Lily Allen, Kasabian, and Fatboy Slim have sent our 2000s brains into overload, Boardmasters certainly feels like its switched up and is diving into a new dynasty, one that we’re extremely excited to see play out.
It feels as though the festival is having a refresh and switching back to its roots, with the line up giving a more surf/coastal feel and maybe even a change up in target audience.
Last year in our review we wrote about how we felt Boardies had slid more into EDM territory and was no longer focusing on championing new artist and bands as it has previously, however it looks to us like they’re heard our calls and this years line up features lots of exiting talent across its stages while still finding space to have EDM play a pivotal role. While we’re yet to see how this will play out, we think it’s a brilliant move by the festival.
So with this in mind, we’re taking a look at some exciting and emerging artists who are heading down to the beach for a weekend of tunes this summer.
CANDAR
Alt-Rock duo CANDAR, formed of Ella Crossland (Vocal, Guitar) and Finn Mcauley (Drums), are London based but carry their coastal, beach roots from Braunton, Devon deep into their music.
Their debut EP, Wallflower which released in 2025, has seen single Girl You See amass over 35,000 streams. Their two piece set up brings a unique edge to the band with their chemistry spilling out throughout their live set. They’re the “it girl” band you haven’t heard of yet, so get to know, and don’t miss their slot on The View Stage during the BBC introducing segment on the Saturday.
Charlie Noordewier
Another South West gem is Charlie Noordeweir, formally of the band The Native, Noordewier, now performs as a solo artist and has already performed on stages alongside the likes of Sam Fender and Olivia Dean and Kingfisher. His discovery has already gained huge numbers but especially, Joy and Despair which has over 2 million plays on Spotify and is still climbing. The rise in folk/singer songwriter doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon, and Noordewier seems to have started to explode at the perfect time. He can also be found over at The View Stage on the Saturday.
Bella Barbe
If you love Raye you need to be getting onto Bella Barbe. The eighteen year old London based artist can’t be placed in one genre. Rap? Easy. Soul? Got you. Pop influence? Of course. Bella’s sound echoes the North London greats that have come before her, and you can hear it throughout her brilliant vocals and lyrics. Her song Go To Dinner already sounds so familiar, but in the best kind of way, like it your favourite track from one of your favourite artist’s first albums.
We can see Bella being on mainstage in the not so distant future, so get your claim to fame in and catch her on The View Stage on the Friday.
Chartreuse
West Midlands, Indie-rock band Chartreuse make the trip down South for the festival, bringing their alternative sound and brilliant album Bless You & Be Well in tow. Chartreuse blend unique a sound scape and refuse to be tied down to the Indie-rock genre, it’s a anchor point label for them so people know roughly what their sound is about. The group features both Mike Wagstaff and Harriet Wilson as lead vocalists, with Rory Wagstaff on drums and Perry Lovering on bass. They can also be found on The View Stage on Friday.
We can’t wait to see these amazing acts alongside the incredible other artists on this years line up. So, we’ll see you at the beach?!
Boardmasters 2026 is on sale HERE.
Written By: Caitlyn Ebsworthy
