Photo Credit: Jack Delve (1 to 24) and Caitlyn Ebsworthy (25 to 72)
For miles on miles, rolling Cornish hills for as far as the eye can see, dusted with the light of the final stretch of the British summer. The odd town dotted across the land, untouched by high-rises, and then atop the lip of the cliff-face in direct pairing from Newquay airport you see the tip of the ferries wheel and then, finally, after trapsing from the tip of the carpark, the mainstage. We enter and then that’s it, this is our universe for three days. This was Boardmasters 2026.
There was a sense of change in the air this year as we arrived onto site. It certainly felt like a smaller arena, the crowds felt reduced and an overall sense of more calm. It was our fourth year at the Cornish mega festival and expectations were high after the masterclass of Raye and her fellow performers from 2025. Boardmasters has felt as though it’s a festival on the search for its identity again, a surf competition at its core and the largest music festival of its kind in the South West we eagerly anticipated what was in store.
For quick reference, Mainstage is of course the mainstage, Mordros is the second stage and The View is the smaller third stage. Additionally Keg & Pasty, is a small stage and there are various EDM/Party stages including the very popular Unleashed.
Friday
We arrived early, as we wanted to ensure we caught some of the newer artists trying to breakthrough into the scene. There were some names that’d peaked our interest early on, Teesside native, Finn Forster, opened the day over at Mordros, at the early time of 12:30pm but still managed to draw a respectable huddle into the tent. He started brightly backed by an accompanying guitarist playing some pleasant pop based tunes including his newest single, Strangers. We think he’d benefit from a band to support his set but understand this early on in his career that isn’t always viable. Those who’d committed to the early start seemed to enjoy the set as it gently lulled them into the weekend. Forster has a long way to go yet, but he makes a good Boardmasters debut and we look forward to seeing him develop. 6/10 but the author would like to note that this is seen as a very positive 6.
Lighting up the mainstage came Fletchr Fletchr, the band are Cornish natives and so this was as close to a hometown show as it got. A wonderful moment for the lads who grew up a stone’s throw away, a beaming Rohan Fletcher pauses for a moment to look out beyond the crowd into the distance and say “I can see our house…” from his central spot of the mainstage. They’re lyrically engaging, Fletcher possesses a talent for keeping the verses simple but laced with vivid memories that could be the audience’s own. The band play well together, we’re certain we’ve seen them before but it’s clear both through performance and song-writing development they’re grown a lot and have left a lasting impact on us this time proving the importance in working on the craft of live. There was one negative during their set and that was the band’s content creator spending an obstructive amount of time in front of Fletcher mid performance. It seriously took focus away from watching the band as he was very unsubtle and almost took centre stage for long portions of songs during the set. We would remind artists to remember to prioritise those there with them rather than the social media content that follows and for videographers and photographers to remember our role is to be documenting the artist, not be the one at the centre of attention. 7.5/10
Energetic, ferocious and bold are three words that would perfectly describe Lambrini Girls’ afternoon set on the Mordros stage. Splitting the crowd in half even before any music started led to a constant mosh all throughout the forty-five minute set. The Brighton duo’s politically charged music was complemented by firm stances on many current issues and made no apologies for their energy or statements. The frantic and distorted basslines ripped through the crowd and definitely left everyone wanting an even longer set. The Lambrini Girls easily have a space at any future Boardmasters festival but hopefully will be on the main stage whenever they return. 9/10
Exeter based alt-rock band The Kabins came down to Watergate Bay for their first Boardmasters festival and didn’t disappoint anyone. Although the set in the tent may have started out a bit sparser and quieter, in no time people started packing in as you could hear the music from far outside the Keg and Pasty. The chemistry between the members of the band is completely unmatched because it felt their stage presence was an effortless second nature. 8/10
Bella Barbe was one of our “ones to watch”, of course, she lives up to the expectation. While she’s not quite the genre we cover at BTN we couldn’t miss out on her set. Confidence and class oozes from the eighteen year old. She carries the sound of North London like the greats she stands in the footsteps of, tones of Raye, Adele and of course Amy (Winehouse) are all there as she tiptoes through rap, pop, alt with ease. There’s a quality you can’t train there, she confidently tells the audience she’ll see us on the mainstage in three years. We don’t doubt she’s right. We think we’ve seen the next big star and you’ve been warned. 8/10
Closing the Mordros stage on the Friday night, offering an alternative to the headliner was The Lathums all the way from Manchester. Quickly, the beauty of Alex Moore’s vocals were complemented by floor-mounted mirror balls on both sides of the stage. The energy of the whole band was also present from the very start – Especially the fantastic lead guitar which encapsulated just what the core of the festival is about. Loud and unique yet inspiring, The Lathums have managed to use their live performances to demonstrate that performing to large crowds comes naturally to them. Easily being headline material in the future, The Lathums are worth your time. 9/10
Saturday
Another one of our one to watch artists is North Devon founded CANDAR. Ella Crossland and Finn McAuley bring messy, sexy lusty rock to the View stage and wake up Boardmasters for the Saturday line up. They bring an 80’s level of cool, and perform with a synchronisation that can’t be bought. There is real love in this set, the pair evidently joyful to be on the stage, something that’s missing overall from a lot of the sets we caught this weekend. They’ve got a hard set time and certainly didn’t benefit from the Friday night hangover in the crowd, but you could tell they were impressed by the reaction of those who turned up to catch them. Importantly we noted, was the reaction from the crew working The View stage who we noted all rushed to congratulate them on their set after. Fine praise indeed. 8/10
You could have been mistaken that Keo have been around for years and years and have a very extensive discography because the Mordros stage that they were performing on was absolutely packed. Reminiscent of Wunderhorse who have graced the festival a couple of times in the past. With everyone chanting the band’s name as the members were all walking out onto the stage and even between every song, this set felt like it was their own headline gig and not a festival set in the middle of the day. Keo managed to maintain a level of high energy performance which did not falter at any point which impressed us immensely. It also demonstrated that this band is definitely one to watch in the future, especially with a debut album coming out in September. If they carry on at the trajectory they are currently on, they will for sure be unstoppable in no time. 8/10
Although not usually an act that we as a publication might usually cover, the setting of the mainstage looking out over Watergate bay nearing sunset was a perfect fit for Alessi Rose. A pop girl through and through clearly taking inspiration from the likes of Gracie Abrams and Olivia Rodrigo but putting her own British spin on the genre. Skipping and jumping out on stage to That Could Be Me, it was clear that for many this was the highlight of the festival the way everyone launched into singing along with her. It was a real pleasure branching out into an act that we may have otherwise missed but seeing one that unmistakably enjoys what she’s doing and spreads it to her fanbase is really special. 8/10
The Darkness could step onto almost any festival stage in the UK to rapturous reception, they ooze class. Justin Hawkins has an aura reserved for the heroes of his own teens like Queen and AC/DC, seeing them live is as close as we’ll get to that wonderful sonic sound of the 80’s in 2026. Even from the pre-set, Mordros was the busiest we saw for the whole weekend with ages young and old lining the tent. Amongst all the incredible new soundscapes of the music industry, the glitter and glam of the 70’s and 80’s still stands as a pillar and 2000’s formed The Darkness somehow manage to transport us back there. Hawkins is as impressive a frontman as ever, full of swagger and vocal excellence. A real highlight this weekend. 8/10
We’ll be frank, initially we were apprehensive about wave one of the headliners for the festival this year but as soon as we saw Lily Allen was announced we rushed to apply. For those of us in our twenties and thirties Allen has been a huge presence in the UK music industry, like her or not. (We’re absolutely in the former in that btw!) We were surprised by the announcement that she’d only be playing her new album West End Girl as she had with her recent tour but we looked forward to it nonetheless. The album is a raw and deeply personal exposé into her relationship with actor David Harbour and how it all came apart. She’s excellent; vocally and emotionally vulnerable throughout the set. Alone save for her props, it’s a refreshing and entertaining show, though to describe someone’s traumatic divorce as such feels ethically debatable.
Lily Allen has never been afraid to put her heart on her sleeve, she’s arguably known for it. Her songwriting invites us into her life in clever pop beats and catchy choruses, and while she retrains the same formula, asking us to view it so openly on the mainstage feels like we’re eavesdropping into something we shouldn’t. On the other hand it’s like we’re a friend she’s trusted to vent to. The decision not to play any of her hits makes sense. In this format they have no place, but as the Saturday night headliner at a major festival it feels strange not to have the crowd jumping to some of the best UK pop songs of the last twenty years. The show is brilliant, Allen has created a body of work that she will probably be able to look back on fondly for years but the choice to have this as the headline slot at the festival is questionable. Personally, we were huge fans and think artistically it was incredibly refreshing but the overall consensus might differ amongst the festival goers. Lily Allen is divisive, scandalous and laced in controversy, but her impact on the pop industry both here and abroad is undeniable, essential and iconic. Unafraid to speak out for what’s right, so much so that she’ll write a song about it, her importance cannot be ignored, and without a doubt her legacy will outlive all those who’ve tried to anchor her down. She’s ours, and she’s brilliant. 9/10
Sunday
Asha Banks was not an artist we were familiar with before this weekend but now we’re clued up and feel less “unc”. The UK born artist is no stranger to the stage and has performed in various theatre productions from a young age, unbeknown to us, she is also an actress and has starred in various Amazon teen films. She felt like a really great addition to the line-up for the younger attendees at this year’s festival, who are more alt/pop inclined but often, we note, go amiss. Boardmasters has a slight favouritism towards male fronted indie bands that do well of course, but there always feels like a gap for more of this kind of artist. Her newest single Biggest Fan was a clear hit with those in attendance. She made good use of the extended stage that had been altered for Kasabian later that evening and was moving around and interacting with the audience throughout a bright and cheerful set. It did become a little repetitive as her sound is clearly still developing but she is someone who has the potential to do well and is someone we’ll keep an eye on. We’d like to see more of these artists as they seem musically a good fit for a beachy festival. 6/10
A last minute decision to head over to Mordros resulted in a very pleasant discovery in Chloe Qisha. The Malaysian born, UK based, artist plays her first Boardmasters and brings her A-Game. She instantly impacts, her songs are a really great balance of pop and indie, and we were really into Sex, Drugs & Existential Dread and 21st Century Girl. These are really, really, good songs, written well and musically influenced by old and new sounds. She’s cool, like actually cool. This isn’t a try hard, this is a pop star who could sell out an arena. We were surprised and disappointed at the lack of people there to watch Qisha. She’s a proper diamond, and not in the rough. She’s magnetic, she holds your focus. We almost want to gatekeep her but there’s no point, you’ll know her soon enough. If you’re into artists like Conan Gray and Chappell Roan get her on your streaming services now. She won’t be a little secret for long. 8/10
It must always be an honour to be the Sunday headliner and close out another year on such a renowned festival in a beautiful corner of the country and Kasabian recognised this. The main stage was even modified to accommodate a short extension in the middle jutting out towards the audience, something that we haven’t seen at the festival in our years attending. This complemented frontman Sergio Pizzorno’s performing style and also brought the band closer to the crowd both physically and also in a symbolic sense. The Beatles’ Blackbird accompanied a short countdown on screen with the band not letting it get to zero before coming out on the highest of highs with Club Foot. With a discography full of rock anthems spanning more than twenty years, Kasabian’s headline set tied the whole festival together with highlights definitely being tracks from their upcoming album Act III including SUPERPOWERS and unreleased at the time NOTHING BETTER THAN THIS. Honestly, We loved this closing set, it was some of the best that the British music scene has to offer and if this is what Boardmasters 2026 has to offer, we can’t wait to see what is on offer next year. 10/10
So, what did we think of Boardmasters 2026? There was certainly change about as we mentioned earlier. Some stages felt devoid of people at times which was a real shame for the artists and bands who had earlier slots over the weekend, some who were particularly good suffering from low attendance. The line up, as a whole, felt quite slim across the weekend and apart from a handful of bright sparks, was a bit of a disappointment. Perhaps in other years we’ve been too spoiled for choice, but it feels like Boardmasters has a decision to make about the future sound and overall vibe of the festival. We’d like to see a real cohesion around the genres and artists picked, not saying it has to be regimented into very specific categories but having it blend better as it has done in the past may allow for everyone to succeed over the weekend rather than some artists being let down as they didn’t quite fit amongst the others.
The reviews above highlight just how much class there is in the music industry at the moment and long may that continue, just as long may Boardmasters continue. It’s a special festival and really helps to shine a light on the West County where music and arts are often overlooked, under supported and underfunded. This marriage of culture between surf and music provides a unique and significant weekend for young and older people and we hope that it will have a long hard look at the things that went right and went wrong before coming back with a strong and diverse line up for 2027. Overall, not a terrible year, but one that sadly hadn’t left an overly memorable impression. We love Boardmasters and cannot wait to make the pilgrimage next year. 6/10
Written By Jack Delve and Caitlyn Ebsworthy
