Emma Gibbon has been capturing some magic moments for Leeds Living’s readers since 2022. Here, she takes us back to 2010.
I’ve loved Blink-182 for as long as I can remember, long before I was probably old enough to be listening to half of their songs. By the time I was finally old enough to become a seasoned gig-goer, they were on indefinite hiatus, so when they reunited and played Leeds Festival in 2010, I knew I had to be there. It was my very first Leeds Fest at the ripe age of 17, and despite somehow losing my friends before Blink made it to the stage, it still felt magical standing in that crowd, surrounded by thousands of equally excited fans singing every word back at them. That weekend cemented not only my love for the band, but my love for live music and festivals altogether.
After hanging up my festival wellies for a good few years, Leeds Fest 2024 brought me right back, and once again, it was Blink that pulled me there. This time it was the return of the original lineup of Mark, Tom and Travis, alongside a new album, and seeing them again felt full circle. Instead of standing alone in the crowd, I was now surrounded by some of my closest friends, all of us singing our hearts out amongst hugs, jumps and tears. As fireworks exploded over the stage at the end of the set, I resisted the urge to slip fully into photographer mode and took just one quick photo on my phone. That picture means so much to me because it reminds me of everything I love about Leeds Festival: friendship, music, community, nostalgia, and the feeling of being completely present in a moment you never want to end.
Charlotte Staunton Gill didn’t hold back when she reviewed the Festival for us in 2024.
“I cannot emphasise enough how grateful I am to be covering this Festival. It’s been a part of my life for over a decade and yesterday was just brilliant.” Charlotte Staunton Gill 24 August 2024
Day 1 of Leeds Festival is met with a festival essential….bad weather. But this isn’t just any bad weather, this is a storm, and not just any storm – it’s storm Lilian. Making sure I had my notifications turned on the Reading and Leeds app we were alerted before 10am that the Radio 1 tent and Aux tent had to be cancelled for the day, and entrance into the arena would be delayed. This is the right decision. People’s safety should always be the number one priority. As gutting as it is that acts were pulled – in the words of Taylor Swift, at least we are mourning shows and not lives.
Walking through the Festival grounds, it didn’t feel like anyone’s mood had really been that affected by the stage cancellations. I will say that naturally, because of the reduced number of stages being opened, it did mean that crowds felt a lot more condensed. This was turned into an advantage for Irish band Kingfishr, who technically opened the Festival Republic stage.
Fun fact – my mum told me to check out this band as they’re from the west coast of Ireland. The boys did really really well. The lead vocalist was an excellent frontman, his crowd interactions got everyone hyped up and there was so much love and excitement in the tent.
Like Kingfishr, Leeds Festival will shower you in acts who are debuting new tracks or playing festival slots for the first time.
In 2016, Ali Wortley and Paul Simon didn’t let a bit of rain spoil anything…..photographer Mark Wheelwright has been with us from our early days, too…….
“……………………From here it’s a quick slide through the mud to the NME / Radio 1 Stage for Half Moon Run who were excellent, but you can never go wrong with two drum kits, and although not essential even further percussion was added by frontman Devon Portielje who brought additional Tom Toms to the party. The crowd loved it.”
“You kind of knew what sort of set you were in for when 20 year old Jordan Cardy, AKA Rat Boy exploded onto the stage with the sound of sirens and blue search lights. Backed by the star of the recent Get It On video, the jumpsuit wearing, masked character headed straight to the front, ignited the crowd and it was plain sailing from there. The audience were like putty in his hands. He took to a little choreography as he directed the moshing, telling the crowd to form circles, split in middle or jump in sync. Certainly the biggest crowd pleaser of the day so far and a lot of fun for all.”
“Back in the mad house of the Radio 1 tent, and dressed almost entirely in black, apart from a white top donned by the guitarist, Savages owned the stage – and the audience. Lead singer Jehnny Beth quite literally walked on the crowd using her fans to support her. A powerful, adrenaline fuelled and at times breathtaking set.”
“The headliners at summer festivals don’t only draw the best crowds; they also benefit from darkness and with that comes the light show, the lasers, and on this occasion the help of the audience who lit fires, rather smokey ones which made the whole experience just that little bit more atmospheric.”
“Thursday’s rain and the resulting ground conditions did nothing to dampen spirits. Leeds Fest 2016 is off to a cracking start. It might be a touch damp but the impressive lineup certainly isn’t, so we head into day two with great anticipation and excitement. Let the fun begin again!……………………..”
They were impressions of 2010, 2016 and 2024. We’ll be back with more for you in a week or three. Meanwhile, we’ll have fun looking through our reviews, bringing those memories back and thinking of the many Leeds Festival-goers who will be making their own magic memories at Bramham Park on 27 – 30 August 2026.
https://www.leedsfestival.com/tickets
