Sunday, Clouds Overhead, Music Everywhere: Wychwood Closes in Style
- Sam Holt
- 5 days ago
- 4 min read
Wychwood Festival, Sunday 31st May 2026
WORDS / IMAGES SAM HOLT
SUNDAY 31ST MAY
For the final day of Wychwood, I decided to try out the shuttle bus service. It's a shame it wasn't more widely used throughout the weekend, as it proved a convenient and hassle-free way to get to the site. Perhaps it's something the organisers could promote more heavily next year. The weather had certainly changed from the previous two days; it was noticeably cooler, with grey clouds threatening showers overhead, though thankfully they never seemed quite committed to the task.
Sunday's opening act on the main stage was perhaps an unusual booking, but one that appeared to go down extremely well with the early arrivals. As I made my way across the arena, I could hear the unmistakable songs of Taylor Swift — albeit delivered through Lauren's own interpretation. Judging by the number of people singing along, it was a smart way to ease the festival into its final day.
The mid-afternoon slot on the main stage belonged to London's Dub Pistols. As soon as the bass started rumbling through the speakers and the beat kicked in, it was clear we were in for a set packed with ska, reggae and dance-infused grooves. Introduced as one of the hardest-working bands in the business, they certainly played like they had something to prove. Their sound rolled across the field in thick waves of rhythm, drawing people closer and deeper into the music. Resistance was futile; before long feet were tapping and bodies were moving almost involuntarily.
If Dub Pistols didn't provide your nostalgia fix, the next act certainly did. For many, Chesney Hawkes remains one of the defining heartthrobs of the 1990s, and he arrived determined to remind everyone why. Joined by his son Indi on lead guitar, Hawkes immediately struck up a warm rapport with the audience. Leaning into the crowd he asked, "Do you all know me for one song?" The sea of raised hands prompted an instant response: "OK, don't be so honest!"
Ironically, The One and Only didn't appear until the penultimate song of the set, by which point he'd already won over the crowd with a mixture of new material and covers from the era that made him famous. The final song, a spirited rendition of I Predict a Riot, proved an unexpected but highly entertaining closer. As expected, he went down a storm and delivered one of the weekend's most enjoyable feel-good performances.
Across the field on The Garden Stage, I wanted to catch West Midlands outfit Nuns of the Tundra. I had a suspicion their sound would lean towards heavy alternative rock, especially when I noticed the line-up featured three guitarists, one of whom also handled vocal duties. They didn't disappoint. Playing with real passion and conviction, they delivered a powerful set to a relatively small but appreciative audience. Given the increasingly threatening weather, I expected the tent to be fuller, but those who made the effort were rewarded. Definitely a band worth catching again.
Back over at the main stage for the penultimate act of the weekend came another alternative rock outfit, Everything Everything. While they may share a broad genre label with Nuns of the Tundra, musically they inhabit a very different world. Their sound is adventurous, inventive and often wonderfully unpredictable. I once heard them described as sounding like "a riot in a melody factory," and that remains one of the most accurate descriptions I've encountered. Vocalist Jonathan Higgs delivers much of his performance in an almost falsetto style, yet somehow it fits the band's complex and experimental arrangements perfectly. Their set was fascinating and unlike anything else on the bill.
The Garden Stage headliner was a band I'd wanted to see for quite some time: The Subways. The three-piece, formed in the Home Counties back in 2002, have built a reputation as one of Britain's most reliable live acts. Their music draws from punk, rock and indie rock influences, with some even describing elements as progressive rock—though I'm not entirely convinced by that particular label. What is undeniable is the energy they bring to the stage. Their performance was relentless, fast-paced and full of attitude, and the crowd responded in kind. One of the standout sets of the day.
The final act of the weekend belonged to festival favourites The Levellers. If I'm being honest, they wouldn't necessarily have been my personal choice as headliners, but there is no denying their enduring appeal or their ability to bring a festival crowd together. The Brighton band delivered a masterclass in their unique blend of folk, rock and political storytelling, with the audience firmly behind them from the opening notes to the closing encore.
Named after the 17th-century political movement, The Levellers focused much of their set on songs from Levelling the Land and Zeitgeist, two albums that have become cornerstones of British folk-rock. Battle of the Beanfield, always a personal favourite, arrived relatively early in the set and was greeted enthusiastically. As the evening unfolded, one classic followed another, reminding everyone just how deep their catalogue runs. It was only after they left the stage that I realised Levelling the Land is now 35 years old—a sobering thought for anyone who remembers its original release.
Wychwood is, and probably always will be, considered a small festival by many standards. Yet that is very much part of its charm. It's welcoming, family-friendly and refreshingly free of many of the excesses that can accompany larger events. There are rumours that the festival may be preparing to grow in the coming years, and if that proves true, I hope it retains the atmosphere that makes it so special.
One comment I saw on social media summed it up perfectly: Wychwood gives "parents a chance to embarrass their teenagers by reliving their youth through music." Looking around over the weekend, there was certainly plenty of evidence of that.
As for next year's headline announcement, all I can say is:
"Don't You Want Me Baby... See You in 2027."
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