Sing, Dance, Sweat, Repeat: Truck Festival 2025 was a riotous blur of mayhem and joy
Powered by a crowd that showed up for every moment, the festival proved just how vibrant the UK’s indie and alternative scene is.
Photo: Izzy Challoner
If there’s one thing Truck Festival always seems to nail, it’s atmosphere – and 2025 was no different. Across three jam-packed days, Hill Farm in Oxfordshire thrummed with joyous singalongs, tender moments and chaotic brilliance. From chants of soaring indie anthems to mosh pits soundtracked by an orchestra, Truck 2025 felt well and truly alive, reaffirming exactly why it’s a standout on the UK festival calendar.
Friday kicked off with a bang courtesy of CHROMA, who tore into their Nest stage set with ferocious intent. Combining Gossip-meets-IDLES riffs with mosh-pit catharsis, Katie Hall’s commanding vocals turned every track into a rally cry. From the unrelenting intensity of Bombs Away to the sharp bite of unreleased track Straight Men – introduced with the caveat that “it’s only about the bad ones” – the Welsh trio brought fierce feminist energy and alt-rock rage to the fore – so much so that they sparked a hilarious three-man mosh pit for one of the festival’s first chaotic yet affectionate moments that weekend.
Brighton gritpop duo snake eyes followed, stepping in last minute for KEG, with the kind of scrappy charm that made it easy to forget they weren’t originally on the bill. All grit and no polish, the pair ripped through a set packed with snarling riffs and bursts of slacker-rock anarchy. It was unpredictable, loud and a perfect substitute for those expecting KEG’s usual punch.
Photo: Chloe Hashemi
And as the evening light began to fade, the energy only intensified. Over on the main stage, Nothing But Thieves delivered a headline set that was equal parts explosive and emotional. Frontman Conor Mason’s vocals were as spine-tingling as ever, soaring over the crowd for a mass singalong of Sorry. Meanwhile, the crowd’s rapturous response to the band’s more pop-leaning material proved that evolution doesn’t always mean dilution.
This momentum carried straight into Saturday, where the festival started to feel like a site-wide battle of the bands. From emerging artists to established favourites, every stage was stacked, making the tough choices between sets a delicious dilemma for festival-goers throughout the day.
Basht. proved an early highlight, packing out The Nest with a relentless set of hits-in-waiting. Vain had the entire tent singing back in full voice, while the roaring chorus of Sirens confirmed their latest EP’s magic translates just as powerfully live.
Then came The Last Dinner Party – ethereal, immaculate and effortlessly captivating – before it was a quick dash through the crowd to catch Nest headliners Courting. With Grand National inspiring moshes and Popshop! sparking synchronised rowing that forced frontman Sean Murphy-O’Neill to shout, “Get the fuck back up, you’re not in a river!”, it was a frenzied, fun and utterly alive set.
But, of course, Saturday could only come to a close with chaos kings, Kasabian. Ever the magnetic frontman, Serge Pizzorno fed off every jump, mosh and move, launching into a set packed with festival anthems – Call, Club Foot, Fire – each one somehow bigger than the last. With people on shoulders, beer showers shimmering and loo rolls soaring through the night sky, Pizzorno’s wish for Truck 2025 to be “one to remember” clearly came true.
Photo: Izzy Challoner
After such a jam-packed Saturday, it was no surprise that everyone was a little worse for wear by Sunday. But with the Oxford Symphony Orchestra opening the main stage, the crowd was instantly recharged by one of the weekend’s most absurdly euphoric sets. From ballet dancing as far as the eye could see, to moshing to a big band cover of Girls Aloud’s Love Machine, it was a classical fever dream that worked perfectly.
It was then back to The Nest for Florence Road and Daydreamers, who both turned their online hype into genuine substance with polished, heartfelt performances. Florence Road’s indie rock shimmered with youthful confidence, while Daydreamers closed their set with an intimate, acapella sing-along of their hit Call Me Up.
However, it was wildcards Sports Team who truly stole the Sunday spotlight, as frontman Alex Rice teetered somewhere between charismatic showman and unhinged cult leader. Daring the crowd to throw anything his way during The Game, confident he could catch it all with his left hand, and chugging beer from what can only have been a sweaty shoe during Bang Bang Bang, Sports Team invited mayhem at every turn, and boy was it beautiful.
But while the lineup was undeniably stellar, what makes Truck so special isn’t just the music (though it is spectacular) – it’s the people. Always supportive, always on side, the fun-loving crowd showed up for every riff, every lyric and every wonderfully wild moment. Between the shared laughter, the crowd-wide singalongs and the genuine camaraderie, it was a weekend bursting with life. So, if next year is anything like this, you won’t want to miss it.
Truck Festival returns to Hill Farm in 2026 between the 23rd-26th July. General sale tickets are on sale here.