keiyaA
Providing some necessary respite from the guitar-dominated bill, we swayed along with keiyaA's effortless R&B at the Boat Stage. Holding the crowd in the palm of her hand, the experimentally-inclined producer and multi-instrumentals oozes confidence and class. Blessing us with some of the best bits of her critically-acclaimed 2025 LP hooke's law, the only thing we wanted was more.

Tommy Barlow

Admitting his music is better suited to late nights, Tommy Barlow rose to the occasion of an early slot on the Boat Stage. With his raspy baritone resonating through the trees, we were instantly hooked. Beefing up his live show with 2 other band members, the gradual build of his latest track 'Bill Is Dead' was a highlight along with early outings 'Earth Killer' and 'Won't You Ever Need Me'. Already signed to Young, we're expecting big things from Barlow.

Prewn

Still relatively fresh to our ears, Prewn were a treat on the Garden Stage. Clashing with the highly-anticipated Angine de Poitrine set, they more than held their own with a seamless concoction of energised lo-fi goodness. Raw, impassioned and dissonant in all the right places, the moniker of Chicago-born Izzy Hagerup is powerful vehicle for their inner-monologue, describing their most recent album System as "a private journal made public".

Junior Brother

Producing an unholy sound with just acoustic guitar, tin whistle, mandolin and drums (not forgetting vocals), Kerry man Junior Brother delivered a masterclass on the main stage Friday morning. Tighter than a nun's you know what, their frenzied take on traditional Irish songwriting delves into the depraved whilst remaining totally in control. A difficult act to follow (especially at lunch time), Ronan Kealy and his band are totally unique and at the top of their game.

The Cindys

A new indie-pop project featuring Jack Ogborne (known for his work as Bingo Fury), Naima Bock and members of Bristol group Belishas, The Cindys do an impressive job of keeping things simple without falling into cliché. Their set at The Folly on Sunday is an efficient blast of jangly guitars, carefully-crafted hooks and infectious enthusiasm: a smart update of Flying Nun or C86-style melodic joy.

Róis

Fermanagh artist Rose Connolly takes Celtic tradition in compelling new directions in her work as Róis, bringing its heaviest and most gothic elements to the fore and combining them with fragments of noise, electronica and industrial music. Her set on Sunday turned the Big Top into a dark mass, at least until she broke out into a cover of Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love'.

Širom

Slovenian trio Širom have amassed a significant cult following in recent years for their virtuosic blend of folk tradition, ambient exploration and Steve Reichian indeterminacy, and The Garden provided the perfect setting for them on Saturday afternoon. Their music is quite unlike anything else: meditative yet compelling, adventurous yet controlled, playful yet sternly moving. A real highlight of the weekend.

Piss

One of this year's most-hyped underground bands, Vancouver quartet Piss recently signed to Sub Pop, and their set on Sunday at The Folly more than justified the buzz. Their combination of merciless hardcore, industrial grunt and devastatingly frank lyrical accounts of sexual abuse, state violence and patriarchal injustice is a real thing to behold: thrillingly intense, unflinching and visceral. It's not subtle stuff, but that's not the point; you'll struggle to find a more urgent band in the world right now.