Amelia Cropley and Sasha Andresier
“Okay Nottingham! Are you ready for Splendour?”
Celebrating its seventeenth birthday, Splendour Festival returned for another year in Nottingham for a weekend celebration in the rain and the shine. As the biggest festival of Nottinghamshire, Splendour sets large expectations for itself; but the year of 2025 was officially the biggest Splendour yet. Set within the beautiful grounds of Wollaton Hall & Deer Park, and even venturing into the city centre at locations like The Bodega, festival goers can enjoy 5 stages of music.
With a high bar to maintain, the festival has welcomed artists such as Noel Gallagher, Anne-Marie, Madness, The Kooks, The Vaccines, Becky Hill and many more. But 2025 maintained this standard to a fault, with headliners Natasha Beddingfield, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Bloc Party, Clean Bandit, Kaiser Chiefs, Jake Bugg, Lucy Spraggan, Travis, Echo & The Bunnymen and many more owning this year’s stages. But one of the most special things about the Nottingham musical scene, is remaining true to tradition in taking care to prioritise the city’s grassroots, and showcasing local Nottingham-born artists.
The festival started, for us at least, with one of the 2025 winners of the Future Sound of Nottingham competition, Saffron Gray, who welcomed the festival’s early birds to the main stage. Introduced as “a Nottingham girl”, Splendour kicked off their support of local artists from the get-go. Singing to her growing crowd, she showcased her upcoming EP album, ‘Pieces of Me’, singing songs like ‘girls’ night in’ and a crowd-pleaser ‘Pressure’, where she honoured her Jamaican heritage with style, genre, and her stage-present dancing. Whilst Saffron Gray began on the main stage, across the way Mollie Ralph & the City Flowers began guitar-ing up on the Confetti Stage. With such a contrasting genre, this band’s rock genre and powerful vocals cemented their place at Splendour, with lead singer Mollie Ralph’s unbreakable vocals, their electric and base guitars electrified through the rain – which soon became a weekend headliner in itself – making it clear only good music keeps the British out in the pouring rain.
Alongside Saffron Gray, Splendour most admirably presented uncountable acts from our city. Alongside another winner of the Future Sound of Nottingham competition, Archy & The Astronauts performing on the main stage Sunday 20th. Other Nottingham artists included daydreamers, Keo, Cardinals, LYVIA, Bloodworm, and even headliner Jake Bugg. LYVIA, on Saturday’s main stage sang ‘barriers’ which expressed her experiences busking on the streets of Nottingham, “city hopping in Notts”, and all these acts expressed their gratitude to Splendour for having them. The Notts Edit quotes George Curtis, singer, guitarist and frontman of the goth post-punk band Bloodworm who states “Splendour shows a range of bands to different people who maybe wouldn’t have seen them otherwise […]. It’s a showcase of all the things that Nottingham’s got to offer up.” And that is, it’s buzzing musical scene.
Bloodworm, however, was an incredible last-minute addition to Sunday’s Confetti stage. When the indie-rock band Overpass were due to come on, Bloodworm blessed us instead. Playing the day before at The Bodega stage, they expressed their gratitude for being eleventh hour additions to the stage and performing two days in a row – and as a Nottingham band, being celebrated by their home crowds. A little indie to my indie-inclined ears, as well as their heavy, punk, rock, goth and exhilarating sound spread all over the park. Their song, ‘Clairvoyance’, when a title would expect delicacy was loud and beating, yet at times gentle in a rockstar kind of way. As much as Splendour were expecting Overpass on Sunday, I for one am glad I was introduced to this band who are forging their musical career here in Nottingham.
BY RETURNING TO SPLENDOUR THIS YEAR, NOT JUST AWARENESS BUT LOVE TOO, WAS RAISED. AN IMAGE OF NOTTINGHAM HOLDING HANDS WITH ITS COMMUNITY.
Vicky McClure and Our Dementia Choir. Photo courtesy of Louisa Mae.
Acts like The Amy Winehouse Band, Elvana and Nottingham’s own dementia choir led by Vicky McClure were memorable, and an honour to witness. The Amy Winehouse Band, was an embodiment of the eternally famous singer but with their own style, with trumpets, jazz and soul and getting their fans to do the Mexican wave. Stating, “let’s sing this one for Amy” at the start of Valarie, they honour the artist with an originality that allows them to exist as artists separately and together. Elvana, a strictly Elvis and Nirvana-singing band, got their crowds going with the banger that is ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and casually asked their crowds (whilst in the middle of them might I add), if Wollaton Park is where they filmed Batman. But finally, Vicky McClure’s Dementia Choir stole everyone’s hearts, and were accompanied in beautiful harmony by Emili Sande. This choir is on a journey to raise awareness on Dementia and by returning to Splendour this year, not just awareness but love was raised. An image of Nottingham holding hands with their community. Warming and gratifying, not only to watch but to be a part of.
But what about the headliners? With a high bar from previous years, this weekend stood not only on the foundation of local artists, but with headliners that made all festivalgoers mob the barriers.
Natasha Beddingfield on the Saturday main stage. Photo courtesy of Marcus Holdsworth.
Natasha Beddingfield was the first main headliner to step foot onto the Splendour stages. On Saturday she stunned the crowd with her big-hit pop singles, including ‘Pocket Full of Sunshine’, the clubesque vibe of ‘These Words’ and ‘Unwritten’. The latter featuring a guitar solo that doesn’t appear on my Spotify-curated ‘pink pony princess pilates pop playlist’, making the live version truer and authentic. A large part of Splendour, we came to learn, was about people in other parts of the world who, in the midst of war, aren’t able to celebrate live music for a weekend like us. Natasha Beddingfield made this fact ever so poignant with a cover of The Cranberries’ ‘Zombie’, where singing of bombs, guns and war just “felt so current at the moment”.
Clean Bandit was another big name of the weekend, playing classic crowd pleasers such as ‘Tears’, and ‘Rather Be’, reminding the audience of just how many hits they were responsible for. Despite being known for many impressive collaborations in their discography (the likes of Zara Larsson and Julia Michaels spring to mind), Clean Bandit did not shy away from the inclusion of these songs. Instead, they presented powerful and energetic versions of their top hits and provided impressive vocals to rival the originals. Many songs ended with a remix version, generating a beach-club energy to which the only natural response was to dance.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor on the Main Stage. Photo courtesy of Jade Vowles.
Nottingham’s own Jake Bugg took to the main stage for over an hour, but according to him “there’s nothing like coming back’ to the city. The Clifton-born singer and songwriter returned to Splendour after twelve years when he was only 19. But in 2025, returning a headliner, his name was on t-shirts in every direction. For such a long set, Bugg had a lot to perform – but maintained the crowd the whole time. His biggest hits like ‘Lightning Bolt’, ‘Two Fingers’ (where he “goes back to Clifton”), and ‘Simple As This’, he faced crowds singing his lyrics with familiar and surprised faces as it graced their ears.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor, again, kept the crowds dancing, with covers of ‘Like a Prayer’ and ‘Gimme Gimme Gimme’, that kept us on our toes. Kicking balls into the audience, talking to the crowds and laughing at the rain we happily endured. Returning to Nottingham only a few months after her concert at Theatre Royal’s Concert Hall, this outside crowd exploded in vibrant dance to the punchy disco-pop hits we know so well. Opening with ‘Relentless Love’, her kinetic energy and green “swimsuit”, she said, were just the right fit for this sunny performance.
Lucy Spraagan on the main stage. Photo courtesy of Louisa Mae.
Lucy Spraggan, former X-Factor phenomenon, brought to the stage not only wonderful vocals and songwriting, but relatable wit and a local accent that made her feel like an old friend. She talked to the crowd in between each song with stories that dotted along her musical journey; some about tea and toast and some about lonely goats (if you know, you know). Whilst a headliner, she presented herself as a local Derbyshire girl with her guitar, celebrating six years sobriety with her incredible “TikTok famous” (she said with a comical tut) song, ‘Last Night (Beer Fear)’, that got the crowd laughing as much as the crowd in her X-Factor audition – though this time, everyone knew the lyrics.
Next, The Fratellis, were at the top of fan-favourite performances, with strong energetic performances of their classic hits like ‘Chelsea Dagger’. Their festival-worthy slot was built with the confidence that their music are most-loved anthems amongst Britain, where (and I’m sure you know which song I’m talking about), the grass became something barely touched whilst thousands bounced along in the excellent atmosphere. There was no shortage on stage either as the backing singers took each song to new heights, clearly thrilled to be performing alongside such legends. In between each song was no discussion by the band and as became clear, they were absolutely all about the music, showing an indulgent but spellbinding love for their songs and sharing them with a crowd.
NASH PROVIDED A LIVELY AND BUBBLY PERFORMANCE BUT MADE NO MISTAKE IN ENUNCIATING HER POWERFUL POLITICAL MESSAGE.
Kate Nash on the Confetti Stage. Photo courtesy of Louisa Mae.
From The Fratellis, ensued a mass migration to the Confetti stage where had entranced the crowd. Nash provided a lively and bubbly performance but made no mistake in enunciating her powerful political message. While a few of her songs had a quintessential Englishness to them, such as ‘Wasteman’ which speaks to a no-good ex-boyfriend, “you’re just a wasteman”, it would be irresponsible to take this as the key quality of her performance. Her new single ‘GERM’ spoke directly to TERFS (trans-exclusionary radical feminists) and was lyrically composed of jaw-dropping statistics and messaging about life under the patriarchy. Not least was her political messaging displayed in her wearing a jacket with ‘Free Palestine’ written across the back. Nash’s performance made clear that she was not to be diminished to a simple popstar persona, emphasised not least by her quoting that ‘feminism is the most important ideology in my life’. Some of Nash’s messaging was a tough pill to swallow and a stark reminder of real injustice in the world, but the pain was eased by the ‘bitter’-sweet taste of her most famous career single, ‘Foundations’.
Lead singer and frontman, Fran Healy, from Travis on Sunday’s Main Stage. Photo curtesy of Jade Vowles.
The band Travis rolled onto stage to the gleeful ‘Cheers’ theme song (‘where everybody knows your name’) and with an indomitable energy. Their enthusiasm for the gig was infectious and infused a wild joy into their performance, exampling that even after 30 years in collaboration, they still loved what they did. Their front man, Fran Healy, is effortlessly cool and energetic, and ended up clambering off the stage to come right up to the front of the crowd. Their songs were nostalgic but current, possessing themes like concern for humanity and love for those whom we grieve. With grace and humour, Healy spoke about how owing to the circular nature of the Earth, we all ought to treat each other as though we are on the same-side and not opposed. Amongst a couple of ‘F*** You’ songs was a heartfelt tribute to the frontman’s beloved grandfather, exhibiting the two ends of a life-affirming set.
But it wouldn’t be a British day out, without a good bit of heavy rain. Mid-way through Travis’ set, the heavens opened and for the safety of everyone, the show momentarily paused. After it thundered several times and the Splendour staff ensured everyone was a safe distance from anything metal and electric (a hard feat at a music festival), the main act of Kaiser Chiefs were overdue, but ready and waiting. The real tragedy, was Travis’ set was cut short, but in the middle of the rain and thunder, the magic happened. If Travis couldn’t sing ‘Why Does it Always Rain On Me?’, the Splendour crowds would do it for them – and how fittingly so. No music, no singers, just fans singing their hearts out, waiting as the night drew in. As the stage was getting set back up, spotlights and cameras zoomed into audience members, igniting cheers and love. Until those hard at work setting up the stage, got the biggest cheers of all – so human and compassionate, there were more than 30,000 music fans shouting their gratitude for those who made sure the show went on!
THE CONSTANT BANGER AFTER BANGER OF THE KAISER CHEIFS SET FELT LIKE A WARM REWARD FOR THE PATIENCE OF THE NOTTINGHAM CROWD.
Sunday headliners, Kaiser Chiefs on the Main Stage. Photo courtesy of Jake Haseldine.
So, to a hungry (if slightly drenched) crowd, the Kaiser Chiefs came strutting out and took an early bow as if to take responsibility for the rain clearing. And honestly, from their performance you yourself might believe it. The energy from song one was exhilarating and brought the crowd to absolute elation. After what had felt like a long time coming, the constant banger after banger of the Kaiser Chiefs set felt like a warm reward for the patience of the Nottingham crowd. Hits like ‘Ruby’, ‘I Predict a Riot’ and ‘The Angry Mob’, were accompanied by some bizarre if entertaining graphics but were taken aboard in uproarious reception. Frontman Ricky Wilson is an expert entertainer, using the mic stand and the speakers as his own personal props. The absolute rockstar energy proved that the Kaiser Chiefs absolutely demand, and deserve, unyielding attention. Despite having their set time cut down due to the weather, they graciously made time in their set for Travis to reemerge proclaiming, ‘I told you we’d be back’, and together play ‘Why Does it Always Rain On Me?’, just as the crowd themselves had foretold. This gesture absolutely made both group’s performances! Battling the exhaustion of a crowd who had their nine-hour day extended, the rain and thunder of the skies above and being forced to reshape their own setlist to accommodate timings, the band proved to be a force beyond it all. By the end of their set, I could have forgotten my own name for having been so mesmerised. Frankly, the Kaiser Chiefs’ set was quite singular.
After all is said and done, reaching the end of a delightful weekend was the come down to a high at Wollaton Park. From spotting deer far away from the music, the beauty of Wollaton Hall and its grounds, and the constant buzz of live music, the atmosphere cannot be matched. And perhaps, because no other city would honour their prodigy’s like Nottingham. This kind of weekend is for everyone. With body art and henna tattoos, silent discos, stalls for festival glitter, hair and bling, permanent jewellery, thrift stores, goose and gander, WWF, and even fair ground rides and cricket tournaments for the young (or older) ones – the only problem was you can’t possibly do everything. With stand up comedy and the bodega stages producing excellent reviews, I only wish I could have split myself in two… or had it be a Splendour Week. But there was never a dull moment at this year’s Splendour – not even under the open sky as it thundered.
Amelia Cropley and Sasha Andresier
Featured image courtesy of Alex Watkin. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article image 1 courtesy of Marcus Holdsworth. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
In-article image 8 courtesy of Jake Haseldine. Permission to use granted to Impact. No changes were made to this image.
All other in-article images are credited throughout the body of this article. Permission to use granted to Impact for all images. No changes were made to these images.
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