climactic after the fun of the former. But the crowd seemed to disagree with me, so what do I know *shrug emoji*. Either way, great show, these guys have been steadily climbing the line-ups over the years, so we’re sure to see them again in future years.
On a personal note/complaint, there was a pair making their way through the crowd, giving people branded red baseball caps and then taking fake candid shots. Would have been fine, you know, live and let live. HOWEVER, they had a super bright light with them to illuminate the groups definitely candidly wearing their merch. Unnecessary and annoying. And the volunteers/victims didn’t even get to keep the hats.
The Dropkick Murphys set was a hearty combo of foot stomping, pyro and mosh pits. A four-man crab mosh pit had formed around one of the primordial soups that had become part of the arena as the day went on. I managed to dodge the mud puddles to get close enough to feel the extensive fire emanating from the stage. The stage set-up was fairly straightforward otherwise, no fancy screens, only a black backdrop with the and name on it, making it feel more intimate, like a pub with 35,000 patrons, and also fire. Lead singer, Ken Casey, came down into the crowd for Rose Tattoo while the crowd chanted along. The final part of the song was accompanied by a waterfall of sparks cascading down from the top of the stage, meeting the flames shooting from the bottom. It was beautiful and impressive to look at. I wanted to look up some of the song names and found that setlist.fm was being updated in real time, clearly some very dedicated fans in the crowd. The show finished with Shipping out to Boston with all the rambunctious moshing you would expect followed by the more emotional We’ll Meet Again which had people swaying arm in arm.
After grabbing dinner, it was back to the Green stage for tonight’s headliner K.I.Z. The hip hop trio came out all in white with the logo of a fictional psychiatric hospital in green on the back. The matching building on the stage was complete with ambulance. The sign and inside of the building changed throughout the set: from hospital to night club to liquor store to gun shop. Definitely more of a guilty pleasure band, the content is far from politically correct. But if you squint with a healthy dose of irony it’s really good fun. The show was high energy from start to finish, an insane amount of moshing and probably the most consistent crowd participation. It’s cathartic to sing inappropriate stuff sometimes. A superb start to the weekend.
Our tent was pretty much exactly between two late night DJ stages which made for an interesting lullaby by the time we finally got back, but to be fair, we were so spent that it didn’t matter.
Saturday
To no one’s surprise the tent was stupid hot in the morning. Held together by spunk, moxie and ibuprofen I managed to get the desired liquids (coffee) in and the undesired liquid (pee) out of my body, ready for the day. First order of business as always: lake time. The shallows were mad busy so we swam out to the buoys and hung out for a bit. Kind Kaputt were playing on the Beach Stage so we lingered for a while because it was immediately too hot out of the water. Once we braved the sun, got back to the tent and showered the sand and lake gunck off we were ready for day two.
Querbeat were up first on the blue stage. The brass-pop band consists of 13 members, basically a marching band but with more pizzazz. It was so hot I was actually dripping with sweat from very mild swaying. The band had immaculate summer vibes, with giant inflatable flamingo races across the loose but committed crowd. The band wandered into the crowd for a great brass medley including Industry Baby, Hips Don’t Lie and Crazy in Love. Pride and Climate action flags dotted the crowd and the loose mosh pits were more akin to dance floors.
You Me At Six played on the Green stage to a modest crowd. Lead singer, Josh Franceschi, came on in a suit jacket over a white t-shirt. He was excellent at animating mosh pits. Last night’s swamps had been filled in with woodchips giving it a weird doughy texture, but that was better than the dry dust over at the blue stage. It was a good show, but the weather was clearly taking its toll, a lot of patrons stayed in the few remaining shade rather than braving the arena.
Sondaschule are a staple of German festivals and never disappoint. High energy ska-punk from the first note celebrating life and comradery. I managed to keep up for the first few songs, but the heat got to me, and I had to have a little sit down. The lady near me had no such qualms, dancing with gay abandon, not noticing or caring about her beer’s successful escape attempts. The circle pits had several wheelchair users joining in with the festivities. Endless crowd surfers were welcomed with open arms by the securities at the front. For the last song, Bist du Gluecklich?, the band asked everyone to wave their hats. The number that went up made me feel double stupid for forgetting mine at home.
Enter Shikari have steadily grown on me across several festivals. Starting off with a firelarm ringing into Set me on Fire. Juggernauts was accompanied with a slow count up of the years since the late 1800s to now, each year’s average temperature being represented by a colour from blue to dark red. I know it’s not a new image, but there’s something more threatening about seeing it slowly build up and get so red, so quickly. I’ve written myself into a bit of a downer here with no obvious way back, so denial it is: the lead singer had an ungodly amount of energy given he was wearing a leather jacket in this heat. He did some magic show shenanigans, taking his top off and pretending to jump into a cube of screens that made it look like he jumped into water, only for him to appear at the centre barrier with leather jacket and starting into Bloodshot. He stuck around for a while, walking around the crowd and climbing the media tower. His microphone cut out a couple of times but generally it was a really good show and I look forward to their inevitable return.
Tokio Hotel are the epitome of mid 2000s emo in Germany. I didn’t realise they still existed until I saw them on the line-up. They’ve actually kept releasing music semi-regularly since their debut in 2005 but this was their festival debut. Their hit from way back when, Durch den Monsoon, is a cornerstone of any German emo kid so clearly that one had to wait until later in the set. The stage was draped in gold, matching the high school prom vibe of what I was expecting. But instead of an emo band, I was greeted by Bill Kaulitz, the lead singer, in a purple and blue be-sequenced cowboy get up, complete with fringey tassels, hat and assless chaps. Consider me surprised but not disappointed. Bill had a platform filled with fans so that he could a) keep cool and b) give his blond curls the blowing in the wind aesthetic that frankly, we all need in our lives. The set included several outfit changes, all sparkly, all wonderful. The rest of the band stayed in their clothes and looked like a standard rock band. You know, like that Elton John carpool meme. You get it. The show was pretty good, but the new stuff didn’t really grab me which was a shame. The crowd seemed pretty lukewarm as well, also a shame. The actual show was good though, so maybe the music will grow on me.
I arrived over at Giant Rooks in time for Tom’s Diner. Everything was bathed in warm light and the stage felt so warm and inviting. The instruments and amps were all white against a black curtain backdrop. The band cancelled last year due to mental health struggles, so it was wonderful to see them back again. It looked like they were having a great time, smiling and dancing across the stage. The set included the new song Somebody Like You and was generally just a really nice indie show. The crowd sang along so so loud and cheered even louder. The lead singer came down into the crowd for Wild Stare and the set finished on Watershed with a beautiful crowd chorus.
The front of stage area was packed solid for SDP, even the photographers had to wrangle their way through security. The anticipation was building when the curtain finally dropped, revealing the number one party boys of the German festival circuit’s return to Highfield with all the expected energy and flare for hosting an ecstatic night of dancing, singing and jumping. The giant beach balls quickly came out, and by giant I mean giant. The accompanying inflatable ducks were quickly boarded and surfed across the jubilant crowd. Bela B of Die Ärzte (set to play an hour later on the green stage) came on for his feature on Das Lied. Really cool considering SDP grew up with Die Ärzte’s music, must have meant a lot to them. For some reason, as the set went on Vincent and Dag thought the crowd looked like an inviting place to be, not the hot sweaty mess we were. As they made their way through, they quickly realised. Luckily, they made it to the middle barrier unscathed and continued to play several songs from the middle to “the new front row”. A short break after returning to the stage, they ran back on to another set opening song (from previous tours) with all the same energy they had 45 minutes earlier when they first started. And they went on and on until the fireworks finale. Even if you don’t understand every word, or even any, I’d highly recommend these guys, always a highlight.
Die Ärzte are one of Germanys oldest punk rock bands, originating in 1982, they’ve thankfully been more active in recent years, with tours and festival sets. Definitely a more unique set up, the three band members were on equal ground at the front of the stage, Farin on guitar, Bela B on drums and Rod on bass. The stage backdrop was made up of deep red curtains with a giant A made of hexagonal lights. No strangers to self-deprecating humour the opening statement asked if we were ready for two hours of cringe. What followed was two hours of shit talking, missed drum intros and general tomfoolery. The trick to punk is not taking yourself too seriously and it’s clear these guys have decades of experience in that. I think it tried to rain at one point, but it felt like most drops evaporated before they hit the packed crowd. There was a little switch around for Rod to play guitar and sing while Farin took over bass and later in the set Bela B played a solo song. One song was stopped because something had happened in the crowd and the band saw people waving for attention, so they waited until things were sorted out. I didn’t see what was going on, but apparently one guy took a photo of the incidence, which was called out by Bela B and booed by the crowd, rightly so. With things sorted out, the barrage of silly punk continued. It was a long gig, two and a quarter hours, which was hard work for the end of a long, hot Saturday, but worth every second. If you want to put your German to the test, or just enjoy some catchy riffs and great energy, this is definitely the band for you.
Sunday
Sunday morning was a little overcast hinting at a cooler day, but no such luck, the clouds cleared pretty quickly, and the relentless sunshine continued.
The sun was still low enough for the Blue Stage to cast a shadow as we arrived for Lostboi Lino. Festival goers perfectly filled every last remaining bit of shade as if the light was deadly (to be fair, it felt like it by Sunday). Lino came on stage, pink hair, pink puffer jacket, pink trainers, jean shorts. His voice was distorted as he launched into the opening of his 30 minute set. The coat quickly went, revealing a hand drawn white tank top with “Highfield Lino 2023” written on in in fluorescent pink. He was accompanied by a drummer and guitarist, both looking like they were having a great time. There were some technical problems with the microphone in the middle of the set, which Lino used to check we were all drinking enough water. His “lets hear it from the ladies, lets hear it from the gentlemen” calls went on to include those between and outside (the aforementioned categories) before launching into Maenner about defying gender stereotypes, while wearing a dress himself. The microphone issues came back so the set finished with him in a circle pit while the crowd sang the last choruses. It was a lot of jumping and moving for an opening act, really good fun.
Kaffkiez jumped onto the line-up last year after Giant Rooks no longer being able to make it led to some timetable re-arrangements that left a gap. Going from a last-minute opener to 1630 on a Sunday is a pretty good trajectory. The stage was set up like a rural bus stop, complete with bench, postbox and cigarette dispenser. During the indie set, the lead singer asked for whom this was their first festival. After a few people raised their hands, he explained the rules for the biggest declaration of love a group can make, the mosh pit. Hands to yourself, help each other up when someone falls. A little pit opened in front of me and in jumped a group of people who looked like they were still at school or just left. They were mainly women, and it was the softest, friendliest mosh pit I’d ever seen (affectionate). They were having such a good time and it was heart-warming to see this rite of passage for festival goers. Time to accept that I’m one generation in now, the youth are coming up and it’s wonderful to see.
While the overlap between Kaffkiez and Nothing But Thieves was a shame, there was a sweet spot between the two stage that meant I could catch the end of Nie Allein while waiting for Nothing But Thieves and could head straight down as Welcome to the DCC started playing. These guys have been growing on me the more I see them at festivals and I’m glad I made the time for a whole set this year. The lead singer, Conor Mason, was saying they had played some gigs in the area and had some more dates coming up, declaring his intention to win over anyone who wasn’t going yet. Going back to east Germany might be a bit of a trek, but I’ll definitely keep an eye out for UK dates in future, so his mission had a minimum success of one. It was a good pallet cleanser to have something more rock after a fairly relaxed start. There were some great mosh pits going on much to the Mr Mason’s delight. They finished on Amsterdam and it was great. Also, there was now a bit of wind, also nice.
I went to get a little sweat treat during Nina Chuba, my sugar levels were dipping, and we still had some high energy acts to go (gotta fuel correctly). Nina Chuba’s set had a wonderful tropical vibe to it in the light of the evening sun, the crowd was huge and really enjoying themselves. Light on her feet as she danced across the stage, she was chatting with the crowd, inviting them to sing along and generally having a fun time.
Swiss of Swiss und die Anderen expressed confusion as to why people were with them instead than over at Nina’s show. That felt like a sign of unironic, deep admiration coming from a rowdy, far left punk like Swiss. Their show started with a dramatic build up, but suddenly fell silent, prompting some roadies to come rushing on to stage and start pressing buttons. The band came on to unclimactic silence, acknowledged that their intro was epic and got straight to work. The line-up was generally less political this year compared to previous years, which was bought into sharp focus just by virtue of Swiss und die Anderen standing out through their political statements this year. Same with flags and flares in the crowd, looking back, those were more common in the past. Maybe security is tighter, maybe there’s still a post pandemic sleepiness to more dramatic behaviour. I think a good smoke flare is never out of place at a punk gig (as long as it’s outside and safe etc etc blah blah caveat caveat). I digress. The show was a raucous good time, with mosh pits and clear stances against the far right and pro refugee rescue. It included a cover of the anti-nazi song Schrei Nach Liebe by Die Aerzte and a dingy race between two women from the crowd (because guys always break the boats according to Swiss) across the crowd and then generally round in circles. Apparently, Bloodhound Gang had sued the band for copyright because they ripped off one of their songs (Swiss’s words) but luckily, committing crimes is more fun together and there will be a collection going round for the infringement fine later, so they played Vermisse dich anyway. Which, now they mentioned it, is very similar to Bloodhound Gang’s Foxtrot Uniform Charlie Kilo.
Heaven Shall Burn was the heaviest band on the line up. Complete with long haired headbanging, fire and death growls. Clearly it was time for the pros because this crowd had the fastest circle pit I’ve seen, complete with someone holding a roundabout road sign. Very German, all labelled correctly and probably (German) OSHA compliant. The securities were super into it too, jumping along as they were waiting to pull the crowd surfers across the bar. Having avoided a dust bath up until now, this crowd loosened up the ground to no end, partly obscuring themselves in the process.
Blue stage headliners Beatsteaks started strong, with lead singer coming down to the crowd after just one song. They asked phones to be put away so they could play a gig like the good old days. Surprisingly, people complied, to the point I felt bad for wanting to take a quick video of the ecstatic crowd and their dancing and singing. Maybe it was because the average age of the crowd seemed a little older. The set contained both English and German songs, both of which the crowd was singing along loudly. I could never get into the band when listening to studio recordings, so I was definitely enjoying them vicariously through the people around me. Maybe they’ll click more with me in the future, the live show was definitely great for fans.
Green stage headliner Marteria was definitely one of my highlights. Starting off with the trance-y Paradise Delay through the smoke and flares of Bengalische Tiger and the mesmerising Verstrahlt. As we were on the final straight of the festival I indulged in a little wall of death (as a treat) for Adrenalin. We were all equal parts sweaty and ecstatic from the weekend, a perfect chance to burn every last bit of energy. After having seen him at Southside earlier this year, it’s clear that he belongs in a headliner slot. Not sure if the crowd was watered down with people waiting for the subsequent headliner at Southside Festival, but there was definitely more energy here at Highfield. Marteria’s alter ego Marsimoto made a brief appearance on the screen, announcing his last album for the next year. The show (and thereby the whole festival) finished 10 minutes early, bit disappointing as the vibes were immaculate and the party could have gone on for a few more hours, no question. A fan in a Rostock football shirt (Marteria’s team) was invited to join on stage for the final celebration which was very sweet. For the crowning finish, Marteria dropped the mic aftergingerly asking if he was allowed given it was the end of the festival.
It feels like there’s more international bands returning the Highfield after the pandemic break and they’re all happy to be here. I get the impression that those bands have a dedicated followers in Germany, as well as having fans who will follow them anywhere. As always, it’s been a great festival, the swimming lake was up there as MVP of the weekend. A great line up with plenty to see and relatively light on having to compromise between acts. See you next year Highfield (Tickets went on sale the Monday after).
Truck Festival is a one of our firm favourites on the festival calander and this years did not disappoint at all. Located on Hill Farm in Oxfordshire the festival offered a huge line up with some of the hottest bands around. Headlining the weekend was The Wombats, Two Door Cinema Club, Alt-J and Royal Blood. Every band who performed put on a cracking performance and put all their energy into their sets. The festival had plenty to offer including food and drink stalls, kids activities, gameshows, yoga, karaoke and more. Unfortunately the weather was a typical British type for a festival. Saturday was a downpour which made the site into a slippery mud bath but that did not dampen any ones spirits.
Our photographer Kane Howie was at the festival to document the weekend. You can see a selection of his images below.
2024 tickets are on sale now and are selling fast! We will definitely be returning for next year!
Due to excessive traffic issues and poor time management, we are entering BST Hyde Park much later than planned this fine sunny Sunday afternoon. Luckily we grab our wristbands and a drink just in time to get a good spot in front of the Great Oak stage for my 90’s manic-pixie-dream-girl crush Gwen Stefani (pretty sure she was everyone’s 90’s celeb crush actually).
Were you even a 90’s kid if you didn’t have that one No Doubt centre-magazine poster on your wall? You know which one I mean. It just occurred to me that kids now probably don’t buy physical magazines… what are they decorating their rooms with…
Anyway, Gwen bounces onto the stage resplendent in a disco ball inspired outfit for opener ‘The Sweet Escape’ right into No Doubt classic ‘Sunday Morning’, like there hasn’t been a single minute between the day she wrote it and now. Yelling “I don’t think you guys understand the love I have for London Town… let me pinch myself, THIS IS MY LIFE!” before busting out another classic – ‘It’s My Life’ (Talk Talk cover).
In a curious revelation about the inner workings of her mind, she blurts out “I was thinking about my life. Most of the time when I’m singing the songs, I’m thinking – what am I gonna have to eat later? Thank you for listening to my music all this time” which comes across a little odd, a little nonchalant, given her previous emphatic affectations about her work.
Nevertheless, ‘Underneath It All’ brings the groove back, admittedly with a small side of cringe these days – the ska/reggae overlap has always been part of Stefani’s music but it is one of those things that we’ve gradually distanced ourselves from since the early noughties. It would be remiss of me to write about Gwen Stefani without joining the chequered commentary about cultural appropriation vs. appreciation over her recording history, and the inclusion of controversial ‘Harajuku Girls’ and iconic ‘Rich Girl’ give me awkward pause for thought. Bringing on stage rapper Eve for a duet/cover of her song ‘Let Me Blow Ya Mind’ was extremely welcome though, being immediately transported back to 2001 in the opening notes.
After what looks like a slight bra malfunction, Gwen returns in yet another skirt/trouser combo that also smacks of very firmly Y2K vibes, but that ska checkerboard pattern will never not appeal to me – even the dancers are rocking matching jumpsuits. Oh and she’s being wheeled around on a giant throne, also fun.
‘Don’t Speak’ is where this set truly comes alive for me again, from there it’s a hit parade of core memory songs, with ‘Wind It Up’, and ‘What You Waiting For’ into ‘Spiderwebs’ which I screamed at the top of my extremely limited vocal range for.
‘Just A Girl’ is everything I want, remember and enjoy about Gwen Stefani. Her unique vocal sound seems unchanged by time, and it feels like such a treat for teenage-me to finally end up here, hearing it the way I did dancing with my friends in the living room to MTV. To cap it off, the slightly ridiculous ‘Hollaback Girl’ features dancers wielding giant bananas while she gads about in a sparkly cape – big Gwen energy.
(C) Dave Hogan / Hogan Media
There’s a pretty decent time gap before tonight’s main act, due in part to the absolutely insane stage set up being hastily squashed into view, so we have a little reprieve to check out some of the food options here at BST. For a relatively small festival footprint, you can pretty much find cuisine from most corners of the earth – but still settle for basic bitch buffalo loaded fries if you want to (and I did) but you better believe I’ll be sampling my way through as many outlets as possible over the coming weeks of BST gigs. They were delicious anyway. Though I didn’t make it around the rest of the site today due to time constraints, it’s nice to note that the site has lost none of its vibrancy from last year – there is colour, decoration and things to pique your interest everywhere you look. More exploration required.
With the sun beginning to dip over Hyde Park, it’s time to settle into our spots for tonight’s headliner, the incomparable wonder woman that is P!NK. Every single person I’ve met who has been to one of her shows assures me that she is incredible and possibly superhuman, so I’ve got a lot of hype and anticipation for this one – and it seems I am not alone. It’s a huge crowd tonight (and yes, a good percentage of that is potentially people who did not get Glasto tickets this weekend but we won’t dwell on that) but it is also a very female centric crowd too with a wide and enviable age range. I think if you’re the kind of performer who can appeal to three generations of women at the same time – you’ve kind of hit the jackpot, and that’s what I’m seeing here.
So when the stage screens light up with Pink’s AI avatar to introduce her Summer Carnival, I am understandably already enthralled to see the bottom of her sparkly silver boots hiding away up in the canopy of the stage, behind a giant Rocky Horror style mouth. The mouth opens to reveal Pink herself wearing a gemstone-encrusted leotard, who then plummets to the stage on a bungee cord before styling it out into something between circus and x-games. I have no desire to do such a thing personally, but I truly could watch her do an entire set up there, she is SO FUN.
(C) Dave Hogan / Hogan Media
Obviously the opening line is “I’m coming out” from ‘Get The Party Started’ because that is quite literally the perfect point to hurtle towards the audience with the sheer glee of someone with seemingly zero inhibitions or fear. Iconic.
‘Raise Your Glass’ will forever hit the spot with lyrics that celebrate the ‘underdog’, I think this is why the entire crowd tonight bar absolutely no-one, is singing along with wild abandon. It’s true that P!NK sits apart from other artists of her time, unlike the polished teen aesthetic of Britney and Christina, Pink had tattoos and short hair, swore and leaned into a grittier rock vocal sound. The genre-straddling appeal teamed with often inspirational and introspective lyrical content, has firmly rooted Pink in a place where we are appreciating her work throughout her career instead of just waiting for those early-days hits.
Oh and her wardrobe is beyond enviable honestly. I would 1000% try and steal that studded and glittery leather jacket if I saw it in a dressing room, watch out Alecia. Taking a quick pause to chat to those in the front rows Golden Circle area, she addresses a young fan “Happy birthday you’re 10, double digits, you’re gonna save the world… can’t wait!” and jokes “So many kids here.. oh god I’m such a mom now” before busting out classic ‘Who Knew’.
During ‘Just Like A Pill’ Pink is presented with an unenviably awkward situation, that I really feel she handles with incredible grace. Over the last few months we have witnessed Harry Styles being asked to do gender reveals on stage, Elton John’s farewell Glasto set the same night had cameras diverted to a couple getting engaged in the crowd… all sorts of interesting fan interactions. This though, feels like an absolute violation.
As Pink takes a small mid-song reprieve and walks down the runway, she is showered with gifts like flowers and soft-toys – cute right? Less cute is the Ziploc bag of ashes that is next to be hurled into her path. “Wait, is this your mom? I don’t know how I feel about this…” a clearly stunned Pink exclaims whilst gingerly picking it up and placing it carefully by one of the speakers. She then returns to singing but there’s an obvious wobble in her voice for those first few notes, and upon ending she quips “Well… that was a first” whilst looking uncomfortable. I get the sentiment of wanting to symbolically take your loved and missed person to something important to you, but truly this is intrusively unhinged behaviour, to actually throw human remains onto a stage. This moment will undoubtedly be filed in the same zone as Ozzy-biting-the-head-off-a-bat in rock’n’roll history I’m sure, but it speaks to the ever closing space celebrities are able to hold between themselves, and what fans think they’re entitled to.
Consummate performer that she is, Pink returns in a sparkly checked shirt and joined by a beautiful male duo dance performance for ‘What About Us’, followed by an aerial performance of her own – but not without a technical hitch. “Stop. Can we re-set? It’s too low. We just need six inches…” has the entire crowd giggling. “I’ll just do an Interpretive dance if this doesn’t work, I’ll tell jokes! Ok, go back into the sexy serious thing we were trying to do…” before performing ‘Turbulence’ whilst spinning around on a rope swing. I have no clue how she is managing to sound this good, doing that.
Back on solid ground once more, Pink heads to the piano saying “There are so many songs I wish I wrote… oh look at the sunset! I wish I wrote ‘Spiderwebs’… ‘Just A Girl’… ‘Don’t Speak’. My absolute She-ro Gwen Stefani is over there, you don’t get cooler than that” pointing stage side where Gwen is watching the show. “I also wish I wrote Baby Shark. I could buy everyone here a yacht” she laughs before performing a gorgeous cover of Bob Dylan’s ‘Make You Feel My Love’.
In another big moment, someone in the front decides to propose to their partner during this, which she notices “Did someone just pass out or propose? Was it a yes? Wooo! The first 20 years are the hardest” before going into the beautifully soulful ‘Just Give Me A Reason’.
‘F**kin’ Perfect’ sees Pink in yet another extremely steal-able studded biker jacket, this time in eponymous baby pink, before she changes into the early noughties revival outfit that we are now seeing on ASOS (RIP my youth). More rip-than-material crystal studded jeans and a leopard print corset were the lifeblood of Y2K teens. Add a diamante-butterfly backed g-string and you’ve hit peak Paris and Nicole.
With barely a break, we head into the third stage of this this epic show, with an acoustic ‘Please Don’t Leave Me’ and bringing her daughter Willow on stage to join her for the adorable ‘Cover Me in Sunshine’ in front of a glowing sun stage set, mirrored by the setting sun behind us.
“You know them right, First Aid Kit? These beautiful sisters… they were nice enough to write me this song” Pink leads in for ‘Kids In Love’ which is unmistakably First Aid Kit in composition. It’s a deliciously sweet twilight song, the kind you’d use as a backing track for a campfire scene, it’s going on my summer playlist.
The phone torch lights are out in force for ‘When I Get There’, she signs stuff for front row fans during ‘I Am Here’ before diving into protest anthem ‘Irrelevant’ “When I sing this song, you all have permission to lose your last marble”. In a post-Roe world we need more voices, and yelling “girls just wanna have rights” everywhere she goes is positive platform action.
“Yall ready to dance?” she yells, as the dancers whip off their velco trousers to reveal classic 80’s bodysuit-and-legwarmers gym wear, as she arrives back on stage in a silver bomber jacket doing fitness-video moves for ‘Runaway’.
Album namesake ‘Trustfall’ is highlighted by an amazing stairs/trampoline show where acrobats fell and popped back up in time to the music, before ‘Blow Me One Last Kiss’ in contrast featured dancers dressed in kinda creepy lips costumes and we dance our socks off to ‘Never Gonna Not Dance Again’. Finally, yelling “I’m coming to see you guys at the back” we get to see what the four giant cranes flanking the stadium are there for, as Pink is hoisted up into the air over the crowd during ‘So What’. I don’t know how she sings like she does while flying around above thousands of people but it truly cements her line “I’m still a rockstar” for me. What a bloody legend, please come back soon.
A new kind of festival experience is fast approaching when Common Ground Presents: We Belong Here expands to two days from the 25th to the 26th of February 2023. This boutique gathering at Miami’s stunning Virginia Key Beach Park today announces headliners Korolova, Themba, Kaskade Redux (3 Hour Set), Lane 8 (3 Hour Sunset Set), James Hype (Sunset Set), Gioli & Assia, Calussa b2b Malone, Francis Mercier, Chapter & Verse, Yotto, Luke Alexander, Bryan Softwell and Lucky Rose with more to come. Tickets start at $159 for full weekend VIP Admission and are available here.
Not only is the breathtaking location one of the stars of the cultured and classy Common Ground Presents: We Belong Here, but so too is the sophisticated production and attention to detail across the site. There is a unique circular stage known as the first ever 360 Experience which puts you right in the heart of the musical action, surrounded by sound and up close and personal with like-minded music lovers. As well as that, there are lux amenities for all, lounge seating, trailer style restrooms and expansive wetlands and sweeping views of the bay and the Atlantic which add extra atmosphere and beauty to the whole festival.
We Belong Here is all about radiating positive, uplifting and feel-good vibes and that is reflected in the line-up which is genre diverse yet melody focused across the house and techno spectrum. Themba, the South African king of Afro house and a master of spine tingling house lines up to represent the genre he has taken onto the world stage, while artful Italian pair Gioli & Assia make a debut Miami performance having become viral sensations with over 1 million YouTube followers.
Deep Root Records’ founder Francis Mercier will be returning to the main stage after a year of massive records, there will be a special b2b set from Miami’s own Calussa and Malone, who are both founders of one of the hottest Afro-House labels in the world – Hurry Up Slowly. James Hype has just been picked as the Beatport artist of the year so will be giving fans a treat with his unique skills behind the decks while Kaskade plays a special 3-hour Redux set which will see him explore everything from future to classic to deep house. Lane 8 will play a sure-to-be stunning 3-hour sunset set with more from Chapter & Verse, Yotto, Luke Alexander, Bryan Softwell and Lucky Rose. As well as the return of the ever popular beach stage, there is also the addition of a brand new, third stage with over 40 more artists are still to be announced.
With We Belong Here 2023 coinciding on the same weekend as the prestigious South Beach Food and Wine Festival, We Belong Here is expecting to be the hot spot afterparty of the culinary world’s A-list. As such Smorgasburg will be launching a first of its kind festival pop-up with a 15+ vendor immersive food experience right on the beach and you can also look forward to the world’s largest outdoor food market. It has a prestigious reputation for the highest quality and most creative eats and having started in New York, it’s grown to a few major cities including Wynwood, Miami – where its recent popularity has skyrocketed.
Accommodation options are vast and varied with hotels, villas and even yacht charters all available via a partnership with Miami-based travel-tech company CrewFare.
Common Ground Presents: We Belong Here is now fast approaching so make sure you get your tickets before they sell out.
The proudly independent team behind We Belong Here has, in the past and with various brands, promoted events in leading clubs around New York City, The Hamptons and Miami. They live by the motto “by the people for the people” and launched We Belong Here in Halloween 2021 with a takeover of the first-ever New York Stock Exchange (now Cipriani Wall Street) headlined by MEDUZA. The 2022 single-day festival was a massive success featuring the likes of Nora En Pure, Purple Disco Machine and Don Diablo, leading to a 2023 expansion in partnership with Common Ground Presents.
JBM Music is delighted to announce the return of ‘Garage Nation’ to the iconic Manchester Albert Hall this winter, bringing a stacked lineup of garage heavyweights to the venue from 21:00-03:00 on Saturday 3rd December 2022.
‘Garage Nation’ will welcome garage lovers for a night of floor filling performances from some of the genres finest acts, including garage royalty DJ Luck & MC Neat, the duo behind the UKG anthem ‘A Little Bit Of Luck’, and Sweet Female Attitude, creators of the noughties classic and UK #2 hit ‘Flowers’.
Heading to Manchester’s beloved Albert Hall for another instalment of the renowned ‘Garage Nation’, this all-star lineup looks set to bring yet another phenomenal night to a capacity crowd of party people in the northern capital. With performances from DJ sets from Matt Jam Lamon, 24 Hour Garage Girls Ft Shosh,Girl’s Don’t Sync & a special live performances from Lisa Mafia & Romero from So Solid Crew! Further support comes from UKG favourites Kele Le Roc & Nay Nay
With Garage Nation returning for 2022 to join the abundance of widely popular events by UK brand JBM Music, the long-standing company continues to deliver a diverse range of events to party goers across the nation. Raising the industry standard within the UK dance scene throughout the years, JBM Music have quickly become a formidable force renowned for bringing big names with the venues and production to match on every occasion, with Garage Nation continuing this trend for its winter return at the Albert Hall. With tickets already on-sale and available here, garage ravers should grab their passes ASAP for what will undoubtedly prove to be another sold-out Albert Hall special.
A critical understanding of electronic music heritage, combined with his continued experiences in clubs around the world, means NHOAH is able to construct tracks that are informed by his lineage, while also offering a glimpse into the future. The delicate balance in his music creates moments of exhilaration, harmony and pure, undiluted dance floor energy.
Although he’s already got a few years under his belt, the new album will feature music that can and will determine future nuances in club music in 2022. A bold statement perhaps, but indicative of his prophetic approach, ‘flashbacks to the future’ as he calls it.
