Featured image: Press
The gates have finally opened for Truck Festival 2026, and for the third-year running, the weather could not be more perfect. Beneath clear blue skies at Hill Farm, Oxfordshire, the iconic Ferris wheel is spinning once again, the Truck Monster is roaming the fields, and thousands of festival-goers waste no time filling the arena, eager for the first day of a long weekend of live music.
If there is ever a perfect artist to kick-start the weekend, it is CMAT.
As the sun begins to dip, crowds pour in with an unmistakable sense of anticipation. Bounding onto the stage with her trademark theatrical flair, Irish singer-songwriter CMAT immediately makes her presence known. Reflecting on her 30-minute Truck Festival set last year, she playfully declares, “The last time we played Truck Festival, our set was about two minutes long. It’s a testament to the fact that Truck booked us before I became famous!”
The Sexy CMAT Band certainly lives up to their name. Between shirtless musicians, swirling skirts, playful kisses and tongue-in-cheek theatrics, every moment feels deliberately over-the-top in the best possible way. It perfectly complements CMAT’s larger-than-life personality.
CMAT is simply made to perform. Effortlessly funny, irresistibly charismatic and endlessly captivating, her stage presence sits somewhere between stand-up comedy, musical theatre and a joyous barn dance. Every interaction with the audience feels genuine, making an already memorable performance feel even more personal.
One of the most magical moments arrives when a fan shouts for “Coronation St.”. The request is granted, transforming the field into a sea of swaying voices as the song unfolded into one of the evening’s most intimate and atmospheric moments.
Watching CMAT now feels like witnessing an artist on the brink of an even greater breakthrough. It is incredibly rare for a performance to move me to tears, but as ‘Stay For Something’ closes the set, it does exactly that. When the crowd roars “Just Can’t Do It” in unison, their voices almost drown out the speakers, creating one of those unforgettable festival moments that can never quite be recreated.
Before the final goodbye, CMAT parts the audience “for tradition”, sprinting through the middle of the crowd, hugging fans as she goes. Looking around, there isn’t a single face that isn’t smiling. It is the perfect reminder of what Truck Festival does so well: bringing artists and audiences together in a way that feels wonderfully personal.
A first day filled with polka dots, flowing skirts, cowboy boots, a floating head and one unforgettable headline performance sets the tone perfectly for the weekend ahead.
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