For one weekend a year Y Not Festival arrives in the Peak District. Starting life as a house party in 2005, our party spilt over into a festival in some of the most stunning countryside around. Some 14 years on, we still have the same ethos at heart – Enjoy amazing music, great food and carefree fun in the heart of the beautiful Peak District. Alongside panoramic country views. Each year we see some of the biggest names in Indie, Rock & Pop. Pikehall has played home to artists from Noel Gallagher… to Snoop Dogg. We've created a selected list of artists performing this year that you don't want to miss!! Get your tickets here!!
With his appealingly laid-back hip-hop vocal phrasing and an eclectic bedroom D.I.Y. musical palette, Jamie T. comes across like the love child of the Streets’ Mike Skinner and Badly Drawn Boy’s Damon Gough. His clever pop sense is his own, however, and keeps the South Londoner from sounding like a mashup of his influences, which range from vintage Jamaican ska to the Beastie Boys by way of Tina Turner and the Clash. Debuting in the early 2000s, he released his platinum-certified debut, Panic Prevention, in 2007. He continued with three additional Top Four U.K. efforts into the 2020s. After a six-year gap, he released his fifth set in 2022, The Theory of Whatever.
On his third studio album, produced by Gianluca Buccellati, Declan McKenna taught & trusted himself to take his time & let the listener soak in the ambience. The result ‘What Happened To The Beach?,’ is an album that revels in both space & atmosphere. “The songs sound a lot like the music I listen to,” McKenna says about the new tunes. Recently McKenna, wrapped up his second leg of his US tour & shared his first single “Sympathy,” which Paste says “carries a similarly boisterous indie-pop melody as his previous work & has chiming organs, jumpy piano chords & an overall shimmer to it.”
After a worldwide arena tour, the release of their 2018 UK Top Ten album ‘Let’s Go Sunshine’ saw The Kooks topping the bill at festivals across Europe and at home. The streaming boom had opened the Brighton band up to a new audience of young fans who loved their distinctive brand of indie rock. Coming off the back of a punishing tour schedule, frontman, Luke Pritchard vowed to take a bit of a breather. But instead, found himself right back in the studio. The band have been experimental over the years – something that has been key to their longevity, but getting back to what people love about The Kooks was front of Pritchard’s mind.
Born in Nottingham, Bugg picked up the guitar at the age of 12, and within a year he was composing his own songs. Disinterested in the hip-hop and grime that dominated the listening habits of his peers, he turned to the classics for inspiration. Bugg’s first brush with recognition came at the age of 17, when a local DJ began spinning one of the cuts he uploaded to BBC Introducing, a program that supports “unsigned, undiscovered, and under-the-radar musicians.” An invitation to play Glastonbury arrived shortly thereafter, and before he knew it, he was supporting acts like Lana Del Ray, Example, and Michael Kiwanuka, and had inked a deal with Mercury.
Always inspired by her environment and how that affects her sense of self and identity, from her parent’s Haunted House to flatshares in London with The Walls Are Way To Thin, award winning British singer songwriter Holly Humberstone’s highly anticipated debut album Paint My Bedroom Black represents her coming of age. Growing from unknown singer at her parent’s piano to the most exciting alternative pop stars of her generation, the dark and otherworldly space Holly has built and invited fans into, both sonically and visually, have been lucid and visceral, with the camera always on her shoulder, a lens into her chaotic thoughts and deep feelings. Already nominated for two Ivor Novello’s, winning the BRIT Rising Star in 2022 and coming runner up in BBC Sound Of 2021, Humberstone’s bear-all storytelling is the heart of her craft.
The Snuts are a Scottish indie rock band hailing from West Lothian. Formed in 2015, the band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Jack Cochrane, lead guitarist Joe McGillveray, bassist Callum Wilson, and drummer Jordan Mackay. Known for their energetic performances and anthemic sound, The Snuts quickly gained attention in the UK music scene. The Snuts’ rise to prominence has been marked by their grassroots approach to building a fan base and their reputation for delivering electrifying live performances. With their distinctive sound and growing success, The Snuts continue to be a notable force in the contemporary indie rock scene.
SOFT PLAY are the British punk duo formerly known as Slaves. After being on hiatus for several years, Laurie Vincent and Isaac Holman have reignited their partnership under a new moniker.
Yard Act is a British post-punk band that formed in Leeds in 2019. The band consists of James Smith (vocals), Sam Shjipstone (guitar), George Townend (bass), and Ryan Needham (drums). Yard Act quickly gained attention for their distinctive sound and sharp, observational lyrics that often touch on societal and political themes. In 2021, Yard Act released their debut single “The Trapper’s Pelts,” which garnered critical acclaim for its witty and incisive commentary. The band’s music is characterized by a blend of angular guitar riffs, rhythmic intensity, and Smith’s charismatic vocal delivery.
NewDad is an indie rock band from Ireland, formed in 2018. Growing up in Galway, the four members of the band thank a random band name generator for their unusual moniker. Dark and stormy with undeniably beautiful moments amid the mammoth guitars, their debut EP ‘Waves’ acted as a perfect introduction to the world of Newdad. There is a heaviness to the music, which the band pin to a love of The Cure, pixies, and Slowdive among others. Their music has been compared to The Cure, Beabadoobee, and Just Mustard by NME magazine. But it’s not just in the feedback that the band find their truth, the irresistible appeal of song writing is the opportunity to give voice to the ineffable. For NewDad singer and guitarist Julie Dawson, music has always served as a safe haven for articulating what she struggles to express elsewhere – a place where she can explore her deepest emotions without compromise.
Nieve Ella has quickly become one of the most exciting artists in the UK. Following the release of her debut EP and first live shows in 2022 she has gained supporters from Radio 1’s Greg James, Jack Saunders & Mollie King to tastemaker journalists at NME, Notion & DORK, as well as a digital audience of 100k+ and over 3M streams. Nieve Ella is a true music lover, citing some of the biggest stars and underground newcomers of the alt-pop/indie scenes as influences: Sam Fender, Phoebe Bridgers, Lizzy McAlpine and Flyte. Her music journey started when she quickly gained a TikTok following doing covers of some of these artists, and now only a short time later she is sharing their stages and collaborating with the same producers.
Nottingham based four piece Do Nothing is made up of vocalist Chris Bailey, guitarist Kasper Sandstrom, bassist Charles Howarth and Andrew Harrison on drums. Their sound is equal parts Roxy-esque art rock and Ze/Celluloid records no wave. Do Nothing songs are characterized by the acerbic lyricism of vocalist Chris Bailey where every song feels like its own self-contained psycho drama. Listening to their latest single “Gangs” at times is like walking into a very busy and very loud pub and over hearing snatches of confused and bitter conversations “wait a minute this isn’t my house” says one person “who can eat at a time like this?” says another.
English Teacher are an indie/post-punk band from Leeds, United Kingdom. With their inspired lyricism and indie sensibilities, they are the quartet steadily rising to the top of the class. Formed in 2020 after meeting at Leeds Conservatoire, their brand of indie is more kitchen sink drama than straight-to-the-chorus smash. They treat each song as a blank canvas, throwing out all that has come before time and time again; building from the ground up. Over the past 18 months, the band have been steadily releasing singles, most recently through Nice Swan Recordings. They’ve also been supporting artists such as Yellow Days, No Vacation, and even appearing alongside Sports Team on their fabled Margate coach trip.
Essex born folk songwriter Beans on Toast is an extremely unique performer. Twisting an age-old genre with a D.I.Y. approach and contemporary concerns has earned him the title of a cult figure who tells it like it is. A festival favourite (he’s played Glastonbury every year since 2007) and a prolific writer and performer. He’s written and recorded 15 albums and he’s played every bar, club, venue, pub, festival, party and honky-tonk you can think of.
Cucamaras, an Indie/Post-punk quartet from Nottingham, are described by Dork as “”a band imposing their authority on the next wave of alternative guitar music””. After appearing in this year’s NME 100 list and receiving praise from BBC Radio 1 following last year’s debut EP, “”Soft Soap””, the band released their second EP, “” “Buck Rogers Time””, headed by the singles “”Porcelain”” and “”Cotton Wool””. In 2022, the band performed across the UK and Europe, taking part in festivals such as YNOT, Left of the Dial, Lokerse Feesten and supporting The Amazons. In 2023, the band has received repeated support from BBC 6 Music’s Steve Lamacq, performed at Eurosonic, The Great Escape, a tour of France and appeared on Dork Magazine’s Hype List tour
SOFY is a singer-songwriter from Leicester. She began writing music during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown, quickly gaining the attention of BBC Introducing and becoming a finalist on the Live Lounge talent search competition. She released her debut EP, ‘Bored In Colour Pt. 1’, in 2022, with ‘Bored In Colour Pt. 2’ following in 2023.
Introducing pop’s brand new artist Fred Roberts and his debut single Runaway. Both anthemic and introspective, his work encapsulates the struggles of growing up in the modern day and the questioning of one’s identity. The 20 year old British songwriter brings you his run out of the gate debut single Runaway, written between LA and the UK with Andrew Wells (Phoebe Bridgers, Halsey) steering the production of the rousing guitar rock track. It feels antithetical to the sound of most queer love songs yet is fuelled by the rejection and heartbreak from a boy he once knew.
GIRLBAND! are a new alternative three-piece from Nottingham. Georgie, Kay and Jada are a formidable force for good, a dynamic group that pull on influences from the 50s to the 90s, from music to skating, from Elvis to the personal and the social. Musically they are a thrill. A punk band making pop songs, influences include other seminal three-pieces such as Jimi Hendrix, Nirvana and The Police, as well female led groups such as The Breeders, The Cranberries and The Pretenders. It’s joyous, natural, fresh – a musical palette cleanser like no other.
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