Firevolt Rock Festival
7th – 10th August 2025
This year was Firevolt’s 4th year and some changes were promised to make the festival bigger and better still. We arrived on Thursday for the Pre-festival party, and loaded our things into our glamping pod, which was very cute and well set out – although we did wonder how we would find it in the dark after a few beers, as all the tents on the row were identical!
By the time we got to the barn the first DJ set was underway, new arrivals were greeted with cheers and hugs, showing the community atmosphere that Firevolt is becoming so well known for. We grabbed some beer tokens, swiftly followed by a well deserved pint for putting the tent up (ok so we hadn’t actually put a tent up, but you can’t break tradition!) by which time the Rock Quiz was beginning.
The main event of the evening was ‘An Audience With We Three Kings’ which featured the band being interviewed by Paul Cash before playing a short set. It was great to have something a bit different and it was very entertaining, but not as entertaining as the havoc that the giant black beach balls bouncing on and off the stage wreaked during their crowd-pleasing set.
DJs and a party covers set from Screaming Conrods carried on well into the night as we wobbled back to the tent, where the problem of identifying the tent in the dark had been solved with some fairy lights and a small blow-up skeleton courtesy of We Three Kings.
The next morning was a mixture of commiserating with slightly worse for wear friends and greeting new faces who gradually started to arrive. There was a good variety of food stalls to choose from and a bacon and sausage butty had me feeling human again. We had a look around the site to get our bearings. The big top, a prominent feature of the previous Firevolt festivals, had gone, which seemed to leave more room for motorhomes and the glampers. It’s replacement was the outdoor Bludsucker Stage on the other side of the site. Another new addition was the Grand Central Stage, built as a platform for new talent. This was great and had some really good bands on but as it was off to one side it didn’t seem to draw the crowds it deserved.
Highlights of Friday included Sonic Whip, who opened the Trooper Stage with huge energy, Fury, with their infectious feelgood style, and Girlschool – honestly, how have they looked this good since the 70’s? Proof, if proof were needed, that a love of rock and roll keeps you young. Or maybe they sold their souls. Who knows.
Friday night headliners were South of Salem, showcasing what the Yungblood Stage seemed to have been created for – PYRO! We sat on the hill at the side of the stage to take it all in which was a perfect vantage point.
On Saturday morning people were up and about fairly early, largely due to some noisy shenanigans from one of the glamping tents at 7.30 in the morning. You guys know they’re only made of canvas, right?! However, talk in the camp was dominated by the showers (welcome, but freezing) and the size of the moth in the ladies’ loo (huge). Luckily, we had a keen lepidopterist (knower of all things moth) in the tent next to us, who identified it as a Hawk Moth, and named it Marissa. They didn’t offer to move it though, so that toilet was pretty much out of bounds for the rest of the weekend.
Saturday highlights were Kitt Trigg, Shape of Water on the 3rd stage, the fabulous Blaze Bailey, the ever-entertaining Quireboys and a brilliant set from headliners Reef, including a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain. The other huge highlight was the opening of the Whitebottom Farm Wine Cellar, which was a little cave of joy. For someone who doesn’t really drink beer this was a really welcome addition, with knowledgeable staff and a lovely selection of wine to choose from. I’m hoping this returns next year!
Partly due to the wine cellar, and partly due to the baby Guinness shots that followed, Sunday morning was a much later start. Cheese toasties from The Rock and Roll Toastie Co. saved the day long enough for me to see The Lazys on the Bludsucker stage and Dan Byrne on the Trooper stage before calling it a day. I was gutted to miss Eclipse, but sometimes you’ve just got to admit defeat!
The weekend overall was fantastic. I met up with old friends and made new ones. There is such a friendly atmosphere at Firevolt and a real sense that everyone is welcome. Shout out to all the behind the scenes staff and volunteers who had the whole thing running like clockwork and to Bev and Stret for making it all happen.
Firevolt 2026 takes place Friday 7th – Sunday 9th August 2026. See
https://www.firevoltfestival.co.uk/ for details and tickets.
Words and Photos by Fiona McMurdo
