I went to Splendour for the first time — it was filled with surprises
The festival ran from July 19-20 in 2025
One of the highlights of the Nottingham calendar is Splendour, which was on from July 19-20 in 2025.
I have lived in Nottingham for nearly nine years, but I had never been before. So, I went along to both days and watched the different acts, wandered around the stalls, and sampled the food and drink.
After doing this, I definitely think Splendour is one of the best 2025 events the county has seen so far. For more articles and events info from around Nottingham, subscribe to receive The Notts Edit in your inbox for free.
Splendour 2025: Storms, singing, and surprises
By Eve Smallman
Photos by The Notts Edit
I have a lot of things ticked off on my Nottingham bucket list, and I'm pleased to say that Splendour finally has ink next to it. The two-day festival is known for bringing in big acts and bigger vibes, and is always highly spoken about. I knew that its return after its hiatus was the time to go.
The first thing that amazed me was the sheer scale of the site. There was so much breathing room for walking around, without it feeling being cramped. Walking up the hill around Wollaton Hall and seeing everything felt very impressive. This is a proper festival.
The mix of acts on the sunnier Saturday on the main stage was really varied, with sing-a-long tunes from Natasha Bedingfield, dance anthems from Clean Bandit, and indie rock and roll from hometown hero Jake Bugg. He was met with an incredibly warm reception, with a packed crowd and chants of "You Pies!"
Sunday felt like the more popular day, with bigger crowds pretty much from the get-go surging through to see the likes of The Fratellis and disco queen Sophie Ellis-Bextor. The storm put a slight dampener on the vibe, causing Travis to finish early and delays to the Kaiser Chiefs and Echo and the Bunnymen’s sets. The communication around this could have been better, with electrics being packed up on stage before any announcement was made. But, thankfully, the festival finished on a soaring high, with Kaiser Chiefs and Travis coming together to sing Why Does It Always Rain On Me?.
Beyond the main stage, there were treats on the Confetti stage and the Bodega new music stage. Kingfishr were a heartwarming peaceful break and Remember Monday were Eurovision pop perfection, while local acts LYVIA and Daydreamers both had stand-out performances.
I really loved the addition of the Day Fever stage, which was a fun place to burn energy and enjoy feel-good songs in between favourites. The silent disco also looked like a great family-friendly spot to have a good time while having a break from the big crowd. I didn’t have a chance to head to the comedy stage, but I appreciated that it was on and that it provided a different form of entertainment.
Even when I wasn’t listening to music, there was plenty to do. The amount and variety of shopping stalls was wonderful — jewellery, vintage garms, flower crowns, and glitter aplenty. Everything you'd want at a festival, basically. There was even the opportunity to have a go at playing cricket with The Hundred!
The food and drink were very reasonably priced, with most alcoholic drinks sitting between £6-£6.50, which is less than you might pay at some bars in the city centre. This again showed the festival being brilliantly accessible. Speaking of accessibility, I thought it was fantastic that there were sign language interpreters on stage.
The only thing that bothered me a bit was the scale of the litter. Seeing people crush cups cans beneath their boots while watching acts was slightly disheartening. There were plenty of bins around the outskirts of the stages, but I still wonder if more could be done, such as having reusable cups or a cup collecting reward scheme like at other festivals and venues.
On the whole, I came away thinking how incredible it is that we have a festival like this in Nottingham. As a city, we know how to bring in the best and bring out the best. The event certainly came back with enthusiasm, and it was warmly embraced by the crowd throughout the weekend. As Sophie Ellis-Bextor said, “Splendour? More like Splendid!”
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