Introduction
Twelve months ago, Y NOT completely won us over. Nestled in the beautiful Derbyshire countryside it delivered everything we could have hoped for in a summer festival. With it’s great atmosphere, eclectic line-up spanning Indie, pop and rock and a welcoming environment. That part was important as it felt just as well suited to families as festival veterans. So when LD Communications invited us to cover the event in 2026, accepting was the easiest decision of the year.
Returning for a second year brought with it a different type of excitement. Last year was about discovering what Y Not had to offer. This time we already knew how much there was to experience, from bustling main area to intimate tent stages and quieter corners of the site to escape. The question this year was instead would it build on what was one of our best weekends of 2025?
The answer to that question did not take long to reveal itself.
Spread across four sun (and dust) soaked days, the Y Not team had once again assembled an impressive mix of established acts and exciting new talent. Whether it was singing along to childhood anthems from the likes of Hard-Fi, Kaiser Chiefs or Scouting For Girls, discovering emerging artists like Matt Hennessy, Human Interest and The Clause, or ending each day surrounded by thousands of passionate music fans. There really wasn’t a dull moment across the weekend.
Of course, no festival is flawless. There were a few hiccups organisationally wise, soaring food and drink prices remained an annoyance and a few performances failed to hit the mark. Yet those were comfortably outweighed by everything the festival continues to get right. Great facilities, friendly staff, a fantastic layout and a genre varied lineup.
So, with our press wristbands firmly secured, it was time to enjoy four days of music lying ahead. Let’s head through the gates of Y Not festival 2026 and see what it had in store.
Full Review
Thursday
After arriving at the car park, we were immediately reminded that no festival is without it’s little quirks. We never received the rear-view mirror hanger, which thankfully never caused an issue other than staff constantly checking us. Speaking of the parking staff they really didn’t have much of a clue where people should be heading.
Being invited back as press certainly has perks though. While the general admission queue was massive, we were directed through the press access lane. Sure walking past hundreds of people pre getting the wristbands was awkward… it sure beat joining them! The ever friendly team at LD Communications greeted us at the press box (Hey Henry!) and with those on our wrist we were officially ready for a weekend at Y Not.
Looking around us at security it genuinely looked like people had attempted to relocate their entire house to Pikehall. One group in front of us had even packed a vacuum cleaner. I guess they should be commended for wanting to keep things clean, even if it is an odd choice.
Walking around the arena before the crowds arrive is an experience that never gets old. You get a real appreciation for how much work goes into transforming a field into a festival.
Our first stop was the press area next to the main stage, where we caught up with the rest of the LD Communications team, before heading over to TONYS. New to us this year the VIP area quickly became one of our favourite places for the weekend. With plenty of seating, a bar , food vendors and much nicer toilets. A perfect place to recharge. We had a hiccup getting access originally but this was quickly sorted out. A special shoutout needs to go to the coffee place in there as those were delicious.
With time still on our side before things kicked off we wandered over to get a photo with the Y NOT sign. Only to find that it had not actually been put up yet. So over to the merch stand we went. With lots of selection I ended up treating myself to a hat, I have to be honest though stopping the sizing at XXL for shirts is not acceptable. It was an issue last year and it continues to be one.
With the honour of opening our festival was Colour TV, and they were worth the wait. Blending shoegaze textures with indie-pop hooks. Think a mashup between The Smiths and The Hoosiers. It made for an enjoyable start to the weekend and got us settled into festival mode.
Not originally on our schedule, Human Interest quickly showed us why they should have been! Featuring both male and female vocals they produced a distinctive sound that is much better live than on record. Grabbing a spot on the Big Gin barrier we had prime position for their performance and a pretty impressive moustache. They were one of the first genuine discoveries that set the tone for how many new artist we’d end up leaving Y Not listening to.
Sometimes it is not all about the sound but how a band commands a crowd. The Love Buzz did this excellently over at The Pit. Despite clearly being an emerging act they controlled the tent like seasoned veterans. By the end of their set they had the audience in the palm of their hand. Their laid back soft rock sound was enjoyable and tracks such as Harp showcased excellent guitar work.
The biggest revelation of Thursday though was easily Deco. I had previously come across the band on TikTok and was interested to see how that would translate to a festival stage. The answer is quite clearly VERY WELL. Their reimagining of Bittersweet Symphony won the crowd over instantly. Their synth heavy sound reminds me of bands like New Order and Depeche Mode, yet at the same time feels fresh. Instead Deco manage to take influences of that era and give it a modern identity. Announcing an upcoming album and tour was a wise move and if the set was anything to go by their profile is about to blow up!
Up next were Hard-Fi and with them came a heavy dose of nostalgia for me. Stars Of CCTV was the soundtrack to many people’s summer back in 2005, mine included. Finally hearing those songs live felt long overdue. Living For The Weekend and Hard To Beat instantly transported me back two decades! Peach beer in hand and sunshine, what more could you want? While the prices of beers were horrific for the next hour it did not matter one bit.
Seeking out a little sweet relief from the heat we watched the opening portion of Ash from the shady paradise of the press area. Not to mention the delicious Greek food we snagged. Food great, service appalling. Thankfully Ash more than made up for this. As their bigger hits began to arrive like London buses we ventured back out into the crowd, just in time for Shining Light and Girl From Mars. Naturally both proving to be huge singalong tunes. Overall the band exceeded my expectations of them by quite some distance.
Closing out our Thursday were The Libertines, a band that somehow I’d managed to avoid diving into properly. I was immediately struck by how effortlessly cool the band seemed. Some artists spend careers trying to artificially generate that image, The Libertines possess it like second nature. As the sun started to fade behind the Derbyshire hills songs like What Katie Did proved to be the perfect soundtrack to a relaxed evening. We reluctantly left early for the drive home but thankfully heard Don’t Look Back Into The Sun as we drove away.
Friday
If Thursday felt like a gentle reintroduction, then Friday was when the festival burst into life.
The difference was noticeable before even getting parked up, roads considerably busier and an arrival 45 minutes later than expected. Thousands of festival-goers were hauling tents, and enough changes of outfits to survive a small apocalypse.
Our Friday music began with Matt Hennessy, and what a way to kick things off! Youthful enthusiasm can come across as inexperience, but Matt and his band channel it into something infectious.
From the moment they walked on stage it was obvious they were loving every second, the type of energy that spreads into the audience. A cheeky confidence and banter between band member only increased the effects of their funk infused indie rock sound. It all felt fresh, exciting and genuine. We actually bumped into Matt later in the day and hopefully you’ll be able to read an interview with him very soon! On the strength of this performance though he is an artist to keep both eyes on!
Like many people I’d always associated Reverend And The Makers with Heavyweight Champion Of The World. But as it turned out I had clearly unknowingly absorbed more songs by them over the years. Frontman Jon McClure’s between song humour and stories made a great performance feel relaxed and as if you were catching up with old friends. I think their set in the sunshine really had the crowd in excellent spirit and provided a fantastic soundtrack.
Occupying one of the trickier time slots of the day was Freddie Halkon, handled I must say with impressive confidence. Early in his career still you could tell he was taking in every moment of performing in front of a large audience. A heartfelt story about his aunt provided one of the weekends more emotional moments. Sometimes the personal touch is exactly what a festival packed with high-energy acts needs.
While I might not have known much about The Royston Club it was abundantly clear once my interview with Wasted Youth Club was posted that the only place to be was in the crowd.
Also obvious was that while I did not know the songs, the crowd really did! The atmosphere was brilliant with people singing along to tracks like Mrs Narcissistic and Songs For The Spine. Both of which were real highlights of the day. I love this about festivals, stumbling into a band and wondering why you’d not listened to them before.
My good friend Wolfie (A new contributor to the site! And my company for the weekend) was looking forward to the set of The Fratellis more than anyone else. Honestly their Indie anthems made it clear that they were not alone in that.
From the opening moments that atmosphere bordered on euphoric. Whistle For The Choir not only activated the singing voices of those watching, but meant that shoulders were quickly becoming viewing platforms. Then came Chelsea Dagger. The song I have heard hundreds of times in football stadiums but finally hearing it live felt like a special moment. Sometimes festival sets don’t need surprises they need excellent songs delivered brilliantly. The Fratellis nail the formula!
We made one of the easiest decisions of the weekend by skipping Pale Waves altogether. Not through slight but because Barrioke was back! Sean Williamson continues to prove that handing a microphone to strangers and having a tent sing karaoke classics is a recipe for festival gold.
The tent was packed out for this and after enjoying pie and chips a good time was what were were after. Honestly this might have been one of the most enjoyable moments of the festival for us. Things don’t always need to be serious, Barrioke both understands and embodies that.
Closing the day were The Reytons. If The Libertines had been cool and laid back then Reytons were the opposite. Exploding onto the stage with relentless energy, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. Smoke filled the air with the most flairs I have ever seen at the same time. Perhaps security should have stopped them getting in but it did make for a visually stunning opening.
Songs like Broke Boys Cartel, Retro Emporium and Cash In Hand & Fake ID’s landed perfectly, combining Indie with Rap like influences. It felt both familiar and distinctive. I really loved their backdrop which was meant to depict their hometown of Rotherham. It was clear how proud they were of their roots. Add in the well timed pyro, audience interaction and excitement to be headlining. I really do think everything came together perfectly.
Genuinely though how are this band unsigned? I think surely that must be by choice as with another album coming this year I’d have thought labels would be all over them. We walked out to the car more than satisfied with the days events. Discoveries, singalongs and enough nostalgia to shake a stick at!
Saturday
Our 3rd day started over at the Giant Squad stage with Halfmark. A band who surprised us in more than one way. Featuring two singers, dual guitarists and keyboards. Their sound felt much bigger than you would expect from an early afternoon slot. While band chemistry goes a long way we did think that perhaps they should have amped up the crowd participation a bit more. Also lyrically you could tell they were early into their journey. There was also the amusing fact that the singer didn’t realise his guitar was not working for part of the set. Enthusiasm more than compensated for the technical mishap though!
Next up was Scouting For Girls who provided the biggest of all the scheduling mysteries. Why were they playing so early?
With the sun beating down and thousands already gathered in front of main stage they delivered what could have easily have been a headlining performance. With songs like She’s So Lovely, This Ain’t A Love Song and I Wish I Was James Bond, I was well and truly back in my teens again. It was impossible to not look around and smile. With a teaser of a new song and upcoming tour they knew how to get our attention! It was interesting to me that despite the early booking that it was possible to still make a set feel enormous.
Alas momentum was about to dip with the show put on by Vanessa Carlton. She has obvious talent, and vocally excellent. But the performance never really connected with the audiance. Those who had come to see the previous act had left, and what was remaining was a barren wasteland. Most of the crowd were sitting down and not really engaging. Naturally her mega hit A Thousand Miles revived the patient and sounded exceptional and fun. But overall it was a case of wrong stage and wrong time. Stick this in a tent next time!
Unfortunately Happy Mondays continued the disappointment for us. Arriving on stage late, the opening of the set felt entirely disjointed. Once Sean Ryder eventually emerged things settled down a bit , but it never clicked. It felt less like seeing one of Britain’s most influential bands and more Uncle Sean and Bez at karaoke. Worth mentioning though that those around us would 100% not agree with that assessment. Most were having an absolute blast, but for us it was one melon twisted too far.
If Happy Mondays were the biggest disappointment, then The Clause were the biggest revelation. From the opening song they grabbed our attention by the throat and never let go. Their live sound carried much more bite than their studio recordings, something that I think in this instance went in their favour. In My Element showcased amazing guitar work too! By the time they closed with Time Of Our Lives, we knew they were going on our regular playlist.
I really wish we had ventured close to the stage for The Vaccines. That being said their performance radiated pure positivity even from distance. Upbeat Indie anthems proved impossible to stand still to, while Post Break-Up Sex and If You Wanna reminded everyone why they are festival favourites. In this case grabbing a coffee and a nicer toilet experience probably cost us a better time.
We actually gave the Greek vender another chance, and to be fair to them they did redeem themselves. A completely different vibe than before. Odd, but appreciated.
Kaiser Chiefs. Sensational!
Hit after hit rolled out effortlessly off the stage and within minutes the entire field was bouncing. In truth I think they could have been headliners easily. Ricky Wilson remains one of the greatest Indie frontmen, effortlessly commanding the crowd like a conductor.
Favourites like Ruby, Everyday I Love You Less And Less and Never Miss A Beat took us all back to the 2000s. While I Predict A Riot, proved to be on the money… The crowd so rowdy I navigated myself (eventually) to the press area to watch from the unique side stage view from in there. From start to finish this was as good of a performance that you could wish for from a festival headliner calibre band.
The Quarry tent was packed to the brim by the time we got over to see The Enemy. Getting inside would have been impossible. Thankfully sound was excellent from the edges.
The atmosphere spilling out of it was every bit as electric as the inside. Opening with Aggro the Coventry based band barely allowed any energy to drop for the remainder of their set. We’ll Live And Die In These Towns became a defining moment, I even spotted someone climbing up a bin during this song to get a better view! Looking back I think leaving before the end of this set was one of the very few regrets I have from the weekend.
We really tried with Two Door Cinema Club but they played four songs in a row that we didn’t know! The band had a great sound, and Alex Trimble sounded as immaculate as his suit. People were quite clearly loving it, but tiredness had got the better of us and we wanted to reserve some energy for the final day. Next time Two Door Cinema Club we will watch your entire set. Promise!
Sunday
As much as nobody would like to have admitted it, by Sunday morning the blazing heat and dust had started to catch up with us. But as it was the final day collectively we gave it a good go!
Sunday for us started with local lads The Last Orders, whose blend of Britpop and Indie provided the easy going start the final day deserved. We did however notice a real drop in numbers, suspicion was that people we packing away tents. Those who had made the effort to come out there were rewarded with an energetic performance full of catchy melodies. Spend The Night stood out as a real highlight. I’d be interested to see if they continue to grow at this current rate. If so they will be one hell of a success story.
Why do solo artists give themselves band names? Bronco Lane is effectively a solo act but he did perform in this case with a supporting troop. Sax player for good measure too… I found his vocals to be impressive but I was too focused on the Saxophone and the extra dimension it was providing.
On record I love the fuzzy bass-driven sound of Black Honey. Unfortunately that did not pass through to their live sound for me. Instead at times they came across as a bit whiney vocally and really did not live up to my expectations. In truth I wish I had gone to another stage.
Thankfully any disappointment evaporated as soon as The Lottery Winners took to the stage! Every festival has one band that catches you of guard. This was one of our favourite performances of the weekend and we didn’t even have them down as a must see!
They somehow found another gear to every act that day. Injecting a high dose of energy and positivity into the crowd. The laughter, and smiling on everyone’s faces really was infectious. It never felt forced or rehearsed either and instead just musicians having the time of their life. By the time they left the stage I think we all felt like Lottery Winners. Without question one of the biggest and most welcome surprises of Y Not 2026.
We had originally only planned on seeing a couple of songs from Fluorescents. Those plans lasted all of about ten minutes. The American Pop-punk band won us over with enthusiasm and a unique three way split on vocals. They looked every bit the part visually too with their matching shirts. Considering this was their first time in the UK they showed real knowhow in terms of connecting with the local crowd. They left a real impression, on not only us but everyone at the Giant Squid.
We had built up a lot of energy at this point but found Sophie Ellis-Bextor bringing that down somehow. Her music instead had a relaxing effect on us. The crowd were having fun for sure, a stark reminder that the varied line up produces times where an artist can be loved by many but not all.
Kid Kapichi picked the pace back up with a healthy dose of Punk. A thirty minute slot felt criminally short with their bass heavy sound a real hit in the tent. Sardines and New England generated the exact controlled chaos you hope for at a rock show. I was amused by the way the band were passing a cigarette between them while playing as if it was nothing. Please next time book for an hour!
By the time Scissor Sisters arrived on stage to close our weekend we were happy that they had so much energy! (Because ours had gone). The crowd that lay before them was massive and why wouldn’t it be with hits like Take Your Mama and I Don’t Feel Like Dancin’. Between songs came plenty of innuendo, outrageous humour and flamboyance that was oozing from the stage. It was at times gloriously over the top, and overly revealing… But for entertainment value, wow.
As the final notes rang out over our Y Not we had a real sense of satisfaction while walking back to the car. Four days earlier we had arrived to see whether the festival could match the memories of the year before. Leaving on Sunday it was clear it had and then some. While at the same time creating a whole host of new ones.
The Good
- Another brilliantly curated lineup balancing established favourites with exciting new talent.
- One of the friendliest and most welcoming festival atmospheres in the UK.
- Beautiful Derbyshire surroundings that make the festival feel unique.
- Excellent press facilities and communication throughout the weekend.
- TONYS proved to be an excellent addition when escaping the heat.
- Fantastic variety of stages, ensuring every genre had its moment.
- Plenty of opportunities to discover your next favourite band.
- Great food options across the site.
- Excellent sound quality throughout the majority of the weekend.
Could Be Better
- Clothing merchandise still stopping at XXL feels unnecessarily restrictive.
- Food and drink prices remain very expensive.
- Premium parking organisation could have been clearer on arrival.
- A handful of customer service issues from individual vendors.
- Friday traffic was considerably heavier than expected.
Final Thoughts
Returning to Y Not was always going to be interesting especially after how great it was last year. But could 2026 prove that it was not simply a one off?
It passed that test with flying colours.
Across four sunny days we discovered new favourites, relived countless memories and all while wrapped in a great atmosphere. Whether that being crammed in while singing along to Kaiser Chiefs, stumbling across acts like The Clause or Matt Hennessy or just enjoying an iced coffee in TONYS…
What makes Y Not special is the balance. It feels intimate without feeling small, busy without being overwhelming and packed with variety. Everyone is guaranteed to come away with something new to listen to.
There are still areas in which it could improve, but those small complaints in the context of how much great there is are not worth worrying about.
If you are looking for a festival that combines exceptional atmosphere, beautiful surroundings, and a varied lineup. Then look no further! It was a highlight of our summer again. Here’s hoping we will be back for 2027!
Finally thanks again to the LD Communications team who made us feel welcome the entire weekend!
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