Y Not Festival is an annual independent indie rock and pop festival located in the Peak District. Featuring the Courteeners, Stereophonics and Blossoms as headliners, this year had a vibrant lineup of musicians, punctuated with comedy acts and carnival dances.
I was particularly impressed with the staggered scheduling of performances across different stages. This ensured that, even if two of my favourite artists were playing simultaneously, they rarely overlapped fully, so I could always catch a bit of both. Since the weekend was jam-packed with huge names from the Vaccines and Manic Street Preachers, to Dodie, Nothing but Thieves, and Sea Girls, it was a relief we could watch all of our favourites perform and discover new artists.
Camping
As I drove along the winding paths up to Pikehall, with the Y Not Spotify playlist blasting Not Nineteen Forever, my first impression of the festival was its beautiful and secluded location. Folded away in the Derbyshire Dales, our campsite boasted panoramic views across the Peaks, studded with strings of fairy lights bordering the festival grounds.
There were a number of camping fields available for festival goers, all within a short walk from the main festival arena, with special areas for families, camper vans and glamping pods for those who didn’t fancy the classic lumpy and bumpy camping experience. Although, by the evenings, the state of the Portaloos sparked some squealing and tutting, the campsite had a strikingly chilled out and relaxed feel as people barbecued, chatted to one another and enjoyed a few drinks.
Y Not had a laid back yet lively family friendly feel, and is certainly a great festival to try if you feel you’ve outgrown your more chaotic Reading and Leeds fest days.
Things to See
Alongside the main ‘Big Gin’, ‘Quarry’ and ‘Giant Squid’ stages where the most popular bands and singers got the crowds going; Y Not hosted a lively comedy tent, a relaxed small tent with a bar, hay bales to sit on and some open mic slots, and an introducing stage featuring up and coming artists, which was great for discovering new music. The stages were all reasonably tightly packed meaning there wasn’t much stress running between different sets.
The arena was punctuated with an array of tasty, although of course overpriced, food stalls and a few small businesses selling clothes, sunglasses and bucket hats. There was even a cinema tent, nightclub, and kids zone which had circus toys, a mini dance floor and funfair games. The security going into the arena was surprisingly lax, meaning you could easily pack your own picnic and drinks to enjoy surrounded by music.
Technical Issues
Disappointingly, there were a few technical issues on the main stage. Though the crowds were chanting for the microphone to be turned up, during Sundara Karma the energy was dampened by how quiet it was. Nothing but Thieves were amazing, but again, at times the buzz of the crowd drowned out the vocals. Luckily, before Manic Street Preachers performed, the back stage crew solved the issue, however this meant the Manics set was cut half an hour short.
Standout Performances
As a bit of a fangirl, I’m slightly biased, but Pale Waves were definitely my favourite act of the weekend. Their synthy, electric, and sometimes slightly angsty tunes were dynamic, and lead singer, Heather Baron Gracie’s platform red boots certainly deserve a mention. Other standout acts included We are Scientists, Sea Girls and Orla Gartland, who all proved themselves with infectiously energetic crowd pleasing performances. On the smaller stages Spyres and Daytime TV deserve a shoutout. After seeing Spyres at Neighbourhood Weekender last year, it was great to hear some new songs off their upcoming EP, whilst alternative band Daytime TV were my favourite new discovery at the festival.
With a limited number of early bird weekend tickets available already for Y Not 2023 for just £109, hurry if you want to join the party next summer.