Words and photos by: Lucy Williamson
The UK’s biggest surf and music festival made its sun-drenched return with a stacked lineup of over 90 acts performing across the weekend at Watergate Bay.
With headline performances from Fatboy Slim, Lily Allen and Kasabian and sea view sets from South West BBC Introducing acts COSM, Peri Rae and Candar, this year’s festival welcomed 158,000 people to Boardmasters from 5th – 9th August 2026.
The special afternoon guest headliners featured Dizzie Rascal, Example and Tinie Tempah, who all took to the main stage for high-energy filled sets with late noughties and 2010s genre-bending dance pop tracks.
A festival filled with amazing live performances, stunning Watergate Bay sunsets, and all round good vibes. Let’s dive into some highlights…
Friday
From the shoegaze flares of COSM to the booming electronic beats of Fatboy Slim, Friday saw a multitude of music on a sunny, hot summer’s day.
Fletchr Fletchr | Main Stage
Opening the Main Stage on Friday afternoon, four-piece band Fletchr Fletchr, who formed in Cornwall, brought their indie punk fusion sound to the festival. We had the pleasure of catching up with the lovely guys later in the afternoon for an interview – stay tuned for more!
FFO: Wunderhorse, Good Health Good Wealth, Tooth
COSM | The View
Over at The View stage, Cornwall-based psych-gazers COSM were getting ready to perform their Boardmasters debut. I first met the band in October 2024 when guitarist Emily asked me to photograph their first-ever gig in Falmouth, so it felt like a real full circle moment seeing their set against a backdrop of crystal blue seas one side and the festival skyline to the other.
Emily hails from Redruth, so it was only fitting for her to decorate her jazzmaster with a Cornish flag to celebrate playing at this year’s festival. A highlight from the set was when she asked the crowd if anyone was from Redruth, and two people sitting on the grass cheered at the top of their lungs!
The band kicked off their set filled with energetic guitar rhythms from Tom and Emily, floaty bass tones from Jim, and symbolic beats from Josh, layered with melodic vocals and reverb to create a bouncy cosmic soundscape.
Hearing one of my favourite COSM tracks Black Holes in a festival setting felt somewhat surreal, I wouldn’t be surprised if this song is a top track of mine in 2026.
They ended their stellar set with Soon where Tom takes a deep dive into warping and bending his signature guitar sound with his pedal board, before a harmonic ending of melodies from Tom and Jim.
Knowing how hard this band has worked over the past couple of years, their spot on the festival was so well deserved. They even teased an announcement about their upcoming autumn tour, but first, a trip to Exeter for the BBC Introducing South West Showcase!
FFO: Alvvays, Beach House, Diive
Girl In The Year Above | Keg and Pasty
Announced in the second wave of acts for the 2026 Boardmasters lineup, the Irish Cornish band brought a bundle of energy to the Keg and Pasty tent on Friday afternoon, blending a potent mix of Celtic-infused folk and alt-rock.
The band have previously toured with Razorlight and supported Wolf Alice at Eden Sessions, so it was super exciting for them to perform at Boardmasters.
After the set, I overheard someone in the crowd say that the band is going to be the next big thing – and they’re right! The Girl In The Year Above will be touring across the UK this October.
FFO: The Last Dinner Party, Wolf Alice, Florence Road
Good Health Good Wealth | Keg and Pasty
I had heard good things about this band thanks to my photographer friend Anna who saw them live at Electric Bristol earlier this year, so I made sure to catch their set down at the Keg and Pasty. The alternative singer-songwriter duo brought their synthy-riffy goodness layered with spoken word storytelling. It was certainly a mosh-worthy set!
FFO: Big Special, CARSICK, Boss Cass
The Kooks | Main Stage
For the first golden hour set on the Main Stage, The Kooks was a festival favourite with the crowd where they performed instantly recognisable indie hits “She Moves In Her Own Way”, “Ooh La” and “Always Where I Need To Be”.
A highlight of the weekend was when the band invited music fan and musician Alfie Crinion on stage to perform “Seaside” with Luke Pritchard. It was somewhat reminiscent of when Sam Fender invited a fan on the Boardmasters Main Stage back in 2024 to perform Borders with him.
Finally, to top an all-round great set, the biggest cheer echoed across the field for when the first chords of Naive played. The nostalgic atmosphere couldn’t have been more fitting with a gentle sea breeze, people on shoulders and a crowd singing along to every single word!
Fatboy Slim | Main Stage
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, it was time for Fatboy Slim’s two hour set on the Main Stage. Right from the start, he immediately transported the field into an open-air dancefloor starting with a song-mix of “Praise You” and Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now”.
Part way through the set, he leapt down to the subs hyping up the crowd and continuing to lip sync the songs, before sitting cross-legged in front of the festivalgoers taking in the joyous atmosphere. He played a mix of DJ party tracks, with hits “Right Here, Right Now” and “Weapon of Choice” sprinkled in there, too. When chatting to people what their highlights of the festival were so far, many mentioned Fatboy Slim, and it was certainly a Boardmasters highlight to remember.
Saturday
From the surf indie punk sound of Peri Rae to the diary-like storytelling of Lily Allen performing the entirety of West End Girl, Saturday saw a host of acts performing across the festival site.
Candar | The View
Ready for another sunny, hot day with a slight cloudy haze stretching across Watergate Bay, South West band Candar were ready to wake everyone up with the first set of the day at The View stage.
Also quoted by Dan Pascoe as “everyone’s favourite alarm clock”, the rock duo created a huge wave of sound with Ella on vocals and guitar and Finn on drums. Each time I see this band live, it amazes me how full the band sounds – you would think there were four or five band members on stage! I first saw Candar live a few years back at the Fish Factory in Penryn, so it was really special seeing them perform at Boardmasters this year.
FFO: Royal Blood, Wolf Alice, The White Stripes
Achilles Heel | The View
Bringing their neo-soul sound to Watergate Bay, the Falmouth-formed band put on a stellar set. Singer Caitlyn, who performed with The Beau Bennett Collective a couple of years ago, mentioned how it was great to be back at The View stage. And it was a set to remember with harmonious vocals, vibrant synths, and lively hints of jazz. They ended the set with self-named track Achilles Heel, as featured previously on BBC Introducing.
FFO: Erykah Badu, Joy Crookes, Amy Winehouse
Peri Rae | The View
Being called a week before the festival, Peri Rae took to The View stage with a newly formed band. I caught up with Rae before the set, and it truly felt like she was on cloud nine and so incredibly happy about returning to Boardmasters.
With a new surf punk sound, the band took to the stage with a backdrop of Watergate Bay in the sunshine. They ended the set with Surf With The Boys, a rock and punk infused song celebrating women in surfing. It was such a fitting song to perform at Boardmasters! You can find out more about Peri Rae in our latest issue of Whisper Magazine.
FFO: Wetleg, Courtney Barnett, Courtney Love
Florence Road | Mordros
Over at Mordros, a highly anticipated band I’ve been super excited to see live is performing in Cornwall for the first time.
With amid fans lining the front row, Florence Road opened with their newly released song 7563, where they played it for the first time since the release! Hanging Out To Dry was another crowd favourite, singing along, a sea of hands swaying from left to right with the stage lit up as red and blue as the ethereal melodies echoed through the tent.
Before finishing the set, the band played a new, unreleased song – Surprise Surprise – where they introduced a mini dance routine where the crowd threw their hands in the air and back down in time with the rhythm of the chorus. The set was a high-energy, goosebump tingling performance that really created a real buzz about this 90s-inspired indie rock band from Bray in Ireland.
FFO: The Last Dinner Party, The Cranberries, Wolf Alice
Nia Archives | Main Stage
Debuting her new never-been-seen before live show, BRIT Award nominee Nia Archives brought her signature jungle sound to the main stage on late Saturday afternoon with soulful vocals, rapid electronic beats and booming basslines. She performed tracks off her new album Emotional Junglist with the grey sofa being a nod to her new era of music.
Other highlights from the Saturday’s lineup included Example putting on an energetic performance for Sunday’s afternoon headline slot. Alessi Rose brought her flourishing pop sound with smooth vocals and an amazing stage presence. And after exploring the festival stalls filled with local businesses, I made sure to catch Jacob Alon’s set, which was truly magical, atmospheric and incredibly wholesome.
Lily Allen | Main Stage
One of the stand-out performances for many, and possibly one of the most talked about performances of the weekend was Saturday’s main stage headliner Lily Allen.
Instead of a set of hits from her catalogue, Lily Allen played her latest album West End Girl from start-to-finish and told the story of the album visually with her 70s-inspired home set design – sofa, phone, bed, fridge – you name it, it was there! And there were a few costume changes along the way, too.
Lily Allen’s performance was elaborate and theatrical, but always felt very raw, real and down to earth. While the stage was beautifully built, it was grounded, no huge band, light show or pyrotechnics. It was a real story she wanted to tell in a theatre show format.
There were also a couple of nods to Cornwall in the set. At the beginning when she was on a telephone call, she said “I’m at Boardmasters… that festival in Cornwall y’know?”, and then later on in where she’s sorting through the on stage fridge to find a giant Cornish pasty.
A stand-out track was “Madeline”, both for the way it was able to tow that line between funny and catchy while not losing sight of the song’s more serious themes of deception and cheating.
The narrative focus of the performance was second-to-none and Lily Allen’s performance filled the stage brilliantly.
Sunday
From Boardmasters Breaking Winner Essy Sparrow opening the Main Stage to Kasabian closing it, Sunday was another perfect day!
Essy Sparrow | Main Stage
Opening the lineup on the main stage, Falmouth-based musician Essy Sparrow brought her catchy coastal folk-indie melodies and heartfelt storytelling, along with a group of sea shanty singers, a full band, backing dancers, costume changes and props!
Essy won the Boardmasters Breaking competition with BBC Introducing, where over 700 musicians and bands applied to play the slot, which celebrates new emerging artists in the South West.
Their set opened with shanty singers harmonising before the band and Essy ran onto the stage ready to perform. Before the song Weddings and Funerals, Essy brought an element of theatre to the performance as she tells the story of the song with “Boo” and “Yay” cards as queues for audience participation. Essy and her backing dancers visually tell the story of the song with a paper machete cake and a bridal veil.
What I love about Essy’s performances is every detail has been intricately thought about to emphasise the storytelling of each song.
Like COSM, I had the pleasure of attending Essy’s first ever live show, and it was a real joy seeing her up on the Main Stage at Boardmasters taking it all in, and having the time of her life. Also, it is confirmed, I have had Vinyl Spinning in my head on repeat for the past week.
Stay tuned for our upcoming WhisperCast episode with Essy Sparrow and Dan Pascoe as we chat about Boardmasters and their upcoming show at the Exeter Phoenix.
FFO: Maisie Peters, Liang Lawrence, Laura Marling
3 Days of Wonder | The View
Set for another sunny day, 3 Days of Wonder took to The View stage for their Boardmasters debut with an energetic performance packed with an 80s/90s-infused alternative rock sound brimming with booming vocals, anthemic riffs, and powerful heartfelt lyrics.
Singer songwriter Kate Hall also made an on-stage appearance to perform an unrecorded song called Stripped to the Bone, a slower paced track layered with harmonious melodies and melancholic trumpet solos – is there an instrument Luke can’t play?!
Knowing how much this gig meant to the band truly shows how special the grassroots music scene and community is here in the South West. We caught up with the boys after their set where we chat about the band’s incredible momentum over the past couple of years and the importance of the grassroots music scene.
FFO: U2, Duran Duran, Simple Minds
Twin Skeletons | The View
After 3 Days of Wonder kicked off Sunday’s lineup with a stellar set at The View, Twin Skeletons kept the energy going in style. The alt rock band has been creating a buzz on social media and in grassroots venues across the UK, and they were determined to show Boardmasters what all the hype is about.
Twin Skeletons played a set filled to the brim with huge riffs, soaring choruses and a number of gut-punching breakdowns. One of the stand outs was PACESETTER showing off a mixture of metal and electronic influences, as well as allowing the band to show off that they can bring their incredibly tight and polished studio sound to the stage.
Twin Skeletons are a must-watch for any lover of modern alt rock and metal, striking the right balance between melodic and heavy along with a unique flair of their own.
They mentioned in the WhisperCast interview with the band post-set (which you can listen to on Spotify right now) that some of the members have never been to Cornwall, but have already fallen in love with the beauty of the area. I for one hope we see them back in the county soon!
FFO: As Everything Unfolds, Poppy, PAVE
Tinie Tempah | Main Stage
After 16 years, special guest afternoon headliner, Tinie Tempah made his return to Boardmasters along with DJ Charlesy ready to hype up the crowd before Tinie Tempah’s entrance on stage.
First 3 songs? Kicking off with a trio of hits with Pass Out, Earthquake and Frisky. The crowd was hyped! For the newly released track, Heaven and Hell, they split the crowd down the middle. Heaven on one side for t-shirt spinning and Hell on the other for a mosh-pit frenzy! With fans belting out every lyric to Tinie Tempah’s 2010s catalogue, including Miami to Ibiza, Turn the Music Louder (Rumble) and Girls Like, it was a party in the sunshine and one not to be missed.
The main stage lineup for Sunday was stacked with festival performances from Loyle Carner, Rudimental, Joy Crookes and Asha Banks to name a few, all leading to the festival finale.
Kasabian | Main Stage
Kasabian’s headline set came in with a simple goal – end this year’s Boardmasters in style – and they succeeded (no surprise there). Where Lily Allen’s performance was a theatrical telling of a real-life story to be watched and appreciated, Kasabian’s was wall-to-wall anthems to jump and scream your head off to.
But first, the Beatles’ Hey Jude plays over the PA to spark an extra level of excitable energy with a field full of people singing together in unison.
After, a movie-like one minute countdown starts before the band enter the stage with Club Foot, setting the tone of the set right from the get-go.
With their signature white stage design and bright flashing lights, the band’s frontman Serge Pizzorno whipped up a huge blanket of energy as he struts (and jumps) up and down the stage performing Underdog, Shoot The Runner, and Empire. And, of course, it wouldn’t be a Kasabian set if they didn’t perform Fire – where I wouldn’t be surprised if the town of Newquay could hear the crowd belting out the chorus of this song.
Boardmasters this year brought a multi-genre sound to Watergate Bay, from soul-pop to jungle to indie rock and showcased a strong mix of South West acts and international headliners. That is what I believe is what makes this festival so special. A staple in the UK festival calendar and one you can now book for 2027!
Boardmasters 2027 will return from 4th – 8th August 2027. You can book your tickets now.