The Only Northwest Neighbourhood You Need to Visit: Neighbourhood Weekender 2026 Review

Words: Darci Jackson

Photos: Alisha Lawton

If there’s one Northwest Neighbourhood we love to head to, it has to be this one. Neighbourhood Weekender returned once again to Warrington’s Victoria Park over the second of the May bank holidays, bringing with it not only soaring temperatures but also the scorching hot artists that are on everyone’s lips.

Which leads us to our openers for the weekend: Manchester’s Arkayla. Filling up the second largest stage of the festival (the iconic Big Top) at 1pm is no mean feat, but we had no qualms that if any band were to do it, it would be them. Racing through hit singles Long Way Back and Fortune Teller from their debut EP, DON’T LOOK FOR ANSWERS, with grace and style, Arkayla have all the hallmarks of a band who will be playing main stages next year. It’s clear that the future of guitar music is in very safe hands.

One thing Neighbourhood Weekender always gets right is the Viola Beach Stage, showcasing the up and coming talent taking over the industry, much like its namesake. Stationed right in the middle of the festival, it’s impossible not to cast an eye over to who might be playing as you make your way to and from the Main Stage, making it an ideal location for rising stars.

And a place not too far from Warrington that’s currently offering a whole host of new talent is Liverpool, with bands like The Cheap Thrills and Keyside drawing in huge crowds for their sets.

"Warrington, we came here to get the fucking party started," was The Cheap Thrills frontman Lewis Pike’s response to the hoard that they had drawn. With an anthemic spirit to them and lyrics nodding to community, hope and their hometown, the Walton Vale four-piece manage to make you feel a part of something wherever they go. Ending on Codependence saw punters up on shoulders as the sun beat down, clapping, chanting and creating a sense of togetherness even just for a short while.

But it’t not just the guitar bands that Neighbourhood gets right, but also the pop queens too.

Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Melanie C both put on shows full of genuine fun, scoring a bullseye for the mid-afternoon slots. As Bextor called Warrington "the dance floor," and Mel C belted out Spice Girls hits from her former girl group days, they both created what felt like an easy-going yet purely joyous atmosphere, perfect for a breather as temperatures hit their peak.

We did, however, feel like some things were missing from the festival. Things so small they were in the back of your mind, but they were definitely still there. No flags on entrance to the festival, no wristbands for fans and also no umbrellas on the Viola Beach Stage for the first day of the weekend. It all felt little bit bare, and whilst full focus is of course on the music, there’s still a lot to be said about what makes a festival feel like a festival.

Nevertheless, Neighbourhood Weekender managed to get everything else right, from the fairground attractions, to the amenities for punters and also the return of the Cornerhsop Rave which had queues out of the door for the entire weekend!

And there was absolutely no reservations about the Kaiser Chiefs, who brought bangers and energy in bucketloads, as frontman Ricky Wilson clambered and climbed up and down the stage set, sprinting from left to right, all whilst belting out hits from their expansive discography like Ruby, Oh My God and Never Miss A Beat as well as a stellar cover of Blitzkrieg Bop, which they took and made completely their own.

Saturday headliner Richard Ashcroft took the tone down slightly, opening with Weeping Willow and Space and Time, taken from The Verve’s generational debut album Urban Hymns. The Wigan native’s shows always feel a cut above the rest, pure pandemonium fuelled by epic guitar solos, haunting lyrics and his signature acoustic guitar.

Ashcroft enveloped the crowd in a haze during The Drugs Don’t Work, as a chorus of voices drove the sonically spellbinding single forward, led by just Ashcroft and his guitar. He dedicated Music is Power to the late Mani, before reminiscing on his time on tour with Oasis: "This one’s for the brothers," before diving into an acoustic version of Come On People (We’re Making It Now).

Ashcroft drew the first day of Neighbourhood Weekender to a close with the hair-raising Bittersweet Symphony, which was met with one final effort from the sun-weary crowd.

Our Sunday saw us zip lining between the Main Stage and the Viola Beach Stage as we rose bright and early for The Kairos. The Liverpool four-piece opened the Main Stage with what can only be described as a cacophony of indie rock noise. It’s certainly one way to wake yourself up, as the band blitzed through songs from their new EP Kneeslappas, bringing passion, confidence and zeal that sums up the band perfectly.

One of our favourite sets from the weekend came from Cornwall’s Fletchr Fletchr, bringing an unbelievably tight set that felt bigger than their stage. Creating what felt like a soundtrack of days past, the four-piece drew us in to their world, emotion written all over their faces as we caught just a glimpse of who the band are becoming.

But the band we’d been garnering to see all weekend after seeing fans sporting t-shirts and other merchandise was Wrexham’s The Royston Club. Following the success of their sophomore album Songs For The Spine, the band have simply exploded to heights bigger than before, and they’ve still got more to go!

An enormous crowd gathered as the band stormed through singles from both of their albums, no doubts that each song would be sung back to them. Arkayla singer Cal Blakebrough made an appearance on piano for the fan favourite The Ballad of Glenn Campbell, as frontman Tom Faithfull described the festival as "one of our favourite places ever."

Ending on the emotively powerful Cariad felt like a turning point, a special moment as we stood in a sea of people reeling off the tune word for word. We’re certain that The Royston Club’s trajectory will only go up and gain more speed, if their set at the festival is anything to go by.

Australia’s DMA’s stole the pre-headline spot, as part of their UK tour to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of their debut album Hill’s End. Playing singles from their album, combined with festival anthems, Silver and Feels Like 37, ensured a classic set from the band.

The Viola Beach Stage’s Sunday headliners The Covasettes almost stole the show for us, as despite releasing their debut album Honeymoon Forever at the start of the month, the Manchester indie pop band dove deep into their extensive discography, reeling off single after single and creating a headline set made for the fans. Frontman, Chris Buxton, yet again grabbed the audience and sat them in the palm of his hand, detailing witty anecdotes and engaging everyone from the first note.

But it was Main Stage headliners Blossoms who so effortlessly lit up Neighbourhood Weekender, with their pinpoint performance, from the stage design, to the visual aspects and everything in between, Blossoms had it. A sure festival favourite, the Stockport five-piece seemed to be knocking out banger after banger, that had the audience shouting, screaming, dancing and just having the time of their lives. Easily the most on form we’ve ever seen the band, as they debuted new single Joke About Divorce which went down extremely well.

Drummer, Joe Donovan, donned a ‘Goodbye Gary’ t-shirt, and if this is really goodbye to the 8-foot gorilla, then what a way to go out.

Neighbourhood Weekender has once again proved itself to be a festival catering to the masses, with it’s huge guitar fuelled headliners, and true commitment to supporting the next generation of talent.