Featured image and gallery: Lucy Elson-Whittaker

---

Sunday may signal the final day of Truck Festival 2026, but there’s still plenty to celebrate before the gates close for another year. From rising indie stars Keyside to the long-awaited return of Rizzle Kicks, festival favourites Circa Waves and headliners The Wombats, these are the performances that define a memorable end to the weekend.

---

Keyside ★★★★☆

Liverpool-based Keyside deliver one of the weekend’s most uplifting sets in The Nest on Sunday afternoon. With their self-titled debut album set for release on August 7, frontman Dan Parker takes a moment to thank fans for their unwavering support over the past four years, acknowledging that their loyalty has made the album possible.

The band’s connection with the audience is genuinely heartwarming, radiating gratitude at every opportunity. Despite not yet having released a full-length album, they have already built an impressively devoted following. Their jangly guitar lines and wistful melodies carry hints of The Smiths while still feeling fresh and distinctly their own. Clearly more accustomed to intimate venues, the group seem visibly touched by the size of the crowd gathered before them – a testament to just how quickly their reputation has grown, and one they thoroughly deserve.

Giving festival-goers an early taste of what’s to come, they tease their forthcoming single, Echoes, ahead of its August 5 release. Their shimmering indie sound and warm, melodic hooks drift effortlessly beyond the confines of The Nest, drawing in passers-by and prompting even those outside the tent to stop, sway and soak up the atmosphere.

---

Rizzle Kicks ★★★★★

Fresh from their comeback tour following an eight-year hiatus, Rizzle Kicks inject a welcome burst of joy into Truck Festival as the weekend draws to a close. Before Jordan Stephens and Harley Alexander-Sule even appear, the sound of a lone saxophone drifting across the field signals that the final afternoon is about to turn into one huge party.

Launching straight into ‘Lost Generation’, the duo immediately exceed their own expectations. “What a day for it,” Stephens grins. “I feel like you guys just wanna have 40-odd minutes of pure, uncensored joy. We’re gonna feel joy while it’s still legal, am I right?”

The performance balances energy with genuine warmth. During ‘When I Was a Youngster’, Harley invites his young son on stage to dance, creating one of the festival’s most heartwarming moments. Throughout the set, he even catches himself before the occasional swear word, drawing laughs from the crowd and showing an awareness of the younger fans packed into the audience.

Their long-awaited return feels like a celebration of both old and new fans. Spotting a young girl in the crowd, Stephens makes sure she receives one of the band’s drumsticks, carefully passing it over the barrier until it reaches her. It’s a simple act of kindness that perfectly captures the generosity and inclusivity running through the entire performance.

The pair’s playful chemistry is just as entertaining. Early in the set, they ask one audience member to rate the performance so far. “Eight,” comes the reply. “How on earth do we get higher than eight?” Stephens laughs before launching into the crowd-pleasing ‘Mama Do the Hump’. By the end of the set, a nearby security guard upgrades the score to a perfect ten, prompting huge cheers from the crowd.

The duo are equally amused to discover how many people are seeing them live for the first time. “Who has not seen us live before?” Stephens asks, met with an enormous roar. “Our booking agent is awful, bro – we did a whole comeback tour!” he jokes. Judging by the crowd’s reaction, though, plenty of those first-timers will be making sure they don’t miss the next one.

---

Circa Waves ★★★★☆

Liverpool indie-rock band Circa Waves draw one of the biggest crowds of the weekend to The Market Stage, despite partially going head-to-head with The Libertines on the main stage. The clash leaves festivalgoers torn between two unmissable sets, with many sprinting across the site to catch as much of both as possible.

Frontman Kieran Shudall seems genuinely surprised by the turnout, admitting: “We’ve not played this festival in a while, so we never really expected anyone to show up, so this is fucking cool.” The reaction is almost laughable considering the tent is overflowing, with fans spilling out the sides, singing every word and dancing from start to finish.

The energy never lets up. Before launching into the euphoric ‘Get Away’, Shudall instructs the audience to crouch down before leaping into the air on cue. As the song drops, the entire tent erupts into bouncing bodies and swirling mosh pits, capturing the carefree spirit that has defined the weekend.

What makes the performance so memorable, though, is the band’s warmth. Shudall constantly interacts with the audience, thanking them for turning out and even asking, “Who wants to be Jacqueline?” before selecting a fan dressed as a banana for the song’s dedication. It is a small moment that perfectly reflects the easy-going charm running through the entire set.

The band know exactly what everyone is waiting for. Shudall repeatedly teases ‘T-Shirt Weather’ throughout the set, joking, “Would you say it’s been ‘T-Shirt Weather’?” By the time the hit arrives as the closing song, anticipation has reached its peak. “Now’s the time to get on each other’s shoulders,” he tells the crowd, prompting a sea of raised arms and shoulders across the packed tent.

As Shudall signs off with, “You’ve been the best crowd we’ve had this summer, we fucking love you,” it is hard to disagree. Circa Waves deliver one of the most joyous and uplifting performances of Truck Festival, reminding everyone why they remain festival favourites.

---

The Wombats ★★★★★

As darkness falls over Hill Farm, The Wombats close Truck Festival with a headline set overflowing with indie anthems and feel-good moments. Returning to a festival that has long embraced them, the Liverpool trio waste no time transforming the main arena into one final, joyous singalong.

Despite a weekend of little sleep, relentless sunshine and less-than-glamorous festival facilities, the crowd still has plenty left in the tank. Frontman Matthew “Murph” Murphy clocks the atmosphere immediately, grinning: “You guys have got some spice tonight,” as thousands bounce along from the opening moments.

The band strike the perfect balance between old and new, weaving fan favourites including ‘Moving to New York’, ‘Greek Tragedy’ and ‘Tokyo (Vampires & Wolves)’ alongside more recent material. Introducing the newer songs with a playful “We’ll see you on album seven,” Murph proves The Wombats are far from a nostalgia act. Nearly two decades after bursting onto the indie scene, their newer material sits comfortably alongside the songs that made them festival staples.

As the opening notes of ‘Let’s Dance to Joy Division’ ring out, the festival erupts into one final mass singalong. Arms are thrown around shoulders, voices are pushed to breaking point and, as fireworks burst above the Truck Stage, the weekend reaches its emotional finale. There could hardly be a more fitting way to close Truck Festival than with thousands of people united by one last indie anthem.

Follow @truckfestival