* Thursday, excellent sets from: The Wombats, Hard Life, Pixey, The Kites, Vistas, Foxglove, The Cases and Honey Motel.
* Friday we caught super performances from: The Prodigy, Primal Scream, Maximo Park, The Hunna, The Slow Readers Club, The Futureheads, Brooke Combe, Kelsey and the Embers, and The Lancashire Hotpots.
Y Not? Festival 2025, and we have one big question: Who is Tony? Scroll down and see the fabulous photos by our man Liam and see what we mean about Tony…
In fact, we have a second query for you: What relevance are these three words to this fab festival: Trifling, ketchup and season? Come on you quizzers and Suduku bods?
Four sold out days attracting up to 40,000 people – Thursday 31st July to Sunday 3rd August – to Greenview Farm in Pikehall in the stunning Derbyshire Peak District. The 18th edition of the lovely Y Not Festival, which has become an unmissable fixture in the North’s music calendar.
Since 2005, Y Not Festival began life as an over-spilling house party in “deepest” Derbyshire; and Y Not has stayed homegrown and true to its roots.
FRIDAY 1st August 2025 – Day # 2
Punching above its weight yet again with this year’s sparkling line-up; including headliners The Wombats, The Prodigy, Courteneers, Madness, Maximo Park, Annie Mac, Professor Green, The Slow Readers Club, The Subways, The Academic, Pastel, Marseille, Wilkinsion, Tik-Tok star Fish56Octagon, comedians Justin Moorhouse and Clinton Baptiste, and stacks more bands and artists on several stages around the site.
Also on the eclectic bill are The Last Dinner Party, Franz Ferdinand, Hard Life, Sigrid, Shed Seven and loads and loads more. BBC Introducing hosts up-and-comers Jean, Cottons, Riley Marsh, The Faith Estate, Dirt Bloom, Terrianne, Kelsey & The Embers, Set In Motion and Tom Hewitt, as the curators of the early slots on The Quarry stage
Flamingo Jack’s, the festival’s “weird and wonderful cabaret venue”, features comedy headliners Clinton Baptiste, Justin Moorhouse (both of Phoenix Night’s fame), plus Rob Rouse, Sally-Anne Hayward, Karen Bailey, Ryan Cullen, Alistair Barrie and Sully O’Sullivan.
Also taking to the stage in Flamingo Jack’s are Noasis, Feminem, The Oktoberfest Band, In-Here Bros, Hip Hop Karaoke, Musical Bingo, Indie Karaoke, 5 Hills Out and Blue Rinse DJs.
The Hog & Barrel, Y Not’s own pub venue, is the gaff for local talent from the East Midlands, including The Herron Brothers, Paytron Saint, Seven Dark Lords, The Bad Actors, Jj Lovegrove, Ryan Brooks, Sunwheel, Gareth Humphries & The Dirty Martinis, Dead Man’s Uke, Taylor Liam Jackson , Sura Laynes, Willow Bay, George Gadd, Steve Faulkner, Honor Douglas, Jess Breame, Daz Cadwallander, Jodie Lo, Stacey Lynn, Charlotte Bettson, and Cain Paisley.
Making a return is the infamous Club Malibu: “The Peak District’s only rural nightclub – where there is “endless Abba tunes, movie soundtrack singalongs, hip-hip throwbacks and more with Club Malibu Party Crew”.
Gloria Estababs Party Starter, Old School Hip Hop with Run DMK, Power Ballads with Whitney Houstom, The Leadmill Presents Abba Party, Soundtracks and Movie hits with DJ Teddy Trackspin, Mad Hatters Closing Ceremony and much more.
New Y Not venue The Allotment is “THE go-to spot for finding your new favourite band and to discover some of the best new artists in the business”, including Pastel, Marseille, Cruz, The Cavs, Sunbeam, The Juice, Alright, Eighty Eight Miles, About-Faces, Toy Car, The Sway, Finn Forster, Hearts, Connor Adams, Dovv, The Slates, The Cases, Drew Thomas, Daisy Peacock, Long Island, Marvin’s Revenge, and Substandards.
THURSDAY 31st July 2025 – Day # 1
Before the festival this year, Jason Oakley, Managing Director at Y Not Festival, had this to say: “Last year’s Y Not Festival was just incredible in many ways, and I’d like to thank everyone who came along, our amazing supporters and all the performers! And 2025 is looking like it’s going to be even better…We’ve got another huge year in store for you all… See you there?!”
Well, the boss man promised a huge 2025 event and a great lineup, and we can safely report…he and the team more than delivered – in the first 2 days, so far.
If the question is Y not? The answer is, no reason not to be there in 2026. We will be. Mark the date: 30th July to 2nd August next year. Whoop whoop…
* The answers by the way, to what you were asked at the top of this feature, re: who is Tony? We still have no bloody idea.
* And re: the three words and what relevance to this event? That one is simple: Y Not is in the middle of nowhere in the Peak District, so an easy way to find the site is to use “What3Words: ///trifling.ketchup.season”. Yep.
Check out our coverage of Saturday and Sunday…
Photos by Liam Battersby
Words by Chloe Ward
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