Float Along Festival to take over Sheffield in September
The festival is bringing another unmissable line-up to various festivals across Sheffield.
Float Along Festival returns this September with its fifth annual edition. The Sheffield festival is renowned for celebrating up-and-coming talent and independent venues. It’s just another link in the chain of Sheffield’s vast and much-revered musical history.
This year’s festival is taking place on Saturday, September 26th and will start at 12pm before the main bands finish at 11pm. Following this, there will be DJ sets until 2am. The festival will take place in the much-loved venues Sidney and Matilda, Corporation and The Octagon Centre.
Float Along is always a party. There is always a real, diverse mix of indie, alternative, electronic, post-punk and rock music on show, and this year’s 2026 edition is no different.
Headliners White Lies are sure to bring a raucous crowd with their guitar-driven brand of indie rock. The band released their acclaimed new record Night Light last year and are known for their seminal 2008 indie rock classic To Lose My Life. Following them at the top end of the bill is the fiery, cacophonic, riotous noise of post-punk powerhouse Sprints. The band are following in the wake of the success of the likes of Lambrini Girls — and are certainly not a live band to be missed.
Perhaps two of the most exciting and buzzed-about names on the lineup are the rapidly emerging indie bands Opus Kink and Man/Woman/Chainsaw. The dark, brooding punk bombast of Opus Kink is not one to be missed. Their Tom Waits-meets-Nick Cave-inspired vocals sit right inside their infectious, tense indie songs. Their upcoming album, The Sweet Goodbye, is sure to be a smash and their set at Float Along will be a chance to really see them in action after the album’s release.
Man/Woman/Chainsaw aren’t just one of the most hyped bands on the Float Along line-up; they are one of the most exciting and talked-about indie bands in the country at the moment. Their shogaze-inspired hooky, ethereal anthems are taking over people’s ears at the moment and their upcoming album, Cannonball, is sure to be an absolute showstopper. Float Along offers the perfect chance to catch Man/Woman/Chainsaw in a smaller setting before their inevitable explosion.
Elsewhere on the line-up, Little Grandad may only have two songs released so far, but their live appearances so far in 2026 are already catching people’s attention. There’s also the manic The Fall energy of London-based six-piece Warmduscher. The band will bring their frantic, polyrhythmic blend of musical styles to Float Along. The festival really will have something for everyone as the line-up is rounded out by the likes of more mellow songwriter Gia Ford and the punk energy of Cowboyy and Cucamaras.
Float Along is taking place in various venues in Sheffield on Saturday, September 26th. Grab your ticket here.
