Y Not? Festival 2026 is here; Friday, day two. The weather still glorious, and the gorgeous Peak District landscape looks stunning. Dry as a bone and in desperate need of some rain. But festival-goers prefer the rays for the next few days.
The Greenview Farm, Pikehall site will welcome 40,000 people daily capacity across the four days. The sold out 19th edition of Y Not?, which has become an unmissable fixture in the North’s music calendar and renowned for its quality line-ups.
Music fans have travelled from all over the UK and overseas for this annual bash since 2005. It began life as an over-spilling house party in “deepest” Derbyshire; and Y Not has stayed homegrown and true to its roots ever since.
This year the punchy lineup is headlined by The Libertines on day one, The Reytons today (Friday), Two Door Cinema Club (Saturday) and The Streets close the final day. Plus a sparkling supporting cast.
Day two headliners, Rotherham’s The Reytons draw probably the biggest crowd of the first two days. Including a good number of utter fools letting off flares. The huge pyro flames shooting up on stage during the first few songs certainly looked spectacular, but surprised me and many others in the crowd with the current drought and ban on flares and lanterns and barbecues etc.
But it all went off without incident thank goodness. Other than reports of more than 50 people losing their mobile phones in the arena during the headliners’ set. Hope they got them back, but hardly any signal at all onsite so they are not much use.
The band’s frontman Jonny Yerrell told us “we are back on our doorstep” after playing across the US. “The rules for tonight are I want to see you jumping around like dickheads, and enjoying yourselves”. Many took him up on that invite and perhaps that is why so many lost their phones?
Lots of big energy on stage, mirrored by the crowd. Amazing that this band are big enough to headline a 40,00 capacity festival and tour the US, yet they release their own records these days, telling the crowd they are still an “unsigned” band. He said, “We don’t need Radio 1 and Radio X; all we need is you guys streaming music and buying tickets. We control the narrative”, to loud cheers.
They have three albums under their belts. “Kids Off The Estate” in 2021, [Scuff of the Neck records], which achieved # 11 UK chart position, and the two self-released LPs, “What’s Rock and Roll” in 2023 [chart hit @ # 1] and “Ballad of a Bystander” in 2024, which got to # 2 in the chart. Plus five EPs and 2024 live album “Clifton Park”, which captured their biggest headline show to date to 20,000 people, and got them to # 5 in the UK chart.
At Y Not festival, Jonny, Joe O’Brien, Lee Holland and Jamie Todd aka The Reytons, played a blinder and well deserved that coveted headline spot. A superb way to close proceedings on Friday, and still two more days of great music to come. Bring it on!
UK rap star Dizzee Rascal blasts off on the main stage in the Friday sunshine. Joined by DJ MK and a fellow rapper,[whose name is unknown], and he goes down a storm for the huge crowd, who chanted “We want bass”, before he burst onto the stage in all-white and a naughty slogan on his shirt; aptly launching the set with “Foxtrot Oscar”.
During the second song a frenzied mosh pit broke out at the front, which sent a few people flying, leading to Mr Rascal stopping the music and shouting out,”Woah. Health and safety, health and safety. We’re here to make sure people are nice and safe. If you’re going to be doing that mosh pit sh*t, cool, but make sure you’re built for it!”
During the third song he divided the crowd in half to see who was louder, and ending with getting everyone in each half to put their middle fingers in the air and aim them towards the other half. How very dare you! He gave us some very decent stuff from his imminent new album “We Want Bass”, due 4th September. Excellent show @ Y Not 2026 from Dizzee.
Another winning set on Friday was delivered by Manchester’s Pale Waves on The Quarry stage. Formed in 2014, fronted by Heather Baron-Gracie, they have released four albums on the Dirty Hit label, making chart positions, eight, three, four and their most recent,”Smitten” in September 2024, peaked at # 14. The EP “Live From Metropolis Studios” came out in December 2024.
Comedian, writer and actor Lucy Beaumont filled the large tent called Flamingo Jacks on Friday. Excellent set and no spoilers from me; so let’s just say she was very funny!
The Lilacs are upgraded from their 4pm slot on the second stage to a prime 1.30pm performance on the main ‘Big Gin’ stage. A sensible decision judging from the size of the crowd. Frontman Ollie Anglesea looking excitedly taken aback as he walked on stage to see this enormous crowd there for his band.
Formed in 2018 in Wigan, The Lilacs are lead singer Ollie Anglesea and Sam Birchall on lead guitar – who were in a previous band together – drummer Dave Gomersall and bassist Matt Johnson. They signed to Manchester label Scuff Of The Neck records and released the EP “395 (To Forever”), which made the top 20 in the UK charts in 2025.
Their high energy indie sound, influenced by the likes of Artic Monkeys, Oasis and The Stone Roses was spot on for the main stage to get things cracking for the musical menu on offer today. Fabulous to see guitarist Sam in fine form having been given the all-clear from cancer after surgery and chemo earlier this year, after the band cancelled their 2025 tour. l
One aspect of day two, which left me and many others in the crowd I spoke to, feeling a wee bit uneasy about, was the fact quite a few people were letting off flares in the main arena. The ground is bone dry and there have already been wild fires in the region in recent weeks/days, and scary scenes on the TV news of fire crews battling to get them under control.
And despite online warnings from the Y Not Festival organisers in the run up to the event this year, that there is a big fire risk with the drought and parched landscape around the area – so flares, barbecues, lanterns, naked flames of any sort are BANNED on site – some utter morons think it acceptable to flout the ban and smuggle flares onto the site and let them off.
Lots during The Royston Club’s set and for The Reytons headline set on Friday. Not sure if security is enforcing the ban or not. Hope so for everybody’s safety. Even without the drought and the ban, they are a bloody nuisance.
But Welsh band The Royston Club put in a good shift, with plenty of flags from their homeland on view including on stage, and a few footie shirts for the national side in the crowd and for Wrexham where the boys are from.
The band started out in Wrexham in 2019, formed by Tom Faithfull (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Ben Matthias (lead guitar), Dave Tute (bass), and Sam Jones (drums). Two albums so far: “Shaking Hips and Crashing Cars” in 2023, which peaked at # 16 in the UK chart, and 2025’s “Songs For The Spine”, a number four chart hit.
Over on The Quarry stage, veteran indie/Brit pop band Sleeper do their thing with sheer class, with the legendary Louise Wener still fronting the four-piece which formed in London in 1992. The band had had eight UK top 40 hit singles and three UK top 10 albums during the 1990s.
Their music was also featured in the soundtrack of the cult film “Trainspotting”. Sleeper disbanded in 1998, reuniting in 2017. Louise was one of Britpop’s biggest female stars, and enjoyed significant media coverage, including an NME front cover and a slot as guest presenter of Top of the Pops.
Scottish stalwarts The Fratellis on the main stage enter to a recording of “The Infernal Gallop” aka “The Can Can” song. They augment the lineup today with three very lively backing singers having fun, and a two-piece horn section. Kicking off with their first top 20 hit, second single “Henrietta”, and song three is a cover of the unofficial anthem for the Scottish football team, “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie”, a hit for Spanish disco duo Baccara in 1977. The song prompting a huge singalong at Y Not. The Fratellis turned in one of the strongest performances of the first two days.
Their debut album “Costello Music”, which won the band a BRIT award, is 20 years old now, featuring Top Ten hits in the U.K., “Chelsea Dagger” [which they closed their set with today], and “Whistle for the Choir.” The Fratellis were formed in Glasgow by vocalist/guitarist Jon Fratelli, drummer Mince Fratelli, and bassist Barry Fratelli. They say the band’s moniker was a homage to Barry’s original surname, but it is also suggested that the Fratellis borrowed it from Steven Spielberg’s film The Goonies.
The Fratellis returned to the UK charts in 2008 with “Mistress Mabel,” a track from their polished sophomore effort, “Here We Stand”. In 2013 their third studio album “We Need Medicine” arrived. They recorded their fourth album in L.A. and “Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied” was released in August 2015. In 2017, they began work on their fifth album, “In Your Own Sweet Time”, appearing in March 2018. Three years later they released their sixth and last album “Half Drunk Under a Full Moon”.
A young band this magazine tips for big things is Cherryholt from the East Midlands. Their Friday afternoon set on the Quarry stage was part of BBC Introducing curating the first three bands of the day. The place was rammed. The band are introduced by the BBC’s Dean Jackson, and delivered a powerful and energetic set which prompted a loud and raucous response.
A band definitely on the ascent, often likened to The Kooks and The Strokes. Cherryholt is frontman Reuben Baskerville, alongside Dylan Austwick on drums, Daniel Goldspink on keyboard, and twins Harvey and Ben Walsh on lead guitar and bass. They had a viral “hit” with their track “Irresistible”, landing multiple live dates sharing the stage with both The Wombats and Red Rum Club. Our bet is they are back at Y Not next year for the 20th anniversary bash, and on the main stage this time.
Check out our coverage of Thursday – with Saturday and Sunday coming soon…
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