Y Not Festival has become a bit of a staple for us at York Calling, despite actually being held in Derbyshire each year. I’ve always seen it as the perfect starter festival or like a teeny-tiny Glastonbury, due to the amount of things going on at once. There are countless tents and stages with something for just about everyone, including Dolly Parton tribute acts, Irish folk dancing, spiritual raves and of course, good old indie rock and roll. This year was no different – see how I got on below…
By Jane Howkins
The first act I decided to see on the Friday were the Levy Folk Collective Ceilidh Band – for those unaware, a ceilidh is a traditional Scottish/Irish form of dancing played to traditional folk music. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but seeing the band get the crowd dancing was amazing – we were taught several dances and even this reviewer had a go at it! Beans On Toast has become a bit of a staple at Y Not over the years, and he returned once again in 2026. If you’ve seen Beans before, you’ll know what to expect by now – catchy folk music about love, drugs and politics. He’s a genuinely decent person and always gets really involved with the crowd, and this year was no different. Fans even had an opportunity to meet Beans and buy his merch afterwards, which was extremely nice of him.
I decided I should probably go and see a main stage band at some point, so wandered across to catch The Fratellis. I’ve never been a massive fan of theirs but I actually enjoyed them very much. They had a group of backing dancers/singers, as well as a brass section, giving every song a mariachi tinge. Their cover of Baccara’s I Can Boogie was a particular delight for this reviewer, who sang along with gusto along with the rest of the audience. Dizzee Rascal was up next – another act I’ve never massively been into – but he was a delight to see perform too. Even the staff were getting into it and when Bonkers hit, the arena literally went bonkers with happiness.
Afterwards, I quickly rushed across to catch Pale Waves at the second stage – I’ve been a fan of the band for a while, but I’d never managed to catch them live before. The set was amazing, with two particular stand-outs being a cover of Zombie by The Cranberries and She’s My Religion, which was dedicated to all the lesbians in the crowd. I couldn’t not see a bit of The Reytons when they came onstage to headline the first night. I’ve actually never really heard much of their stuff, but frontman Jonny Yerrell was brilliant and had the crowd eating up his ever word – they were that good, I made a mental note to check out their stuff later on.
The Saturday started out a little differently, with piano songstress Vanessa Carlton being the first act I saw. I found myself surprised by how many tunes I knew (she was fantastic, by the way), but obviously A Thousand Miles was the most resounding hit of the set. Next up were the Happy Mondays – another band I’ve never been hugely into. However, the crowd went absolutely wild as Bez whipped them up, making for one of the most boisterous sets of the weekend. I also managed to meet the band backstage and they’re absolutely lovely, down to earth people, which is always nice to see.
I’ve seen The Vaccines before and they always put on one hell of a show. This year was no different – frontman Justin Young had the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout, taking the stage over with pure power. I’m always surprised by how many songs I recognise when I hear them play, and the energy just kept on getting higher and higher. I quickly nipped across to catch the start of Lucy Spraggan’s set on the second stage which sounded glorious, but I couldn’t miss out on catching the Kaiser Chiefs.
I saw the Kaiser Chiefs at Y Not a few years ago and really enjoyed their show, and today was no different. Ricky Wilson is a man who has clearly mastered the art of being a frontman, but the entire band were on top form, playing a selection of bangers from their back catalogue. The Angry Mob felt particularly poignant considering the current political scene in the UK at the moment, and it seemed that Ricky clearly felt the same, making for the real climax of the show.
On the Sunday, I was unfortunately held up elsewhere but knew I had to make it back to see the Scissor Sisters, a band I’ve always wanted to catch live. They were one of the best bands of the weekend for me, putting on a fantastic, slightly x-rated show full of personality and good tunes. Laura was a particular delight, but honestly, the whole stage show was amazing. I also had the chance to meet them afterwards and I can confidently say that they’re amazing people who really love what they do – I highly recommend catching them live in the future.
Overall, despite not being able to attend the entire weekend, this year’s iteration of Y Not Festival was a resounding success. The world may be in turmoil at the moment but it’s moments like this, seeing people singing along at the top of their voices full of joy that make you realise that there really is light at the end of the tunnel. Here’s to next year!