Truck Festival 2026 at Hill Farm, Oxfordshire ‘was best ever’

A record crowd of 27,500 people descended on Hill Farm, Steventon, near Didcot, for four days of live music and dancing from an impressive bill of big name stars and up-and-coming acts.

Organisers have now finished tidying up the site, which for rest of the year is a peaceful mixed arable and dairy farm.

While always a sell-out event, this year’s festival attracted a record crowd – with families of young children making up much of the increased numbers. They joined a friendly crowd made up of everyone from enthusiastically partying teenagers to veteran artists and festival-goers and volunteers serving up treats to revellers to raise money for local charities and good causes.

Truck Festival, Steventon, 2026. Picture by Tim Hughes

They enjoyed an array of rock, pop, country and dance acts including indie-rock bands The Maccabees, Two Door Cinema Club, The Wombats, The Vaccines and The Cribs.

Also playing the hallowed Truck Stage were Bobby Gillespie’s dance-rock band Primal Scream, fans’ favourite Kaiser Chiefs and The K’s. Among the best-known bands were iconic rabble-rousing rockers The Libertines who delighted the Sunday night crowd with a punchy, poetic set of familiar tunes – bandmates Carl Barât and Peter Doherty bonding over their songs having healed their much-publicised supposed rift.

Truck Festival, Steventon, 2026. Picture by Tim Hughes

The best-loved section of the festival for lovers of the Oxford music scene was the so-called Veterans and Virgins stage, which featured bands and artists who had played previous Truck Festivals along with new talent making their debut.

The stage is curated by brothers Robin and Joe Bennett of the band The Dreaming Spires, who set up the festival in 1998 as a birthday celebration for Robin – now a Green councillor on South Oxfordshire District Council.

While the brothers no longer run the whole festival, they continue to attract international and local artists to their popular stage as well as performing.

Robin, who launched his own solo act at the festival on the Sunday, said: “It has been a really good one this year. The sun has helped and everyone seems happy. We have had some great music.”

Truck Festival, Steventon, 2026. Picture by Tim Hughes

Robin was joined by charismatic Guatemalan/ Los Angeles rocker ‘Y’ on drums, guitar and vocals. He said: “It was the best one yet. It’s a great festival. You find new friends and always meet old friends – it’s like that first sip of wine. It’s Truck-tacular!”

Festival organisers said: “It’s hard to think of a Truck Festival weekend that has left us so delighted and full of joy than this one. From the moment gates opened on the Thursday, that atmosphere which makes Truck so special has shone bright and has made this year one that’s going to sit as the biggest and best Truck in festival history.

“Looking out across the festival site under stunning summer skies, we couldn’t help but feel emotional and grateful for the love and support that Truckers have showed us this year.”

A highlight was a surprise appearance by Supergrass star Gaz Coombes, from Wheatley, who joined the Oxford Symphony Orchestra as a special guest.

Fellow artist Nick Fowler, who lives near Wantage, also joined the orchestra – as well as making a number of other appearances on guitar throughout the weekend.

He said: “I have been going to Truck since 2003 and this was the best one yet. Having Gaz Coombes join the Oxford Symphony Orchestra was unbelievable – and the audience reaction was amazing. What a moment!”

Hill Farm’s Richard Binning was among those helping to feed punters at the Feel Good Food Hall, in which volunteers from charities and local good causes served everything from corn on the cob and steak sandwiches to Thai curry and macaroni cheese – with proceeds going to their respective organisations.

Truck Festival, Steventon, 2026. Picture by Tim Hughes

Richard follows in the footsteps of his farmer father, Alan, who, for many years, manned the grill with Didcot Rotary Club members, serving bacon butties, burgers and chips.

Richard joined volunteers dishing up steak sandwiches. He said: “This has been a great year. The weather makes a difference and the atmosphere has been fantastic.

“Having volunteers raising funds for good causes is what makes Truck Festival so unique. There is nothing else like it.”