Latitude Festival 2026
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, Latitude Festival has carved out a unique place on Britain’s festival circuit, placing major musical names alongside literature, comedy and the arts.
However, in recent years, Latitude’s lineups have occasionally felt overly reliant on familiar mid-2000s indie names at the top of the bill (Kasabian and Snow Patrol most recently), while the smaller acts lacked some of the adventurous spirit that once defined the festival.
This year, however, Latitude felt like it had rediscovered its identity. David Byrne’s headline slot was matched by a more compelling selection of smaller acts and a renewed focus on the festival’s cultural roots, with poetry returning to the heart of the programme.
Thursday evening belonged to words. At The Listening Post tent, Latitude regular Luke Wright brought together some of the most exciting voices in contemporary poetry alongside a few more established names. Placing the majority of the poetry programme on Thursday was a smart move, giving it a proper audience before festival fatigue (and hangovers) inevitably began to set in.
Standouts included Scottish poet Kate Ireland, whose ‘Mr Everyman’ offered a devastating response to the Gisèle Pelicot trial, exploring the disturbing ordinariness of the men capable of extraordinary violence.
Hollie McNish tackled the influence of Andrew Tate and the loaded nature of the word “virgin”, while fellow Norwicher John Osborne found comedy in the mundane, from neighbourly observations to the unexpected joy of the Norwich dump. John Berkavitch brought a more playful energy, pairing satire and absurdity with thoughtful reflections on fatherhood.
To be frank, Dr John Cooper Clarke was the one disappointment for me. Having seen him perform the same poems and jokes a few years earlier, there were few surprises, although plenty of the audience still seemed thrilled to have an icon in their midst.
Before Byrne’s headline performance, The Alcove welcomed Clara Mann, whose stripped-back folk carried the intimacy of unfinished recordings. Her crystalline vocals were undeniably beautiful, but the set’s sparse arrangements offered little contrast, leaving many of the songs feeling too similar and preventing the performance from fully taking hold.
Mexican group Diles Que No Me Matan brought a blend of jazz, post-rock and krautrock to the main stage, building intricate, hypnotic soundscapes that shifted between improvisation and psychedelic intensity, proving Latitude can look beyond the expected festival circuit.
One of Friday’s most anticipated discoveries came from Brighton’s Lime Garden. Since emerging with their 2023 single ‘Bitter’, the four-piece have developed into one of indie’s most exciting young bands and their set demonstrated exactly why. Glossy pop hooks collided with infectious melodies as frontwoman Chloe Howard moved across the stage in a pink tutu.
The Last Dinner Party followed with a theatrical display of alternative pop: dramatic, extravagant and deliberately larger than life. Even for those only familiar with their biggest singles, their performance was impossible to ignore. They possess the rare ability to make a festival stage feel like a theatre.
But the day belonged to David Byrne.
At The Listening Post, comedians Adam Buxton and Ivo Graham celebrated Byrne’s strange and brilliant universe in oversized suits, discussing everything from Stop Making Sense and his books to favourite songs and albums. Their presentation served as both tribute and introduction, ending with audience members joining them for a chaotic karaoke rendition of ‘This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)’.
This served as the perfect introduction to the main event: David Byrne and his mobile band, delivering one of the most meticulously crafted performances I’ve seen. Nothing felt accidental. Every movement, dance step and camera angle was precisely placed. As Byrne sang about the floor, the camera lowered towards it, only for him and his band to sprint towards it in a perfectly choreographed burst of movement.
The set delivered all the fan favourites, including ‘Heaven’, ‘Strange Overtones’, ‘Slippery People’, ‘This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)’, ‘Once in a Lifetime’ and ‘Burning Down the House’. Byrne’s belief that “love and kindness might be the most punk thing you can do right now” runs through his work - a celebration of human connection that feels just as relevant now as ever.
Afterwards, the Byrne Night event - held at Hackney’s The Moth Club - took to the stage at Latitude. Moving between ceilidh music celebrating Robert Burns and covers of Talking Heads songs from indie bands paying tribute to Byrne.
On Saturday, my final day at the festival, I decided to see as many fresh artists as possible. Although my nose was filled with black dust and I’d developed a Victorian child’s cough, I ventured into the dustiest part of the festival under the trees where many of the festival’s more adventurous alternative acts were playing in The Alcove and the Sunrise Arena.
Pollyfromthedirt, a fitting name for my physical state at the time, took to the Sunrise Arena that morning. Despite only catching a brief glimpse of the set, Pollyfromthedirt left enough of an impression that his music was on repeat by the following day.
Wearing a mask that added to the mystery of his performance, his outsider pop sits somewhere between DIY experimentation and emotional confession, with rough edges that only add to its charm. ‘Theres no such thing as england’ was a highlight, capturing his knack for turning everyday frustrations and regional observations into something funny, heartfelt and affecting.
Later, Dermot Henry provided one of the weekend’s most moving discoveries. The 22-year-old singer-songwriter channels the warmth of the 1960s Laurel Canyon scene without simply recreating it. His songs are filled with childhood memories, romantic imagery and a songwriter’s attention to detail. During ‘Little Rib’, his use of the motif from ‘Waters of March’ revealed an artist deeply connected to musical history while still developing his own voice.
Not every discovery landed. London-based band Keo showed flashes of potential, particularly on new track ‘Pistol’, but much of their set occupied familiar indie territory without quite establishing a distinctive identity. Maria Somerville’s dreamlike soundscapes attracted devoted listeners, including fans familiar with her NTS Radio show, but for me the performance remained atmospheric rather than transformative.
For the final show of the night - and my festival - the choice was between Teddy Swims, Wet Leg or Getdown Services. Having been warned by a friend that Wet Leg, my first choice, couldn’t even touch Getdown Service’s live energy, the decision to head to the Bristol duo was an easy one.
The topless duo had attracted a crowd enthusiastically shouting back lyrics about Jamie Oliver’s 15-minute recipes being too long (“I say get back Jamie / I’ve only got 5”), keeping choccy in your pocket, and their song, or rather mantra, ‘Eat, Sleep, Quiche, Repeat’. The new track they played, ‘I’ve Got Eczema’, might become my personal anthem.
Ultimately, this year’s Latitude felt like a reminder of what makes the festival unique. The headline bookings were stronger than they have been in recent years, and securing David Byrne - whose performance was almost impossible to top - felt like a genuine coup. But just as rewarding was the renewed focus on poetry and the stronger selection of smaller artists who brought a sense of discovery to the weekend.
The heat and dust inevitably took their toll, forcing an earlier departure than planned and meaning missed sets from Peter Hook, Saint Etienne and Beth Orton. But leaving with a list of new artists to follow felt like the clearest sign of a successful festival.
After years of feeling a little too familiar, Latitude felt curious again - a festival once more interested in discovery as much as recognition.
