YNOT? Festival 2025

In the heart of the country, where the hills roll like a lullaby and cows watch over crowds like benevolent festival guardians, Y Not Festival 2025 unfolded in a glorious celebration of music, community, and the kind of joy that only a cold peach Jubel and a good old UK festival can bring. The Mic's Beth Coldwell eagerly reports on the weekend.

Our weekend began with a deceptively smooth drive into the Peak District, a place we already adore. Spirits were high, the sun was shining, and our minds were already drifting toward the first crack of a cold drink and the set from The Hunna that was scheduled just after our expected arrival. That is, until we hit the queue. A long, winding trail of midday festival-goers, all buzzing with anticipation and ready to dive in. Once through the gates, our newly acquired trolley allowed us a semi-respectable commute from the car to our dazzling home for the weekend. We set up camp with record-breaking speed and toasted our success with a (thankfully) still-cold beer. The arena beckoned, and we answered, greeted by the sound of The Hunna, whose set we caught from the back of a crowd already dancing to rocky tunes.

From The Hunna’s indie-rock charm, we moved to Himalayas- a Welsh rock group whose sound was nothing short of thunderous. Then came Hard Life (formerly Easy Life), back on the scene after a rough patch with that company (I won’t name names). Their new tracks Ogre and Othello, alongside old school favourites like OJPL and Nightmares, were polished, powerful, and proof that they’re stronger than ever. Northside drew us into their tent with raw emotion, especially poignant after the loss of their guitarist. Pastel gave us a dose of indie sleaze at the Allotment Stage, beckoning an interested crowd with their heavy sound. And then the moment I’d been waiting for: Cajun BBQ chicken. I hate to admit that we did, in fact, eat from this truck all weekend. I will be dreaming of the chilli jam and homemade coleslaw until we meet again.

The night ended with The Prodigy, and as a newly minted EDM fan, I was floored. Their set was electric, hypnotic, and absolutely unforgettable- for lack of a better word... legendary. The energy remained for the entirety of the set, particularly, but not unexpectedly, for Firestarter. Left speechless from an evening of heavy tunes and bright lights, we tried to rally for the indie anthems after hours, but alas, our energy levels betrayed us. Off to bed we went, dreaming of day two.

Saturday greeted us with blue skies and optimism. After a few failed attempts at the shower queue (we gave up and planned a stealthy, and extremely successful, afternoon return), we kicked off the day with Dirtbloom, whose heavy, grungy sound was perfect dinnertime listening (alongside yet another Cajun BBQ chicken), followed by Luvcat, a name I've seen creeping it's way onto festival line ups across the country this summer. Her romantic-rock style brought a unique, mesmerising vibe with inspirations from the likes of The Cure. We caught some of The Lilac, whose name I had not heard prior to YNOT, but am very glad to know now. The Wigan-based four piece offered epic energy, and were graciously received by an adoring crowd- I really look forward to seeing what they do next.

The Last Dinner Party are another band who never lets you down. They delivered a set that was nothing short of magical. Ethereal, theatrical, and totally captivating; having previously seen them perform one of their newest songs This Is The Killer Speaking, and listening to it on repeat since, I was overjoyed to be able to sing along to every word seeing it this weekend. To close the evening, Courteeners followed with a huge performance. Even the folks next to us who’d never heard of them were converted by the time they were walking off the stage; a much more powerful performance than I had witnessed a couple of weeks prior at Truck festival. The set consisted of indie classics like Are You In Love With A Notion? and Cavorting, and some newer music like Pink Cactus Cafe, which the crowd sung to like it had been around forever.

Sunday started soggy, but by the time Noasis hit the stage, the sun broke through, and the crowd was singing like it was 1995. Everybody was riding the Oasis train this summer, so the tribute band were a massive hit, with the backing vocals of the entire crowd most definitely being heard from early morning walkers up the peaks and beyond. The Pigeon Detectives continued the mood, with old school indie Take Her Back and I Found Out revving the crowd up like sticking my Aygo into third gear and sticking my foot on the gas to overtake the many, many tractors on the roads these days. The K’s, still riding the wave of their number 1 album Pretty On The Internet released this July, offered high energy, and were received by a very supportive crowd, with many lifted high above the crowd on each other’s shoulders for the likes of Chancer and Hometown.

Alternative rock band, Shed Seven, were a big surprise for us. I hate to say it, but I wasn’t massively aware of them prior to this festival (I’m sorry), but they were absolutely electric! Madness rounded out the day with pure nostalgia. I must admit, there are about for Madness songs that I can hand on heart say that I know... you know the ones. Throughout the entire hour and a half set, we patiently waited for an ounce of hope that we may be able to sing along to something. And that hope was crushed until (you guessed it) the final four songs. However, throughout all of the waiting, we saw Madness absolutely owning the stage. A field full of adoring fans soaked up every second of their set, and maybe we were some of the few who were not so well versed. The classics were worth the wait, and it was lovely to hear some of their lesser-known (by us) music- too. It Must Be Love had people spinning each other around, embracing one-another and showing the sense of love and community that we felt throughout the whole weekend. What a fantastic way to end a wholesome, yet epic weekend in the Peaks.

One of the most touching moments? While eating our (third?) Korean BBQ chicken, we were approached by a lovely man handing out mental health leaflets. Y Not’s commitment to support and community was visible, accessible, and deeply appreciated. It added to the sense of belonging and togetherness that pulsed through the festival like a bassline. Y Not 2025 felt like more than just a music festival. It was a weekend of laughter, connection, and dancing under the watchful eyes of cows and clouds. From the rolling fields to the roaring stages, it was a celebration of everything that makes summer festivals magical.

Until next year, Y Not. You were a dream.

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Edited by Bethany Coldwell

Images courtesy of YNOT? festival on Facebook