If there’s one thing NBHD Weekender has mastered, it’s atmosphere. And from the moment the festival kicked off on Friday evening, you could tell 2026 was shaping up to be another special weekend. The Big Top was already packed as Sheffield legends The Human League and ABC got proceedings underway, providing the perfect soundtrack to the opening night and setting the tone for what would become another memorable bank holiday in Warrington.
By the time Victoria Park opened its gates on Saturday morning, Warrington was already melting in the bank holiday heat. Pints were flowing before midday, bucket hats had fully replaced common sense, and every route leading into the park felt like a pilgrimage of indie kids, football shirts and inevitable sunburn.
Eight years in, NBHD has properly carved out its own identity. It’s not trying to be the biggest festival in the country, and that’s exactly why it works so well.
And at the centre of it all is Warrington.
This festival means more here. You feel it everywhere — from the Viola Beach stage standing proudly in honour of one of the town’s most beloved bands, to the way locals speak about SJM and Simon Moran with genuine pride for what’s been built on their doorstep. Moran’s connection to Warrington runs right through the festival, and there’s a real sense that NBHD belongs to the town rather than simply landing in it for a weekend.
The festival site consistent of it’s three main stays again this year, The Main Stage, The Big Top and the Viola Beach Stage.
Saturday started early for me with Arkayla and Girl In The Year Above both pulling in impressive crowds for the time of day, while Cassia brought tropical indie grooves that somehow sounded even better under the blazing sunshine. Tide Lines added something a little different to the weekend too, blending folk and indie influences effortlessly as Victoria Park slowly filled up for the day ahead.
Cast felt completely at home at NBHD. There’s something timeless about hearing tracks like ‘Alright’ and ‘Walkaway’ in settings like this, and John Power still carries the sort of effortless cool that festival crowds gravitate towards instantly. It’s clear that their support stint on Oasis’s comeback tour last year has given the scousers a resurgence in popularity.
Brooke Combe’s soulful vocals were one of the weekend’s genuine highlights, while Freddie Halkon continued proving why he’s becoming one of the Yorkshire’s most exciting rising names, with the crowd packed tightly into the tent long before the headliners arrived. Basht delivered one of the most energetic early evening sets of the weekend too over on the Viola Beach stage.
Alessi Rose’s set felt like another reminder of how strong NBHD’s emerging artist bookings continue to be. Confident, polished and already pulling huge reactions from younger fans, she looked completely at ease on a festival stage.
Then came Sophie Ellis-Bextor, who somehow managed to turn Victoria Park into one giant glitter-covered disco. In the blazing heat, the main stage generators decided to have a moment of their own, cutting out just two songs into her set. Rather than letting the interruption derail things, Sophie kept the crowd entertained with impromptu singalongs, ribbon dancing and plenty of charm while the technical team got everything back up and running. Once normal service resumed, ‘Murder on the Dancefloor’ felt almost absurdly perfect. Camp, chaotic and ridiculously fun.
Somewhat local heroes The K’s drew one of the biggest non-headline crowds of the entire weekend. The Earlestown band continue to rise at remarkable speed, and every chorus came flying straight back at them from the packed-out crowd. There’s now a real sense they’re moving beyond “breakthrough band” territory and becoming genuine festival heavyweights. With major headline dates this summer at The Piece Hall and Manchester’s Castlefield Bowl already under their belts, they’re more than holding their own — they’re proving they belong at the very top of the bill.
Kaiser Chiefs were exactly what you want from a festival booking. No filler, no slowing down — just wall-to-wall hits. Ricky Wilson sprinted around the stage with endless energy as ‘Ruby’, ‘Everyday I Love You Less and Less’ and ‘I Predict A Riot’ turned Victoria Park into absolute chaos.
But Saturday ultimately belonged to Richard Ashcroft, no stranger to headlining NBHD Weekender.
Walking onto the main stage to deafening applause, he delivered the sort of headline set that felt tailor-made for golden-hour festival crowds. ‘Sonnet’ sounded enormous, ‘Lucky Man’ had thousands singing every word with arms wrapped around strangers, and by the time ‘Bitter Sweet Symphony’ closed the night, Victoria Park felt completely euphoric. With rumblings of The Verve making a comeback in 2027, it is clear that Ashcroft can still perform at the highest level.
Sunday somehow felt even hotter.
The Kairos kicked things off brilliantly, while Villanelle and The Guest List continued showcasing the strength of the region’s emerging indie scene. Westside Cowboy brought plenty of attitude early on too, proving exactly why there’s growing buzz around them right now.
Mel C arriving at NBHD probably wasn’t on many people’s bingo cards a few years ago, but honestly? It worked perfectly. Leaning fully into the nostalgia without it ever feeling gimmicky, her set quickly became one giant singalong.
One of the toughest clashes of the entire weekend came on Sunday afternoon, with two of the most talked-about rising acts going head-to-head. Keo lived up to the hype with one of the weekend’s slickest and most polished performances, showcasing exactly why there’s so much excitement surrounding them right now.
Meanwhile, over on the Main Stage, The Royston Club continued their impressive rise as one of the UK’s most reliable young indie bands, tight, catchy and completely built for festival crowds. Whichever set you chose, it felt like a winning decision.
Luvcat brought something completely different to the line-up too, dark, theatrical and impossible to ignore. One of those sets where even people unfamiliar beforehand seemed to walk away converted. I personally love her music!
Shed Seven reminded everybody why they’re still so beloved. There’s something brilliantly unpretentious about them live, and hearing an entire festival crowd scream ‘Chasing Rainbows’ back in the sunshine felt like peak Northern festival energy.
The Fratellis delivered exactly what everybody wanted from them, huge choruses, beer-fuelled chaos and a crowd absolutely losing it for ‘Chelsea Dagger’.
Sydney favourites, DMA’S, were one of the weekend’s standout acts. Tommy O’Dell’s vocals sounded phenomenal throughout, and songs like ‘Silver’ and ‘Delete’ somehow felt even bigger under the relentless heat. Few bands do emotional indie anthems quite like DMA’S.
Razorlight brought a proper dose of mid-2000s nostalgia to the main stage, while The Covasettes quietly delivered one of the best undercard performances of the weekend. There’s a real confidence to them live now, and their crowd seemed to double by the end of the set.
Then came Blossoms.
Headlining NBHD feels like something they were always destined to do. The Stockport band have climbed through the ranks of NBHD stages over the last few years, and 2026 was rightfully so they’re chance to headline. Few bands understand Northern festival crowds like they do, and from the opening moments of ‘Your Girlfriend’ to the chaos of ‘Charlemagne’, they had Victoria Park completely in the palm of their hand.
No overblown production. No unnecessary gimmicks. Just brilliant indie songs delivered by a band fully owning the moment. This new era for Blossoms is something to be genuinely excited about!
That’s probably the best way to describe NBHD Weekender as a whole really.
No gimmicks. No exhausting site treks. No trying to reinvent festivals.
Just great bands, ridiculously good crowds and a Northern music festival that feels completely comfortable in its own skin.
And if this weekend proved anything, it’s that NBHD Weekender isn’t slowing down anytime soon. With early bird tickets for 2027 already officially on sale before this year’s wristbands were barely off, the appetite for Warrington’s biggest music weekend clearly isn’t going anywhere. Taking place over the late May bank holiday weekend 29th & 30th, you can purchase tickets at a discounted rate now.
After another packed-out bank holiday filled with sunshine, singalongs and stacked line-ups, next year already feels a very long way away.
What a weekend. Massive thanks to SJM for having us down once again. With the festival set to celebrate its 9th anniversary next year, 2027 promises to be bigger and better than ever. Same again next year?
Words & Images – Ben Whitehurst
