Festival review: LeftLion at Y Not 2026

With any festival of this size, no two experiences will be the same. Here's our pick of this year's acts over the Saturday and Sunday...

BBC Introducing East Midlands legend Tom Hewitt returned to Y Not this year after his iconic performance on The Quarry stage in 2025. This year, Tom was found in The Pit getting the Saturday well underway with a performance that reminds us why he owns the title of local legend and alongside classics heard on BBC Introducing, an exciting insight was given into what's to come next.

Other local legends on the cusp of stardom, Bloodworm proved at Y Not why they are a name to keep an eye out for in the years to come. It is always a pleasure to see a local act perform at a hometown festival as the energy, pride and support from festival goers is overwhelming and this was not neglected during Bloodworm’s set. Where acts can easily blend into one when your weekend is full of music, viewers here will be walking away with their name burned into their memory. Their time at Y Not was a brief glimpse into what they have to offer and after their set alongside their summer festival tour, their hometown show at Rescue Rooms this October will be in the running for local gig of the year. 

Travelling more than the initial 1000 miles she sings about, Vanessa Cartlon journeyed from across the pond to arrive at Pikehall with a set of underground tracks to newly welcomed fans as well as her smash hits that allowed her to hold the people of Pikehall in the palm of her hand. Meanwhile, Manchester indie four-piece Cottons returned to Y Not for their second year and somehow exceeded the talent they delivered in 2025. This won’t be the last time they appear at Y Not and should bets be made, the successful ones will be that Cottons are an act soon to appear on The Big Gin stage. 

Getting up off the couch and taking a break from being fan favourites on Celebrity Gogglebox, Shaun and Bez brought the 90’s in wheelbarrows of nostalgia to the Big Gin stage on Saturday afternoon. Drawing in a sea of bucket hats and retro sunglasses the Happy Mondays got the festivities well underway through the soundtrack of the clubbing scene decades ago as well as anecdotes of their activities in that time. Despite many not being the most child friendly, Bez throwing his maracas to a young girl at the end of the set certainly made up for it.

The view of The Clause was not one to brag about as the tent was overflowing to such an extent that it was impossible to see them but the sound that came out of The Quad during their time there was one that very much made up for it. For any aspiring artists who look up to The Clause, their talent and stage presence all made for a Fever Dream as it was clear that the band, as they so rightly sang, were in their element.

If in the years to come The Vaccines were announced as Y Not headliners then a right decision has been made as they had a capacity in the Big Gin field to justify a headline act. Standing alongside a fanbase that was the most visibly dedicated throughout the whole weekend. A set list full of tracks well known, made Pikehall one huge Vaccines choir to accompany the multiple moshpits that were formed throughout the hour they owned the stage.

Being from only 20 minutes up the road in Buxton, Lucy Spraggan was an act that holds Y Not very close to her heart and that easily translated through her passion whilst on stage. Taking to The Quad on Saturday evening Lucy simultaneously delivered a set of new material which received a positive reception alongside her greatest hits such as Last Night (Beer Fear) and Lucky Stars - to which it seemed not a single body in the overflowing tent was not singing along. 

Another band of Y Not favourites came back again predicting a riot while using the staging rig as their own playground. Unfortunately, the helter skelter was further away from that stage than it was for Ricky Wilson at Zwarte Cross so we didn’t see anymore of those viral moments. But that was not to say Kaiser Chiefs didn't make up for it. 

Taking a breather from performing Beauty School Dropout in his current role as Teen Angel in Grease: The Immersive Movie Musical, Ricky Wilson and his merry men packed Pikehall with a rock set that proved this band only gets better as the years go on. 

The Kaiser Chiefs are another act that could effortlessly headline Y Not and that will surely be seen in future years, but for 2026, they perfectly got the crowd warmed up for the Saturday night headliners...

Rounding out Saturday night, Two Door Cinema Club delivered their hit album Tourist History in its entirety. 16 years after its release, TDCC revived tracks they’ve not played for over a decade alongside their greatest hit What You Know. There was a reason why they had the prime time slot of this weekend, too, as what felt like every individual at Pikehall that day was gathered around The Big Gin Stage. 

Suited and booted, TDCC played each track in a style that almost felt nonchalant as they’re such natural performers. In contrast to this the field displayed ahead of them were bouncing up and down reciting each and every lyric, proving that TDCC are acts worthy of the platform they have worked so hard to obtain. 

A key moment of not only this set but the whole weekend was the six-minutes that saw Undercover Martyn and What You Know as the energy emitted from the Pikehall crowd was something normally only seen by acts that are filling stadiums across the globe. It made Y Not feel like Glastonbury.

Sunday gave festival-goers a final opportunity to revive their energies and create another set of Y Not memories. Derby born and formed The Last Orders opened the final day on The Big Gin stage to an audience full of new listeners alongside supportive fans whose pride in the band’s largest accomplishment to date was worn proudly on their faces. A barrier full of The Last Orders T-shirts made it appear that they were headline acts and an attitude to match it made it a pleasure to watch. As they delivered a confident 30-minute set, including tracks from their latest EP To be Young, TLO proved they have found their sound.

Returning to the stage in which they played their first main stage festival set, but this time with Izzy Baxter Phillips in a Tesco carrier-bag top, Black Honey revived 00's punk in a fresh manner. Delivering songs such as Dead, which resembled an intriguing sonic combination of Radiohead and Avril Lavigne, and dedicating closing offering Cream to “the gays and theys”, many from Pikehall were knighted as new fans of Black Honey. 

When entering The Giant Squid stage on Sunday afternoon, any new viewers could not have predicted the fever dream that was about to be delivered by local Derbyshire group, Raised By Owls. Appearing at 3:15pm to Vengaboys’ Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom! there was an expectation that a pop set was about to be delivered to which that was quickly quashed as the insanely impressive screamo-vocals leading frontman Sam Strachan set the scene. 

“Y Not if you have no idea who we are then we are so sorry in advance..."

What would come next was something that will stick with watchers forever as during the band's set we were treated to an artificial phallus wielding Mr Blobby patrolling the stage as the band played, a war of the pronunciation of "scones" was declared and Strachan hosted a gameshow between tracks where prizes were to be won and enthusiasm was elevated for keen fans. 

Undoubtedly, Raised By Owls are one of their own and are doing something that nobody else is. More impressively they entertain with a humorous manner all while delivering an industry standard level of talent. Undoubtedly one of the best acts of the weekend. 

Another outstanding live band and one whose momentum is unstoppable at the moment are the Lottery Winners. After concluding their tour supporting Robbie Williams and a hometown stadium headline, they show absolutely no signs of slowing down and their Y Not set was proof as to why they are gaining the platform they deserve. Beyond masterclass tracks, frontman Thom Rylance was full of quick wit, energy and inspiring stories, one of which was told before they debuted an unreleased track Steady We Go. 

Wrapping up their festival circuit on The Quarry stage, Irish four-piece Brooki delivered a performance that only the experienced and wickedly talented are capable of. Frequently compared to having “the honesty of Jeff Buckley and grit of early PJ Harvey” it is a comparison that is beyond accurate. Despite not having any music out on mainstream streaming platforms their music has already formed a dedicated fan base and Amber in particular was a track that stood out. Then, there was nothing but life on the dance floor throughout Sophie Ellis Bextor’s 90’s disco infused medleys and constant crowd pleasers. Before the climax of her 45 minute set with Murder on the Dance Floor, Sophie shared that she was at Y Not three years prior and it was one of the first festivals she brought her children to. 

Within just a week of wrapping up their arena tour supporting North East legend Sting, Dea Matrona arrived at Pikehall full of energy ready to pitch tracks from their latest album Hate That I Care ahead of their November tour across the UK. The title track was one in particular that became popular in The Quarry stage and playing new material, something normally a challenge to artists, came so natural to Dea Matrona, 

After eight long years for Rizzle Kicks fans, the boys are back and what Happy Mondays were to those who grew up in the 90’s, it felt as though Rizzle Kicks were to those who grew up in the 2010’s. Full of pure nostalgia fueled energy, the second they stepped on stage the first packed audience of the Sunday was captivated. So much so that one particular festival goer's energy was spotted by Jordan. Local lad, Kian, was caught back flipping in the crowd along to the boys' hit Skip to the Good Bit and was then invited on stage by Jordan to repeat the backflip as they performed their latest single Livin’ The Dream. 

Whether you have been listening to Rizzle Kicks since you were a youngster or a new fan getting down with the trumpets, Rizzle Kicks will be back in a few months as they headline Rock City on their newly announced tour. 

Jake Shears and his sisters may not have initially felt like it, but the countless Y Not goers standing ahead of The Big Gin stage on Sunday evening certainly did feel like dancing. Opening their set with just that hit, a level of energy flooded Pike Hall and something most artists could find admirable, that electric energy did not drop for a single second the Scissor Sisters were commanding that stage. Accompanied by a fantastically camp stage set of a gigantic pair of inflatable scissors, a military jeep and a payphone which was later answered and held an invite for a kiki, the Scissor Sisters took us on a whistle stop tour of their greatest hits that were the soundtrack to so many lives throughout the 00’s. 

Their 75 minute set was full of flamboyant outfit changes, huge pom pom monsters and a celebration of life, love and pride. More importantly in the short time they had on stage, they created a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, an environment for each and everyone to be themselves without fear of judgement and there was not an ounce of negativity amongst the sea of smiling faces and dancing bodies. Everything that music should be about, the Sisters delivered tenfold. 

On a personal note, they were the absolute highlight of the weekend (and after speaking to other attendees, that was a common opinion). As somebody that has seen the biggest names in music from all generations, across some of the biggest venues out there, the Scissor Sisters are very much one of the greatest live acts I have ever seen. Should their ongoing reunion continue in the years to come it could not be encouraged more to take your mama, your father, your friends and go see them as it's an experience like no other and as they will remind you throughout, they are the Scissor Sisters and so are we! 

Performing at the same time as a legendary act on the closing night is a challenge but the turnout for the Snuts packing out The Quarry stage and delivering a set worthy of the main stage is why they were selected to take on said challenge. Opening with Gloria, the set was off to an eclectic start and the power, passion and dedication to their art was held to an admirable high standard for the entirety of their set. 

To wrap up arguably Y Not’s greatest weekend yet, The Streets took to The Big Gin stage to perform their second studio album, A Grand Don’t Come For Free in its entirety. An opportunity to hear any artist's album start to finish live is incredibly rare, but to hear an album included in the “1001 albums you need to hear before you die” is an experience few get to behold - and was one Y Not seized. As the final mass gathering of Y Not stood before The Big Gin, Mike Skinner replicated the iconic album cover on the stage; and as The Streets began to play It Was Supposed to Be so Easy, Mike emerged from the iconic bus stop. From the first note sung, Y Not was captivated for the story about to be told. 

As the album was performed, The Streets took immense live detail that felt like theatre and it fit perfectly into the story telling that AGDCFF delivers. Band members only interacted with each other, refused to break the fourth wall and delivered lyrics to one another as though they were words out of a script. Mike graffitied “Y Not is Tony Backwards” on the bus stop during Not Addicted and then invited the audience to become part of the story through their eruptive reaction to Fit but You Know It which was accompanied with crowd surfing, flares and a snake created of empty beer crate boxes. 

Towards the end of the set came a personal favourite, Dry Your Eyes. Originally featuring Coldplay’s Chris Martin on the chorus, it was soon replaced with Mike himself and that change is one favoured by fans as the delivery creates a raw emotion that is only elevated live.  Wrapping up their set and Y Not 2026, The Streets came out with their hit Take Me as I am and, taking it literally, Mike entered the crowd holding an inflatable alien, was lifted and carried by the festival goers taking Mike as he was, a worthy headliner, musical genius and beloved artist. 

So dry your eyes mate, I know it’s hard to hear but there’s plenty more gigs in the sea. For each attendee, the post concert blues will be in full swing but we can provide you with the reassurance that it’ll quickly come back around and super early bird tickets are already on sale ahead of Y Not's 20th year - one we are sure will be the biggest to date.

Next year's event runs from Friday 30 July to Sunday 1 August 2027.

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