Y Not? Festival pulled in more than 25,000 music fans to Derbyshire’s picturesque Peak District for four days from 1st August, for the 2024 edition of the Y Not? Festival – with headliners Snow Patrol, Jamie T, Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds, and the Kaiser Chiefs.
They were joined by a superb menu of supporting acts such as The Kooks, Declan McKenna, The Vaccines, Jake Bugg, Frank Turner, Katy B, Scouting for Girls, Pale Waves, The View, ADMT, The Snuts, Bleach Lab, SOFY, and many more.
The festival kicked off in style on Thursday with the Kaiser Chiefs topping the bill. Frontman Ricky Wilson and the band delivered a long line of indie bangers, from “Ruby,” to “Oh My God,” to “Never Miss A Beat” for the first night.
Earlier, Scouting for Girls received a rapturous welcome, with frontman Roy Stride exclaiming, “Y Not, it’s so good to be here. What about this weather? Blue skies in the Peak District!”
Their sunset performance, including the mass singalong track, “She’s So Lovely,” was a perfect opener. Other acts kick starting the festival included Ten Tonnes, Shady Baby, The Crooks, Lexi Caroll and Dead Pony.
Snow Patrol headlined Friday night, delivering a powerful performance led by Gary Lightbody. “We’ve got a new album coming out in a fortnight, and this is the new single,” Gary announced before debuting, “The Beginning.”
The crowd was treated to emotional renditions of “Run,” “Chocolate,” and “Open Your Eyes,” culminating in a euphoric singalong to “Chasing Cars”, and a high-energy closer with “Just Say Yes.”
Sunday saw Noel Gallagher and the High Flying Birds close out the festival. Noel played new hits like “Pretty Boy” and “Council Skies,” alongside Oasis classics such as “Half the World Away,” “The Masterplan,” and “Little by Little.”
The night reached a high with a massive singalong to “Don’t Look Back in Anger.” Noel, reflecting on the end of his own live tour, said: “This is the last night of our tour, we’ve been on tour for over a year so we’re sick of the sight of each other. I don’t know if I’ll tour again, we’ve got to write an album first.”
The Kooks also brought sunshine to the festival, playing fan favourites like “Seaside” and “She Moves in Her Own Way”. Other acts on Friday included Soft Play, Black Honey, Jake Bugg, Lottery Winners, New Dad and Mysterines.
Saturday night, Jamie T’s set included anthems like “Sticks ‘n’ Stones,” “Sheila,” and “If You Got The Money.”
Jamie expressed his appreciation for the headlining slot: “You don’t know how happy and proud we are to be here tonight. I know it looks like we don’t give a f**k, but we do”.
The day also featured strong performances from Frank Turner, Deco, Do Nothing, Shy FX and others.
The Vaccines pumped up the crowd with tracks like “Post Break-Up Sex,” “Wetsuit,” and the anthem “All My Friends.”
Holly Humberstone, BRIT Award winner from Lincolnshire, captivated, her set culminating in her fabulous track “Scarlett.”
Stoke-on-Trent’s Lissy Taylor brought her vibrant energy to the stage, with hits “Young” and “She’s a Stunner.”
The festival also saw the return of King Pleasure and the Biscuit Boys with their jazz and swing tunes. Other highlights included Nieve Ella, Cucamaras, Katy B, Bez, Bob Vylan and many more.
- Tickets for next year’s edition are on sale from 12 noon this Friday, 9th August 2024.
Photos by: James Haseldine, Georgina Hurdsfield, Ami Ford & Bethan Miller
Words: Amelia Hill
