Festival Review: Truck Festival // July 2026
Truck Festival once again delivers with a jam-packed lineup featuring both legacy indie royalty and the best upcoming talent around.
Friday 24th July
The North felt like a true start of Truck (for those who missed out on CMAT’s Thursday opener), with palpable hype bouncing around the festival’s full second stage. They arrived to huge adoration from a notably up-for-it gen Z audience ready to propel a band of their own to stardom. Frontman Billy Memphis channels Pete Doherty-like vocals, pairing laidback, slurry musings with fervent bellows. Both he and the rest of the band wear their clothes as baggy as can be and their guitars hang below the waist. They are certainly one of the most hyped bands around at the minute.
My First Time came next on the same stage and carried on the energetic momentum, making them one of the surprise acts of the weekend. Their sound is harder with heavy bass and synths. Lead singer Isaac Stroud-Allen's vocals are enunciated and literal, calling out problematic personality archetypes whilst celebrating their own party lifestyles. Not even when he entered the mosh pit did his relentless vocals let up.
At the smaller This Feeling stage curated by Radio X’s John Kennedy, Breeze, hailing from Hull and made up of three brothers, showcased their classic rock sound. You’d be forgiven for double taking at each member of the band, as they bear a striking familial resemblance. Recent single ‘No Other Woman’ is thumping and sexy and was a standout from their set. They ended their performance with a tasty mashup of Pixies’ ‘Where Is My Mind’ and Wheetus’ ‘Teenage Dirtbag’.
Getdown Services are a guaranteed good time and they delivered again. Their infectious dance tunes are laden with ridiculous pop culture references whilst their outrageous performances could double up as an alternative Magic Mike night. They are cementing themselves as UK festival essentials.
A British essential for decades, the legendary Primal Scream lit up the main stage in what could well have been a headlining set. Their funky tunes felt like a dance vortex to the 90s. Songs like ‘Loaded’ and ‘Movin’ On Up’ are Britpop institutions which feel like a real privilege to hear live. Bandmembers are well into their 60’s now but still dance along with the crowd and look thrilled to be on big stages again.
It was The Maccabees who rounded up Truck’s Friday. They aren’t headliners that inspire mosh pits, but their solid indie discography is peppered with countless quieter, slower, tender moments which are perfect to top off a tiring first day. Performances from their debut Colour It In have the same sound but are sung with the maturity of a band who has seen it all before. The acoustic ballad ‘Toothpaste Kisses’ was a highlight and inspired a loud, sweet singalong.
Saturday 25th July
After Oxford’s own Symphony Orchestra opened up Truck’s main stage, Florence Road stripped things back to guitars. Having opened for them previously, they feel like a disciple of The Last Dinner Party, with a similar eye for captivating melodies, but trading the baroque for power pop. They’re young, cool and stylish and their closing song ‘Break The Girl’ is catchy enough to be an indie anthem in years to come.
Bleech 9:3 feel like Fontaines D.C. with their bright colours drained out in favour of an injection of grunge. Their sound is heavy, dirty and packs a punch. Their final song ‘Ceiling’ was met with one of the biggest reactions of the festival. They have all the trappings of a band who makes it big.
From newcomers to old timers come The Vaccines, who are celebrating 15 years of their first album What Did You Expect From The Vaccines? The first half of their set was an almost full run-through of the album, now storied in indie rock folklore. Short, snappy tunes like ‘Wreckin’ Bar’ and ‘Norgaard’, as well as the anthem ‘If You Wanna’ showed the same energy they entered the music scene with over a decade ago. Whilst slower songs such as ‘Post Break-Up Sex’ and ‘Wetsuit’ displayed their development and maturity built up over those years, which they doubled down on with a second half which showcased their later and recent material.
Following on a stacked main stage came Kaiser Chiefs. Their big hits like ‘Ruby’, ‘Modern Way’ and ‘I Predict a Riot’ were equally distributed throughout the set keeping the energy high. They were rowdy and lively and their laddish bellows which interrupt a number of their early songs sounded just as rebellious as they did at time of release.
Over on the other side of the field during a slight clash were The Royston Club. Despite the conflict of interest for indie lovers, this looked like the most packed the Market Stage got all festival, and it was easy to see why. The Welsh band have built on the energetic indie tunes from their debut album with a set of emotional belters from their sophomore effort Songs From The Spine that inspire heartfelt and passionate singalongs. This set felt like their entrance as major players in the UK festival scene as they look sure to headline events such as Truck in the near future.
But the headliners in the here and now were Two Door Cinema Club who proved this billing twice over. This headline slot felt massive. They have a seemingly infinite repertoire of groovy, danceable tunes with a sound totally unique to them. Whether you wanted to be right by the barrier, mosh amongst the crowd or laze at the back, energy and vibes were at a high. Lead Singer Alex Trimble let the crowd in on a wonderful story about playing at Truck festival for the first time 17 years ago, when they had just one single out, a delightful anecdote for any young, up and coming band to hear.
Sunday 26th July
After a field full of festival goers overcame their hangovers with a morning workout led by the one and only Mr Motivator, Scouse band Keyside brought their rocking indie to The Nest, an intimate stage designed for big sounds. They feel totally authentic and bring a heartfelt vibe alongside groovy guitars. Their self-titled debut album releases on 7 August 2026.
Truck Festival truly has everything, so if indie rock isn’t your thing, perhaps the funk-infused hip hop of Rizzle Kicks would interest you. Colourful visuals and loud trumpets were in full swing. They offered a performance you couldn’t find anywhere else at the festival.
The most controversial clash of the weekend occurred here, where crowds were forced to pick between two promising heavyweights, Leeds’ Keo and Manchester’s Westside Cowboy. We went for the latter, who justified our choice. The four piece, mix sweet, folky rock with periods of intense, rampant guitars. Singles ‘Don’t Throw Rocks’ and ‘I’ve Never Met Anyone I Thought I Could Really Love’ are genuinely some of the best songs to come out of a band this size and absolutely hold up live. Whilst ‘Strange Taxidermy’ is the best musical representation of Truck’s tagline as a warped village fete, feeling like a jigged-up nursery rhyme. After the release of their debut album in late August, who knows where they could end up.
From one band featuring dual lead vocals to another, The Libertines headed up the main stage next. Their sound is unique and has become truly classic amongst UK rock fans - you know exactly what you are getting from them, and they delivered again. Earlier material pleased eager listeners, but their performance of newer material felt even more natural and is totally worthy of its own merit.
Circa Waves felt too big to be playing on Truck’s second stage, but they closed The Market Stage for another year in style. It was totally packed out and held a celebratory atmosphere. Their set was energetic and danceable, making them a wonderful act for a Sunday. ‘T-Shirt Weather’ must be one of the greatest songs to hear live at a summer festival.
A perfect Sunday headliner has a wide and deep discography and is popular, fun and totally earnest - all of which apply to The Wombats who soundtracked Truck’s grand finale.
The trio opened with ‘Moving To New York’ from their debut album, which warranted a huge reaction from an already captured crowd. Throughout the set, they weaved through their own eras and distributed songs fairly. More recent releases, especially from Oh! The Ocean are more laidback and pop-y which creates a well-crafted flow to the set with natural ebbs and flows.
The festival ended with the band’s most popular and beloved song ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division’. With the energy radiating from the band and the crowd alike, you’d have been forgiven for thinking it was back in 2007 where this song dominated dance floors and shot the band to stardom.
Some bands mature their old hits with them, but The Wombats had lightning in a bottle here. They’ve masterfully been able to contain the sound and more importantly, the feeling of their old tracks. It was unadulterated excitement as a huge crowd of varying ages all felt like teenagers, as fireworks erupted marking a triumphant close to 2026’s Truck Festival. Crowds petered out for bed or further partying, eventually laying Hill Farm’s ground to rest for another year.
Words by Luca Jarman
Photography by James Kirkland
