Returning for its third year, Wanderlust Festival in Southampton, UK, enjoyed an unseasonably hot and sunny weekend, 23-24th May, with a capacity crowd moving between three walkable grassroots venues across the city. Fifty-two curated bands were available to discover across two days. A standout urban festival for indie, post-punk, electronic and psych-rock enthusiasts.
Main headliners on Sunday evening were The Horrors, bringing a heavier edge to the line up. A superb performance appreciated by die-hard fans as well as those discovering the band for the first time at the festival. The engaging dynamic lighting, with the band often in silhouette, matched the intensity of the music.
Squid headlined Saturday, bringing their captivating, complex sounds.
One of the most engaging performances of the festival was from LEMONSUCKR who’s frontman spent as much time amongst the crowd as on stage, a superb masterclass in performance dynamics. The Brighton-based alt-punk crew presented a chaotic, razor-sharp sound and magnetic stage presence. Catch this band live.
There was plenty of exciting new bands to discover; high on the list were Hot Stamp bringing exciting new music from this sibling duo.
A superb small festival with a huge diversity of talent. Notable performances we caught from Better Joy, Mary in the Junkyard, SLAG, Honeyglaze, Lynnie Snow, Ninush, The Parlours, Benchy & the Gazers, Girl Scout, Cloth, the list goes on…
Tickets are on sale for next year, 1-2 May 2027.
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Photos and words by Tony Palmer (Website, Instagram, TikTok).
