There are bigger festivals. There are flashier festivals. There are festivals where the VIP section is bigger than the main bar. Then there's Truck. This years absolute blinder of a weekend left us sunburnt like fuck, deaf and wishing it could last longer.
For one weekend every July, Hill Farm, Oxfordshire becomes the closest thing Britain has to an indie pilgrimage. Nobody's pretending they're too cool to be there, everyone somehow knows the words to every chorus, and the only real competition is whether you'll lose your mates before or after your first pint. (Although this year not really a concern with a newly installed 5G tower installed. Sorry tinfoil hat crew.)
Originally started in 1998 by the original two brothers owners of Hill Farm, Truck Festival now stands tall at 30000 attendees while somehow still maintaining everything that made people fall in love with it in the first place.
The 2026 line-up read like someone had raided every indie fan's Spotify Wrapped. The Maccabees, The Libertines, The Wombats, Two Door Cinema Club and CMAT sat comfortably at the top, Truck Festival’s secret weapon that it always has enough merging talent to justify wandering away from the main stage every now and then if not completely. If you spent the weekend watching the big boys on the mainstage, you’ve missed the point of Truck. It's about connecting the dots between yesterday and tomorrow. Some criticised it before the gates even opened, but once the fields filled up it became obvious that the established acts weren't there to overshadow the next generation.
I appreciate their wisdom also to leave the schedule sparse when the main headliner is playing. Although this year it led me to think that The Wombats, Two Door Cinema Club and the Vaccines spend Christmas and New Years with each other, considering how many times they have shared a festival bill together but I digress.
This year the vibe seemed slightly different, something new was bubbling in the air. Community spirit seemed at an all time high. From seeing familiar faces within the scene, to Rebel Clothing giving away freebies apparently really ‘styling the scene’ and behind the stage, bands supporting each other and seeing it really as a ‘high tide really lifts all the boats’. Times have passed from true rivalries and competition being the mood between seemingly similar bands.
The lowkeyness of the festival allows you to really focus on the music, compared to the big juggernauts with focus on how to capitalise on the event itself. I felt that the fans could really find their next obsession and also get to know them as people at the same time without the distraction of pyrotechnics, tons of photographers in the way or influencers.
The summer fate vibes really stuck out on Saturday when a variety of people dressed up in a range of different characters, the light heartedness really made the day even more special. Quite a sight to see Scooby Doo neck two pints in a row just as Madra Salach comes on.
Special guests Rizzle Kicks, really surprised us. With the average age of the atendees being mostly teenagers (16+), college students, and adults in their early to mid-20s and the Rizzles being out of the zeitgeist of the public for a while. The turnout and energy was absolutely explosive. From the front to the back, it was one absolute party.
ASBO Favourites The Libertines gave a somewhat different performance to the regular barrier crushing experience that they've been known for. There was room to dance and talk to other fans next to you without being blown over every five seconds. Although moved from their younger days of pure hedonism and youthful angst, they still provide something still missing from todays selection with their unique story telling and poetic symmetry, its still something totally on its own.
We even manged to pick up a copy of On Strap Fanzine from the man himself as he walked around with a beaten up briefcase and handful of change for a 20.
We came across our top grassroots band of the weekend, Wooden Dog when one of their members came prancing across the field wearing an inflated cow outfit (see above) with flyers in hand. That alone was enough to convince us to give them a chance as first on the This Feeling Stage. This Folk-rock band hailing from Birmingham, provided us with some super rich vocals, blended harmonies and humour that really came together to something special. Originally forming at BIMM Birmingham, you can see the talent is really there and they make it look easy and natural.
Lets talk reality. Its expected that going to a festival will drain your bank account and you ALWAYS overspend. Its inevitable and built into these big festivals business plans. The food vendors.... Its over priced and always naff. This year also leading to a massive spike in food poisoning due to a suspect Yorkshire pudding wrap1. The lack of care of repeat customers, reputation and anonymity behind massive AI generated signage, leaves the consumer with not much choice on how to be bent over.
Luckily, Truck has taken some tips out of the likes of Glastonbury playbook and found a happy medium which keeps both the consumer and the traders on their side. A feel good charity food hall, where charities are able to sell easy to produce food at more reasonable prices to keep people fed, their pockets a tad slight heavier and also support a good cause.
The bar prices for alcoholic beverages were also relatively reasonable, with prices undercutting the average price of a pint in London and much cheaper than some other festivals by a significant margin.
Overall, one of the top festivals for a true indie and grassroots music fan out there. So many things are done with the fan in mind and you don't come home with a sense of feeling exploited and underwhelmed, along with your grass filled tent and ringing ears.
You can catch up with all our interviews over the next week or so over at @asbo_magazine on Instagram.