From Madness and The Charlatans to an Elvis-fronted Nirvana tribute act, our first visit to Lakefest delivered a weekend of big singalongs, unexpected discoveries and an atmosphere that welcomed every generation.
At a glance
| Festival | Lakefest 2026 |
| Where | Eastnor Castle Deer Park, near Ledbury, Herefordshire |
| Main music programme | Thursday 6 to Sunday 9 August 2026 |
| 2026 headliners | The Charlatans, Example, Madness and Bananarama |
| Our highlights | Madness, Scouting For Girls, Elvana and the relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere |
| Also on site | Dance stages, fairground rides, family workshops, BMX stunt shows, bars and street food |
| Lakefest 2027 | Wednesday 11 to Sunday 15 August 2027 |
| More information | Visit the official Lakefest website |
As first-timers to Lakefest, we arrived not entirely knowing what to expect. By the time the final songs had faded across Eastnor Castle Deer Park, we were already talking about coming back.
The festival has been using the Lakefest name since 2012, but had somehow escaped our attention until this year. That now feels like a considerable oversight.
Its greatest strength is the balance it strikes. The line-up is broad enough to appeal to several generations, the programme stretches well beyond the main stage and the atmosphere feels lively without becoming intimidating.
Children, teenagers, parents and long-standing festivalgoers all appeared equally at home. Wherever we looked, people were dancing, singing, eating or simply enjoying the sunshine.
The weather was glorious, although it became almost too hot at times. Shade, water and the occasional pause were essential, but the heat did little to dampen the mood.
A line-up built for every generation
The 2026 programme ranged from indie and ska to pop, hip-hop, reggae, dance music and nostalgic chart favourites.
The main arena opened on Thursday with The Charlatans, EMF, Ferocious Dog and The Bluetones, while other stages brought General Levy, Tinchy Stryder, Utah Saints, Woody Cook and Judge Jules to the festival.
Friday shifted between Example, Soul II Soul, The Undertones, Harleymoon Kemp, Newton Faulkner, David Rodigan and DJ Louis Capaldi. Bez also appeared elsewhere on the site, adding his familiar energy to an already varied programme.
Saturday was the day that really drew the crowds. Scouting For Girls, Reef and Madness offered a run of accessible, crowd-pleasing performances that worked particularly well for a multi-generational audience.
Sunday had a slightly more relaxed atmosphere without feeling like the festival was winding down too early. Bananarama, The Lightning Seeds, Elvana, Chesney Hawkes, East 17 and Mad Dog Mcrea kept the stages busy, while the site still felt full of people making the most of the final day.
The dedicated dance programme added another layer, with sets from DJs including Todd Terry, Seb Fontaine and Judge Jules. It meant people could move between live bands, pop nostalgia, club classics and smaller discoveries without the festival feeling tied to one genre.
Madness and Elvana steal the weekend
Scouting For Girls were, as always, a joy. Their songs are made for festival crowds, and the audience needed little encouragement to sing along.
Madness were the standout Saturday performance for us. Their career-spanning show moved through decades of familiar songs, delivered by musicians who still understand how to command a large outdoor crowd.
They were brilliant showmen from beginning to end. The set felt celebratory rather than routine, with the cameras repeatedly finding audience members of all ages dancing and singing together.
For anyone who has not seen Madness live, they remain well worth catching. Their catalogue is packed with songs that people know within seconds, but it is the humour, personality and connection with the crowd that turn those songs into a proper festival performance.
Our biggest surprise came on Sunday in the form of Elvana, the tribute act that combines Elvis Presley with the music of Nirvana.
On paper, it sounds like an idea that should not work. On stage, it was outstanding.
A few songs into the set, the Elvis-styled frontman, known as “The King” or Kellvis, had the audience completely under his control. He left the stage, moved into the crowd and persuaded everyone to form a wide circle.
Audience members crouched down before running towards one another and embracing on his command. It was ridiculous, warm-hearted and completely in keeping with the spirit of the weekend.
Elvana were funny without treating the music as a joke. Beneath the costumes and unlikely premise was a convincing live rock band that knew how to build a crowd and hold its attention.
They are now firmly on our list of acts to see again.
Food, family fun and a Sunday reset
Lakefest offered plenty away from the music stages.
Families could choose from fairground rides, creative activities, workshops, circus entertainment and BMX stunt shows. The amount available meant younger visitors were not simply being asked to follow their parents from one band to another.
The BMX riders were particularly popular, with professional performers combining technical skill, large jumps and plenty of showmanship.
The wider site remained busy throughout the weekend, but the atmosphere was good-natured. Lakefest feels like somewhere families can settle into rather than a large festival that merely tolerates children.
There was no shortage of food either. Over the weekend we tried pizza, fried chicken and chips, Greek dishes and several other street-food options.
Our most memorable discovery was a frozen cider slushy. Yes, cider in slushy form. On a particularly hot festival afternoon, it worked remarkably well.
On Sunday, we briefly stepped away from the site and headed to Hatherley Manor for a slower few hours and a proper roast.
We chose two courses, starting with beef and pork served with roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables, Yorkshire pudding and gravy. Apple and cinnamon crumble with ice cream followed.
After months without a Sunday roast, it was exactly what we needed. The quiet grounds, cold drinks and leisurely lunch provided a useful reset before returning to the festival for the final afternoon and evening.
It was not essential to leave Lakefest to eat well, but taking a short break reminded us that a four-day festival does not have to be approached as an endurance test. Sometimes a few quieter hours make the later performances even more enjoyable.
Verdict: a festival we will return to
Lakefest is difficult to place in one neat category, and that is one of its strengths.
It has big-name headliners without feeling dominated by one stage. It offers nostalgia without relying entirely on it. It welcomes families without losing the atmosphere of a music festival, and it leaves room for unusual discoveries such as Elvana alongside established acts including Madness and The Charlatans.
The programme is so full that clashes are inevitable, and very hot weather made careful planning important. But those are manageable problems rather than serious criticisms.
What stayed with us was the warmth of the event. Everywhere we looked, people of different ages were enjoying the same music, sharing food and joining in without appearing self-conscious.
This really was a jam-packed festival with something for almost everyone.
We arrived as first-timers. We left with Lakefest firmly established among our favourite summer festivals and the next dates already in the diary.
Lakefest is due to return to Eastnor Castle Deer Park from Wednesday 11 to Sunday 15 August 2027. Early ticket information is available through lakefest.co.uk.
