Y NOT 2026 | DAY 2: INDIE SLEAZE AT ITS FINEST

FESTIVAL REVIEW | Y NOT DAY 2, DERBYSHIRE | 1st August 2026 by Gracie Erskine

After, Rotherham royalty The Reytons brought a slice of home to The Big Gin stage, and The Royston Club broke world records for how many people on shoulders, the sun had set on the Friday of Y NOT 2026. But that can only mean it was Saturday; settled in, sun out and sure to be a bloody good day.

Mr Motivator, heard of him?  His name, spoken like gospel, pedestaled to the greatest degree and a Y NOT veteran kicking off the antics on Saturday. Like some 80’s jazzercize stroke playground Wake Up Shake Up, his early morning (mid-day) PE lesson was a festival favourite for the ages. 

Now, Mr Motivator might have had a distinct lycra get-up, but this wasn’t to be confused with the annual fancy dress competition that the festival holds. So, whilst fans were dancing away to Scouting For Girls, screaming out ‘She’s So Lovely’, they had to be careful not to sing it too loud across to the 6ft banana to their right.

Vanessa Carlton followed shortly after, and bless her soul, she tried. As an American act, and frankly one hit wonder, it’s really difficult to win over UK festival crowds, particularly on a Saturday. When the audience is filled with teens ready so see how many ciders they can get down in between songs, it’s a struggle to sell new material – thus causing a mass influx of sprinting youths when the infectious little piano riff of ‘A Thousand Miles’ transcended across the peaks. Despite the marmite response to singer-songwriter’s new material spun from hard work and troubled times, her noughties pop hit just managed to save her set. 

And whilst the indie drought carries on being watered, The Clause seem to be holding the hose. With some eager fan being juggled about towards the back of the tent, the Brummie lads fire up their racing leads, darting the stage, clambering up metalwork and giving the fans something to remember.

Now this is where the evening ran into an indie peak, don’t mind the pun. Frazzled but loveable duo, Shaun and Bez, did whatever the pair do best in Happy Mondays set. Shaking some maracas with a dodgy hip replacement still manages to get the crowd going for favourites like ‘Kinky Afro’.  But it well and truly takes a run of The Vaccines into Kaiser Chiefs topped off with Two Door Cinema Club to cement an indie Saturday in the peaks. 

The Vaccines frontman, Justin Hayward-Young, puppeteers the crowd with such showmanship you’d mistake him for a ringleader over an indie man – half glam, half rock, but utterly cool. Clutching at the crowd through ‘Wetsuit’ and all it’s ‘come on come on’s, inviting them into an enticing hour of pure unity. 

And to the local sweetheart Lucy Spraggan, who brought her charm from just down the road and into the hearts of the crowd. It’s the kind of sing-along warmth that makes it feel like the pub had opened its doors just a bit wide, and somehow found itself in a field. With such character and empathy, Spraggan sparks up the tent, humbled and witty but without a doubt talented and memorable. 

Now, where the true shock lies were with Leeds legends, Kaiser Chiefs. Whilst everybody’s Dad might have been wailing ‘Ruby’ somewhat off-key circa 2007, no one could have quite expected the crowd 20 years later. Brim to brim, sardines in a tin, could’ve had the end of crowd somewhere in the car park – it was full. For a band that relentlessly tour and are quite reliant on a nostalgia trip, the crowd took no convincing. For a sea of shoulders and primary school choir-esque recital of their back catalogue proved the band have well and truly made their mark on British culture through all generations.

As the sun fell over the peaks, it was one last trip down memory lane to relive every 15-year old’s experience of a house party with indie riffs that have somehow seeped into the veins of us all. It’s the charming bite of ‘What You Know’ that still tickles the masses today, watching generations raise their drinks to songs that carry on soundtracking lives, it’s music in its purest form. 

Whilst it might’ve have been the day for running between stages and arguing about clashes, it was the least of anyone’s worries. Y NOT 2026 carried on serving out the hits, and the crowd were lapping it up – even those dressed as the Looney Tunes.

Y NOT is set to return for another year with 2027 events making 20 years of the festival favourite. Tickets are on sale now.