Attracting more than 20,000 people, Lakefest boasts 12 stages in the grounds of Eastnor Castle, Ledbury, Herefordshire, located between Wales and The Cotswolds. For their 14th edition they offer a punchy line-up, including Bananarama headlining on Sunday, Madness on Saturday, The Charlatans on Thursday and Example on Friday.
Plus a slew of other top bands and artists across the four days such as Soul II Soul, Reef, Lightning Seeds, EMF, Scouting For Girls, Chesney Hawkes, East 17, and Newton Faulkner.
2011 was launch year for an event which began as Wurzels CiderFest, and the following year was branded as Lakest and from then on. So it has run for 14 years as Lakefest, but 2020 was cancelled due to the Covid pandemic. Headliners for the first Lakefest in 2012 were Athlete – Reef who are here for the 2026 edition, were part of that lineup too.
Headliners across the years have included the likes of Ocean Colour Scene, Shed Seven, Embrace, The Darkness, Faithless, The Kaiser Chiefs, Tom Jones, Manic Street Preachers, The Libertines and Faithless.
Thursday we caught: ‘Road To Lakefest’ competition winner Fran Lusty and her band opening the main stage, Tinchy Stryder, EMF, General Levy, and fabulous headliners The Charlatans. Plus DJ sets from Seb Fontaine and Woody Cook. And a surprise, very cool cat in the crowd watching Tinchy Stryder – we reveal all later…
While LakeFest 2026 is serving a tasty eclectic menu of delicious music; they equal that choice with the food line-up. Street food, comfort food and family-friendly menus across the site.
This year’s food offering brings together some an array of independent traders and bold food concepts, giving festivalgoers everything from loaded sweet Belgian waffles, Sri Lankan street food and Jamaican jerk chicken, to Mexican burritos, Thai dishes, Chinese noodles, wood-fired pizza, smoked BBQ meats, Mediterranean gyros, mac ‘n’ cheese, salt beef bagels, German sausages, loaded fries, fresh donuts, crepes, milkshakes and indulgent desserts.
Highlights include: The Van Waffle Company with loaded Belgian waffles, Korale Kitchen bringing vibrant Sri Lankan street food, Jamaican Kitchen serving up jerk chicken, Cotswold Salt Beef Company with salt beef bagels, pastrami, halloumi, nachos and loaded fries, Le Coq with buttermilk fried chicken, Calabbria Tandoori Melts with tandoori melts and masala fries, Habaneros Habvan with Mexican burritos and bowls.
Hungry Monkey BBQ with smoked meats and vegetables, Panda Noodle House with freshly cooked Chinese food, Anna Mae’s Mac N Cheese, Loaded Nan with Indian favourites, Castaway Kitchen with Mediterranean gyros, Pommarola Pizza Gardens with wood-fired pizza, pasta, coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice, plus plenty of sweet treats from donuts and crepes to brownies, blondies, cookies and milkshakes.
Festival favourites also include Burger Game, bringing an eclectic range of international flavours across gourmet, smashed and game burgers – with everything from Angus to zebra – alongside Wrap It Up, Piggie Smalls [our vote for best name on the site], Roly Poly Eats, The Pudding Wagon and Hungry Monkey Shawarma Kebab, serving smoked chicken kebabs and meal boxes.
LakeFest is very family-friendly. Traders offer vegetarian options, plenty of crowd-pleasing dishes for children, and a broad mix of classic favourites and more adventurous flavours for those looking to try something new.
Our hollow-legged photographer Liam Battersby loves his food, and is always exploring the food outlets when he covers a festival for us. Usually pinging over a bunch of pix of his breakfast, lunch and dinner just to tease those in the office whose choice is probably cheese sandwich or Pot Noodle! He will be in heaven at this festival, for sure; Lakefeast probably in his mind!!
There is even a bar in a Limo…
You really never know what you may see at a festival. Lakefest is dog friendly, so quite a few people bring their pooches. But, to prove there is zero discrimination at Lakefest, take a look at the two shots from the Tinchy Stryder crowd.
A woman and her cat. Yep, a real life moggy purrfectly (sorry!) happy watching Tinchy on the Funkytown stage on Thursday night. [But the cat may well have preferred The Pussycat Dolls, Babybird or Super Furry Animals!]
EMF formed in Cinderford, Gloucestershire in 1989 and shot to number one in the US and UK chart with their classic single “Unbelievable”. Still sounding as good today as it did back then. Cracking set at Lakefest 2026.
Opening the main stage on Thursday, Fran Lusty and her band won the chance via the ‘Road To Lakefest’ competition.
Fran was born in Cambridge with Norwegian roots, and this indie-folk singer-songwriter’s lilting voice and explorative songwriting has been described as ‘dreamful’ and ‘truly transformative’. At age six, her grandmother bought her a guitar to stop her from sucking her thumb – a gift that sparked a lifelong relationship with music.
Released in 2025, her third EP “Big Old House” features four tracks: “Big Old House”, “Praying Mantis”, “Voices” and “Only In My Dreams”. Written and developed at her grandmother’s cabin in rural Norway, the songs journey through the dreamlike state one enters when isolated in the wilderness.
Fran’s work has resonated widely, earning significant editorial support from Spotify (New Music Friday UK, Fresh Finds, Fresh Finds Folk, Peach, The Most Beautiful Songs in The World, Lost In The Woods and more) and Apple Music, alongside recognition from BBC Introducing, BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 6.
In recent months, Fran has sold-out multiple headlines in London and Brighton, toured internationally twice and performed at at major festivals such as Secret Garden Party, Cambridge Folk Festival, Latitude, Glastonbury and HowTheLightGetsIn.
Hardcore Lakefest lovers from Shrewsbury: Hannah, Nia, Richard and Ellie. Their sixth year at the festival and they love it so much, they each got matching tattoos; the festival’s logo.
- Coverage of Lakefest days 2, 3 and 4 coming soon…
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