This weekend Nottingham waved goodbye to eighteen years of its biggest festival, Splendour. This late-July homegrown occasion welcomed over 25,000 guests into the grounds of Wollaton Hall & Deer Park each year. Here’s a look back at some of the highlights and what it’s provided to Nottingham in the long run...
1. Headliners after headliners
It goes without saying the beating heart of Splendour is of course its music . Whilst each festival hosts over 40 acts a year, there’s a comfortable balance of local acts and headliners, meaning that you can catch the big names or the next Nottingham hero. Giving it the send off it deserves, the recent 2026 Splendour saw headliners The Wombats, Snow Patrol and Primal Scream take to the stage alongside local and emerging artists.
In its first year back in 2008, Kate Nash, Paolo Nutini and Ocean Colour Scene set the bar high, followed by Madness and The Pogues in 2009. Last year a remarkable lineup consisted of Kaiser Chiefs, Echo and the Bunnymen, Bloc Party, Natasha Beddingfield, Sophie Ellis Bextor headlining, and many more. In fact, we’d be here forever naming the acts who have headlined, from golden oldies we don’t see touring much anymore to more recent gems that run our playlists. Wollaton Hall has seen Noel Gallagher and The Kooks (2023), Anne-Marie, The Human League and The Vamps (2022) and The Specials (2019) through its doors in the last few years alone.
2. Vicky McClure's Dementia Choir
Making their debut at Splendour in 2019, Nottingham’s Dementia Choir is a beautiful and unique staple of both Nottingham and Splendour. Performing for four consecutive years, this group has captured the soul of the Nottingham community and continuously raised awareness for those living with dementia.
After participating in a documentary about living with dementia, the choir has taken part in scientific studies to measure the impact music and singing has on the condition. Splendour has placed this choir centre-stage to celebrate the warmth, talent and courage of our Nottingham residents and it's been nothing short of spectacular.
3. The Future Sound of Nottingham
Running for over ten years now, the Future Sound of Nottingham is a yearly competition focused on local musicians and bands starting their musical careers. Organised by local organisation Nusic, a dedication to helping Nottingham musicians is the foundation of their work, supported yearly by Splendour and Rock City.
Each yearly winner is awarded with the opening slot on the Main Stage at Splendour that year – allowing our community and guests from afar catch local, up-and-coming artists before they one day blow up. During the competition, artists are marked on a criteria of stage presence and swagger, professionalism, performance and ‘suitability to Splendour’.
Previous finalists of Future Sound of Nottingham include ALT BLK ERA, Emily Makis and Bru-C. 2025’s Future Sound of Nottingham dual-winners R&B singer Saffron Gray and alt-rock band Archy & The Astronauts were celebrated in the spotlight last year, both artists often returning to local venues. This year the winners were grime collective Two2’s and Hip Hop artist Omari Marsalis.
4. Championing Nottingham artists
Speaking of artists who began their careers in the place we call home, it goes without saying that one of the biggest things cherished by Splendour has been local artists and its honouring of the city’s grassroots. Splendour has given local artists massive opportunities to help them reach their big break.
The Confetti Stage has completed a wonderful run in showcasing the latest talent, launching many careers for local musicians and bands. “I think that’s where our connection to Nusic comes in, and some of the things that have happened in Nottingham over the last few years. There’s now a bit of a story that we tell people: go and see the first band playing, because they might just be the next Jake Bugg.” Anton Lockwood told LeftLion back in 2019.
Bloodworm, Lyvia, Kezia Gill, The Publics, ALT BLK ERA and Swallowtail are also local artists who started on these stages.
5. Speaking of Jake Bugg…
Making his debut back in 2012, Jake Bugg is one of the biggest names to come out of this weekend festival. Only a year later, he was back to headline the main stage after his debut album reached number one.
Touring far and wide and yet remaining closely associated with Nottingham, the Clifton-raised local’s journey embodies Splendour's knack for championing homegrown talent before the rest of the world caught on.
6. Partying at Batman’s house
If all of that isn’t impressive enough, the setting itself is its own selling point. Perched at the top of the landscape, Wollaton Hall’s Elizabethan exterior has provided a spectacular backdrop for 18 years of celebrations. And, if you’re more of a film geek than a history one, you might recognise Wayne Manor in Christopher Nolan’s 2012 blockbuster, The Dark Knight Rises.
7. Local venue partnerships
For many Splendour may have been a weekend in the sun, but really it was a culmination of Nottingham's year-round music scene. DHP Family is one of the UK’s leading companies in music management and promotion established in Nottingham, meaning Splendour artists often play venues like Rock City, Rescue Rooms and The Bodega.
The Bodega New Stage keeps to the venue’s ethos in nurturing up-and-coming artists, often rehosting acts from Pelham Street like Bloodworm, Keo and Swallowtail.
Whilst completing its final weekend, Splendour has created an ecosystem of local music with DHP and Nottingham City Council, which isn't set to recede any time soon.
8. Environmental initiatives
As the curtains close for Splendour, the impacts of their environmental initiatives will live on. Splendour is only one of eighteen festivals celebrated for its efforts in the 2011 Greener Festival Awards – recycling more than nine tonnes of glass, paper, plastic and cans.
Noise levels remained in the correct levels, the park’s resident deer staying undisturbed, with buses running from Wollaton Hall to the city centre, massively reducing emissions released from the festival. Splendour also has tended to source traders using environmental and ethical products like biodegradable containers and fair trade produce.
9. A taste of Nottingham
The all round community spirit doesn't stop at the music and stages, but also comes straight from the bar. Nottinghamshire breweries like Black Iris, Blue Monkey, Castle Rock, Lenton Lane, Shipstones and Hollow Stone have all regularly featured at the occasion.
10. Memories with family and friends
Overall, Splendour has provided attendees with some wonderful memories through the years. In its partnership with Nottingham City Council, cheaper tickets were sold to city residents and university students, inviting Nottingham people to immerse themselves in a bit of local culture.
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