Truck Festival reaffirms its staple status with another weekend of indie heaven

The Oxfordshire festival remains an easy highlight on the live music calendar.

Truck Festival returned to Oxfordshire’s Hill Farm last weekend for three days of huge singalongs, relentless energy and unforgettable performances. Once again striking the perfect balance between beloved indie favourites and some of the UK’s most exciting emerging talent, the festival delivered a weekend where discovery sat comfortably alongside nostalgia. Whether watching a future headliner on the Market Stage or belting out indie classics with thousands in front of the Main Stage, there was rarely a quiet moment across the site.

From Thursday headliner CMAT getting the crowd to enthusiastically repeat “honk, honk” back to her, to newcomers Girl In The Year Above repeatedly convincing festival-goers to shout “Truck yeah”, the atmosphere was defined by a crowd who brought as much personality and enthusiasm as the artists themselves. Madra Salach’s fans even mirrored guitarist Adam Cullen’s movements as he asked for monitor adjustments, turning a routine bit of stage admin into another communal joke.

Annual festival favourites, the Oxford Symphony Orchestra and Mr Motivator, once again provided one of Truck’s most wonderfully surreal traditions. The Orchestra transformed the Main Stage into a joyous celebration, bringing out Supergrass’ Gaz Coombes for a mass singalong to The Beatles’ All You Need Is Love before somehow inspiring a mosh pit during David Bowie’s Starman. Retaining the grandeur of original classical arrangements while embracing the festival’s playful spirit, the Orchestra even soundtracked immaculate ballet moves from early risers who had clearly fully committed to the occasion. Meanwhile, with hundreds of Truckers side-stepping and clapping in perfect unison after a big Saturday night out, Mr Motivator’s own words summed up his Sunday morning set perfectly: “I’m so good at this. It’s ridiculous how good I am at this.”

Despite community spirit remaining at the heart of the festival, there was certainly no shortage of standout musical performances. ‘Slacker-folk’ seven-piece The Slow Country drew a highly-engaged crowd to the Market Stage with a set that felt equal parts pub folk session and indie party. Their chemistry was infectious, with the bandmembers swapping instruments and vocal duties while never missing a beat. Rich vocal harmonies sat effortlessly over violin, keys and driving rhythms, giving each song an organic looseness that somehow remained incredibly tight. By the time Fundamentally Fucked sparked a ceilidh-style circle pit, the band's sheer joy had become completely irresistible.

Girl In The Year Above also delivered one of the weekend's most captivating performances. Frontwoman Jennifer Ball commanded attention from the moment she stepped on stage, combining theatrical storytelling with astonishing vocal versatility. Her voice effortlessly shifted from intimate, fragile passages into moments of near-operatic intensity, while her boundless energy saw her whirl around the stage without ever sacrificing control. The band's cover of Massive Attack's Teardrop – which featured on the Peaky Blinders movie soundtrack – was particularly breathtaking, gradually building from eerie restraint into a cinematic wall of sound that left the Main Stage in stunned silence before erupting into applause.

Bleech 9:3 and Keo proved exactly why they have become two of Gen Z's most exciting alternative acts. Both sets transformed the Market Stage into organised chaos, with constant mosh pits, crowd surfers and full audience participation. Yet beneath the mayhem were two bands with genuine musical substance. Bleech's scratchy, angular guitars and thunderous rhythm section gave their songs a relentless urgency. Meanwhile, Keo paired raw, rasp-inflected vocals with infectious hooks and explosive dynamics, demonstrating an instinctive understanding of how to build tension before unleashing it back into the crowd.

Although they received a similarly enthusiastic reception, Madra Salach offered something entirely different, blending razor-sharp musicianship with effortless humour. Their ability to move seamlessly between intricate folk arrangements and laid-back audience interaction made their set feel refreshingly spontaneous. Frontman Paul Banks' wit constantly kept the crowd laughing, joking: "We're excited to be here despite the lack of trucks. Does anyone know why it's called Truck Festival?" before responding to the audience’s collective “yes”, "That's fine as long as you know." That playful confidence only enhanced a performance full of inventive songwriting and tightly woven instrumental interplay, making them an easy contender for an even bigger stage next year.

The return of Rizzle Kicks was always going to be one of the weekend's biggest draws, and the duo more than justified the anticipation. The crowd turned out in force, the sun was beating down, and Harley Alexander-Sule and Jordan Stephens delivered hit after hit with effortless charisma. Bringing Alexander-Sule's son on stage to dance during When I Was A Youngster perhaps created the weekend's most heartwarming moment, while Down With The Trumpets and Mama Do the Hump transformed Hill Farm into one giant party. Years away from the festival circuit have done little to dull their chemistry, with their playful back-and-forth and natural stage presence making the performance feel as fresh as ever.

Of course, headliners The Maccabees, Two Door Cinema Club, The Libertines and The Wombats all delivered the huge singalong moments expected of them, with thousands of voices often matching guitar riffs as loudly as the lyrics themselves. Yet Truck's greatest strengths remains in the depth of its line-up, and once again it was many of the smaller-stage artists who left a lasting impression. The festival continues to provide the perfect platform for tomorrow's headliners while giving audiences the thrill of discovering them before everyone else catches on.

That ability to combine established favourites with genuinely exciting new talent is exactly what keeps Truck feeling special. It remains one of the friendliest festivals in the country, where exceptional live music is matched by an atmosphere that never takes itself too seriously. If you've never made the trip to Hill Farm, get it on your festival bucket list. Chances are you'll leave already planning your return.

Truck Festival returns to Hill Farm from 22nd-25th July 2027. Tickets are on sale here.