Festival Review: Y Not 2026 – Thursday
THURSDAY
The Libertines | Y Not Festival | Photo by: Joe Hart
Here we are again, back to that beautiful field in Derbyshire, the one that somehow becomes home for four days every summer. Y Not Festival 2026 was calling and after covering the festival for the last couple of years, we knew exactly what was waiting for us… Music, mates, questionable decisions, sore feet and a shed load of brilliant bands to discover.
This year however, getting through the gates wasn’t quite the smooth start we’d become accustomed to. Arriving on Thursday, we were dropped off in a different area to the previous couple of years, which unfortunately meant a much longer queue and a considerably longer wait than usual. In previous years we’d been through the whole process in around half an hour but this time people were reportedly waiting close to two hours before even getting onto the campsite, never mind finding a pitch and getting everything set up.
It’s frustrating at the time, you’ve travelled up, you’ve got all your gear with you and all you want to do is get the tent up and get that first festival beer in your hand but as always with festivals, once you’ve finally got everything set up, you’ve got your camp sorted and you’re sat down with a drink, all of that quickly becomes yesterday’s problem.
Our Home | Y Not Festival | Photo by: Marc Whiffen
We managed to get ourselves a decent spot in Paradise Peaks, where we’ve stayed previously, our tactic is always the same, get as close to that back fence as possible and claim a bit of territory.
Arriving on Thursday definitely gives you a better chance of finding a decent spot and this year we had enough space for our Hull-based mates Bri and Holly to join us as neighbours. That gave us something of a communal area between the tents, a little festival village of our own, then on Friday, Ben and Jade arrived and squeezed into the community too.
This is one of the best things about Y Not, you don’t just go to a festival, you build a temporary little world around yourself for four days. Friends become neighbours, strangers become drinking partners and by Sunday everyone feels like they’ve been living in the same field forever.
Nikki, Holly, Bri & Me | Y Not Festival | Photo by: Nikki Wilson
Thursday is also a great opportunity to get yourself acclimatised to festival life before the arena gets absolutely rammed. There’s something quite nice about wandering around the site when you’ve got a little more room to breathe, checking out what’s changed and figuring out where everything is going to be for the next four days.
We headed over to the press tent to introduce ourselves and were greeted by a few familiar faces, including Blake and Faye. Blake joked last year that he never actually goes home and that eventually they just build the festival around him. Well… We’re starting to think that might not have been a joke, there he was again, sat in exactly the same place with the same grin on his face.
As we started exploring the site, Deco were playing a rather interesting version of The Verve‘s ‘Bittersweet Symphony‘, it immediately stopped us in our tracks. Rather than the usual indie anthem we’ve all heard a thousand times, this was an 80s-inspired synth reimagining of the track and honestly, it was a proper eye-opener, It’s always interesting hearing a song you’ve known for years completely flipped on its head and this was a great example of just how differently a familiar track can sound when it’s given a completely different identity.
That’s the beauty of festivals, you can go in with a plan but you never really know what you’re going to stumble across and speaking of stumbling across things…
Me and Pete Doherty | Y Not Festival | Photo by: Marc Whiffen
On our first lap of the festival, we found ourselves near the Helter Skelter when we noticed Pete Doherty walking directly towards us! The Libertines were playing later that night and here was Pete, casually wandering around the festival before his headline set. A proper pinch yourself moment.
That’s what makes Y Not such a brilliant festival, one minute you’re wandering around looking for a stage, the next you’re walking towards one of the biggest names on the bill.
We carried on exploring and started noticing just how much the festival had grown, there were more outdoor stages dotted around the site, although some weren’t open yet, giving us a glimpse of what was to come over the following days.
One of the most eye-catching new additions was Dubtendo, a stage designed to look like a giant Nintendo DS. Yes, you read that correctly a Nintendo DS, which was to host Dubstep to Nintendo game soundtracks, this needs to be seen to be believed, trust me.
Sub Culture | Y Not Festival | Photo by: Elliot Hingston
Further down was Sub Culture, another new dance-focused area which immediately caught our attention. The whole thing looked incredibly impressive, with what appeared to be giant angel totem poles standing around the outside.
Y Not seems to get a little bigger every year but importantly, it still manages to retain that slightly bonkers charm that makes it feel different from the bigger and more corporate festivals.
One of the biggest changes this year was the disappearance of This Feeling‘s Allotment. Instead, the area had been completely transformed and joined up with the Hog & Barrel, with the two venues now sitting alongside each other like a couple of old-school saloon bars.
The Hog & Barrel had been given more of a traditional pub feel, while This Feeling had evolved into The Pit and what a name. The Pit looked like the perfect place to discover grassroots bands, the sort of venue where you walk in knowing absolutely nothing about who’s playing and walk out convinced you’ve just found your new favourite band.
The Pit | Y Not Festival | Photo by: Matt Greenwell
The sheet-style covering over the top was another really nice touch, it moved with the wind and gave the whole place a slightly theatrical look. It actually reminded us a little of the set up for Fred Again‘s Ally Pally residency earlier this year.
Hard-Fi | Y Not Festival | Photo by: ChappersPhotography
When you first arrive at a festival, it’s very easy to fall out of sync with the set times, you’re exploring, you’re chatting, you’re getting drinks, you’re bumping into people and before you know it you’ve missed half the band you wanted to see, that’s exactly what happened with Hard-Fi.
We only caught the tail end of their set as we approached the main stage but they appeared to have pulled a really healthy crowd for a Thursday afternoon, with the Derbyshire sunshine doing its bit to make the whole thing feel even more like summer had finally arrived.
From there it was back towards The Pit for local lads The Public Eye, they had pulled an absolutely massive crowd, with so many people packed into the venue that plenty were spilling outside and watching from the surrounding area. We were part of that crowd, drink in hand from the Hog & Barrel, taking in the atmosphere from the outside.
This year also saw a change to the way people moved between the main stage and The Quarry. Previously, the footpath between the two stages had been turned into a one-way system after a certain time which could make getting from one side of the festival to the other a bit of a pain in the arse. This time around, that system wasn’t in place, Instead, the path was split into two directions, allowing people to move either way.
It might sound like a small thing but it made a massive difference, being able to bounce between stages without feeling like you’re fighting against a human tide was a very welcome improvement.
Ash | Y Not Festival | Photo by: ChappersPhotography
Next up, it was time to head towards the Big Gin, the festival’s main stage for a bit of festival favourites Ash. One thing was immediately obvious, Thursday felt considerably busier than previous years.
Ash are one of those bands who seem to have been permanently present in British indie culture, they’ve been around since the 90s but unlike plenty of bands from that era, they’ve never simply relied on nostalgia, they’re still making new music, they’re still touring and they’re still capable of putting on a bloody good set, the set being that good that Pete Doherty couldn’t resist having a peak.
Pete Doherty watching Ash | Y Not Festival | Photo by: ChapperPhotography
Their Thursday performance was a mixture of old favourites and newer material, including their brilliant take on Harry Belafonte‘s ‘Jump In The Line‘, which features on their latest album ‘Ad Astra‘, it’s an absolutely perfect festival cover, everybody knows it, everybody recognises that opening rhythm and before you know it, half the field is joining in. Ash give it their own rockier edge, turning what is already an infectious tune into a proper festival weapon.
‘Shining Light‘ brought one of those huge festival singalongs, before ‘Girl From Mars‘ and ‘Burn Baby Burn‘ had the 40 something year olds in the crowd instantly transported back to their youth.
The Slates | Y Not Festival | Photo by: @PhotosByRobbo
The Thursday afternoon chill was officially over, now it was time to start bouncing between stages and it was back to The Pit for The Slates.
We’ve said it before and we’ll probably keep saying it until they finally explode, this is a band who somehow get better and bigger every single time we see them, last year we said it felt like their time was coming but rather than suddenly going all-in and trying to force that moment, they’ve continued to build steadily, properly with new tunes, new attitude, more confidence and an even heavier groove.
The old favourites ‘Calling Up‘ and ‘Hello, Don’t You Know?‘ now feel almost like warm-up exercises for what’s to come next when the new tunes arrive. Unreleased ‘YIS‘ and ‘Hot Wings‘ are now the assault in the set, where the carnage really begins, mosh pits opening and circles forming, dust was flying everywhere and The Pit became exactly what its name promised. It was sweaty, chaotic and absolutely brilliant.
There is something about The Slates that makes them feel like they’re on the verge of something, they’ve got that extra ingredient that you can’t manufacture, you can see it in the crowd, you can hear it in the reaction and you can feel it in the way the band are carrying themselves.
They’re taking the slow-and-steady approach, building their following brick by brick rather than trying to force the issue but when they finally decide to go all in, we genuinely believe they’re going to be a serious contender for the next big thing. This set felt like watching a group of lads transition into something much bigger, like the boys are blossoming into men and right now The Slates are THE most exciting band coming through the grassroots scene.
The Libertines | Y Not Festival | Photo by: ChappersPhotography
Still buzzing from The Slates, there was barely enough time to catch our breath before it was back to the main stage because next up were The Libertines.
After The Wombats and Kaiser Chiefs occupying the Thursday headline slot in previous years, Y Not had clearly decided to go big this time around and The Libertines felt like a serious statement.
It was particularly special for Nikki, who had only seen The Libertines once before and that was without Pete Doherty, so this was a moment she’d been waiting for.
The Libertines got off to a strong start, I was paticularly happy with ‘The Delaney‘ early doors and ‘What Became of the Likely Lads‘ following, these immediately grabbing hold of what was a considerably bigger Thursday crowd than we’ve experienced in previous years.
It’s almost impossible not to be drawn into the chemistry between Pete Doherty and Carl Barât. Whatever the history between the pair, when they’re stood together on stage, there is something both electric and romantic about it.
This was my first time seeing the band since the release of their latest album ‘All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade‘ and the newer material gave the set another dimension. ‘Night of the Hunter‘ and ‘Shiver‘ sounded huge in the festival setting and made the performance feel more than simply a nostalgia trip.
The backdrop was another nice touch, the album artwork, depicting The Libertines‘ Margate home The Albion Rooms, filled the stage. From certain angles, it genuinely looked as though the band were playing on the street outside the hotel.
The Libertines | Y Not Festival | Photo by: Marc Whiffen
Then came one of our own little Y Not tradition, every Thursday headline set we like to get on the Ferris wheel overlooking the main stage. There’s something pretty special about watching a headline set from up there, especially as the sun starts disappearing behind the Derbyshire hills. This year we timed it perfectly, We were up in the air for ‘Baron’s Claw‘ and ‘Up The Bracket‘, Not a bad little double to watch from a Ferris wheel at all.
It’s one of those festival moments that doesn’t really need explaining. You’re high above thousands of people, the sun is going down, The Libertines are playing below and the entire field is glowing.
Afterwards we managed to get ourselves back into a decent position for ‘Run Run Run‘, that one was particularly special for us, we first heard Carl Barât play the song in Grimsby back in 2022, long before we knew it would eventually become a Libertines track, so to now hear it being played by The Libertines on the main stage at Y Not was a proper full-circle moment.
The band eventually moved into the closing stages with two absolutely massive tunes, first came ‘Time for Heroes‘, which featured a very special intro of The Stone Roses‘ ‘Waterfall‘ and then, inevitably, ‘Don’t Look Back Into The Sun‘, two songs that had thousands of people singing together and provided the perfect ending to the first day on the Big Gin Stage.
If we’re being brutally honest, we did feel The Libertines slightly short-changed themselves by playing the Thursday headline slot, this is a band who could quite comfortably headline any day of the weekend but at the same time, there probably wasn’t a better way to kick Y Not 2026 into gear. The important thing was that the band looked like they were enjoying themselves, the crowd certainly were and at the end of the day, that’s what festivals are about, thousands of people standing together in a field, singing songs they love and forgetting about everything else for the next four days.
Two years ago after the headliners we headed straight back to the tent, last year we realised that was a massive mistake, once the headliners finish, Y Not almost feels like it enters another gear, last year we discovered just how much was still going on after the main stage had finished and ended up staying out until kick-out every night, so this year there was no chance we were going back to bed.
The Pit was hosting tribute bands after the headliners this year and normally tribute acts aren’t really our thing, then we saw The Strokes UK were playing straight after The Libertines! The Libertines followed by The Strokes? That’s about as dream of a Thursday night line-up as you could ask for, unfortunately, everyone else had apparently had exactly the same idea, The Pit was absolutely rammed, getting inside was almost impossible. We managed to catch a track before admitting defeat and heading back out into the night.
Big Indie Disco | Y Not Festival | Photo by: Marc Whiffen
We wandered around until we eventually found ourselves at The Watchtower where the Big Indie Disco was in full swing, this was something completely different for us, last year we’d spent the post-headliner hours in the more dance-focused tent but this year we fancied something a little more indie.
Walking into the Big Indie Disco felt almost biblical, welcome to the Church of Indie. Tables were lined up inside like something from Oktoberfest with people absolutely everywhere, people were stood on the tables, people were stood on the benches, people were dancing on top of them and also around them, the entire length of the Watchtower was packed and the atmosphere was absolutely bouncing. It was an incredible set-up and completely unintentional that we ended up there but we were glad we did, it was the perfect way to finish our first day.
This was only Thursday with three days still to go, if this was the opening act then Y Not Festival 2026 was going to be one hell of a weekend.
