Y NOT Festival Friday Review: The Reytons Prove You Don’t Need a Record Label to Rule a Festival

Friday was the day Y NOT Festival 2026 truly came alive. Thursday had been about arriving, pitching tents and settling into festival life, but Friday was when Pikehall found its rhythm. The sun shone throughout the day, tempered by a welcome Derbyshire breeze that made conditions almost perfect. Apart from a handful of weary faces wandering around after a late night at Club Malibu, the site was buzzing with anticipation. By the end of the evening there was only one real talking point. The Reytons didn’t simply headline Friday, they completely owned it.

Before Rotherham’s finest took to the stage, Y NOT once again demonstrated why it has become one of Britain’s best festivals, mixing established names with exciting new artists, celebrating local talent and providing plenty to discover away from the main stages.

Lancashire Hotpots were entrusted with waking up the festival, and they did so in the only way they know how. Their comedy folk songs had people singing, laughing and dancing from the opening number, while the band rattled through quick costume changes, swapping bucket hats for oversized Bavarian headwear. Giant beach balls bounced around the crowd as they declared that drinking a beer at 7am during a festival was perfectly acceptable. Ridiculous? Absolutely. Exactly what everyone needed to start the day? Without question.

Supporting emerging artists has always been one of Y NOT’s biggest strengths and Friday showcased exactly why BBC Introducing continues to be so important. Dean Jackson welcomed local favourite Taylor Liam Jackson onto The Quarry Stage to a sizeable crowd, with the Derbyshire singer delivering one of his biggest festival performances to date. His confidence seems to grow every time we see him, and it genuinely feels like only a matter of time before he’s occupying one of the festival’s main stages.

Later in the afternoon another Derbyshire musician enjoyed a memorable moment. Joel Foster, who we recently watched perform at Dubrek Studios during Everywhere At Once Festival, took to the same stage in front of one of the biggest audiences of his career. Clearly emotional, he thanked both BBC Introducing and Y NOT for believing in him before launching into an excellent set that drew more and more people into the tent. His cover of Paramore proved particularly popular. These are exactly the moments festivals like this should be celebrating. Every support slot, every tiny pub show and every independent venue eventually builds towards opportunities like this.

The afternoon continued with one of the day’s most uplifting performances from Manchester indie outfit The Lilacs. Beach balls continued to drift above the crowd as thousands sang every word back to the band beneath clear blue skies. During Grace, the audience became one giant choir before the band laughed that the moment was “going on TikTok”. They rounded things off with Vicarage Road, accompanied by fans on shoulders and one enormous singalong stretching across the field.

Some bands simply understand how to play festivals and Reverend and the Makers remain one of the very best. John McClure bounded onto the stage despite joking that he’d recently fallen off a Lambretta and damaged his ribs. His advice to the audience was simple: “If I can bounce, so can you. And if you see somebody not bouncing, dig them in the ribs.” What followed was classic Reverend and the Makers. Heavyweight Champion of the World sent clouds of dust into the Derbyshire air as thousands bounced together before McClure divided the audience into left versus right during Shine The Light, turning the entire field into a competition to see who could make the most noise. Looking back at supporting Oasis in the noughties, he joked that everyone “wanted to go to Colombia, if you know what I mean”, before admitting these days he’s more than happy being comfortable on Radio 2. The set closed exactly as promised, with one huge bouncing party.

Away from the main stages, Y NOT continued to prove that it’s far more than a music festival. Flamingo Jacks was packed with families enjoying live entertainment, children relaxed beneath blankets in the festival cinema, while vintage clothing stalls, jewellery makers, tattoo artists and independent traders transformed the site into a bustling creative village. Wherever you wandered there was always something worth stopping for, giving the festival an atmosphere that feels increasingly rare at events of this size.

Royston Club delivered one of Friday’s biggest surprises. Walking onto one of the largest crowds of the day so far, the Welsh indie outfit immediately had people chanting, singing and letting off flares before launching into a relentless collection of indie rock anthems. It was our first opportunity to see them live and hopefully won’t be the last. Their songs were outstanding, the energy never dipped and the audience remained fully invested from beginning to end.

Playing opposite Royston Club could easily have been intimidating, but Beans on Toast remains one of Y NOT’s great traditions. Joking that he’d played every festival since 2011 apart from the year he wasn’t booked, he once again attracted a sizeable crowd with his witty storytelling and tongue-in-cheek folk songs. One lucky fan even walked away with a free T-shirt after successfully bursting a balloon on command before the inevitable cries of “one more song” were answered with There’s Always Money For War.

Another joy of Y NOT is stumbling across artists you weren’t planning to see. A visit to The Giant Squid introduced us to Kytes, who finished a spirited cover of Take On Me before launching into a song dedicated to anyone who hates Nazis. Their blend of reggae grooves, ska rhythms, indie hooks and post-punk influences made them an instant highlight. Earlier in the day Loudmouth had also impressed with relaxed indie rock carrying unmistakable 90s British surf influences, further demonstrating the depth of quality running throughout the weekend.

The established names certainly weren’t resting on their reputations either. The Fratellis arrived complete with brass players and three superb female backing vocalists, guiding the audience through favourites including Whistle for the Choir before Chelsea Dagger inevitably became one of the biggest singalongs of the weekend. Sleeper transported everyone straight back to the 1990s with a nostalgic set that proved these songs have lost none of their appeal, while Dizzee Rascal transformed the main stage into a giant outdoor rave with hit after hit including Holiday, Dance Wiv Me, Bassline Junkie and Bonkers. Just when it felt like the crowd couldn’t give any more, he rewound Bonkers and challenged everyone to go even harder over a heavier dubstep version. Elsewhere, Pale Waves delivered shimmering indie pop and 80s-inspired rock to another huge audience, with Heather Baron-Gracie’s vocals floating effortlessly across the festival site.

As darkness settled over Pikehall, anticipation surrounding The Reytons became impossible to ignore. The main stage disappeared behind a giant black curtain, revealing only glimpses of what appeared to be a row of council estate houses hidden behind it. Every available space in front of the stage quickly filled, drinks were topped up, friends climbed onto shoulders and thousands waited together for the inevitable explosion.

When the curtain finally dropped, The Reytons burst onto the stage in front of a full council estate set as flame cannons lit up the Derbyshire night. Red smoke flares immediately filled the air, mosh pits erupted across the crowd and every lyric was screamed back towards the stage as the band stormed through Red Smoke, Jukebox, Antibiotics, Retro Emporium, 2006, Cash In Hand & Fake IDs, Market Street, Billy Big Bollocks, Kids Off the Estate and Low Life. The evening also featured the live debut of Best Night of His Life, while Lucy Spraggan joined the band for Busker’s Paradise, accompanied by police officers and a postman in a wonderfully tongue-in-cheek celebration of working-class Britain.

Pyrotechnics, smoke cannons, sparklers and an enormous stage production made this feel every bit like an arena headline show. The difference, of course, is that The Reytons remain proudly unsigned. Frontman Jonny spoke passionately about succeeding without radio playlists, major magazines or record labels dictating the band’s future, and that’s what made the performance resonate so strongly. The Reytons have become living proof that independent bands can still build enormous audiences by backing themselves, working relentlessly and refusing to compromise. For every young band currently loading equipment into the back of a van to play a grassroots venue somewhere in Derbyshire, Friday night offered genuine inspiration. You don’t have to follow the traditional route if you’re prepared to build your own.

Watching tens of thousands of people lose themselves during Kids Off the Estate and Low Life felt like more than another headline performance. It felt like a statement about the strength of independent music and a reminder that grassroots scenes still matter. If Thursday belonged to The Libertines, Friday unquestionably belonged to The Reytons, not simply because they attracted the biggest crowd or delivered the largest production, but because they reminded everyone exactly what can still be achieved without compromising who you are.

Even after the main stages had closed, the festival showed no signs of slowing down. Kings of Leon tribute bands packed out The Pit, Window Kid kept The Giant Squid bouncing into the early hours, DJs filled hidden corners of the site with dancing crowds and a spectacular dragon fire show illuminated the Derbyshire skyline. Y NOT never really sleeps, and after two days it had become abundantly clear that Friday wasn’t simply another successful festival day. It was the night one of Britain’s biggest unsigned bands proved beyond any doubt why they’ve earned every bit of their success.

Topics