TRNSMT Festival June 19th - 21st 2026

Day One: Friday, June 19th

Story by Emily Strout

30/06/2026

It was an exciting time to be in Scotland, to say the least. As I trudged through pelting rain on my route to Glasgow Green, the site of the yearly TRNSMT festival (this year, pushed a month early to accommodate Glasgow’s upcoming hosting of the Commonwealth Games). Every turn of the head was met with Saltire flags: worn as capes, bucket hats, or waved around on sticks. Kilts, often paired with a jersey, seemed to be the outfit of choice for the male species. All covered by plastic ponchos, that is, the torrential downpour from above, as if in celebration alongside the thousands of fans who were anticipating the night’s World Cup match against Morocco, didn’t stop until nearly 5pm. While still busy, these factors didn’t make for the bustling TRNSMT I’d anticipated.

The K’s But of course, it’s Glasgow, and a little rain never hurt anyone. No Scotland, no party indeed. I pulled my meager raincoat tighter around myself and steeled myself for my first ever TRNSMT. Through pouring rain I squinted at the main stage for my first act of the day, The K’s. The band, which delivered solid indie rock, managed to fill the front pens with a good amount of poncho-clad fans, singing along with the boys from Merseyside. Highlights for me included “Glass Towns” and “Sarajevo”, both off their 2024 album I Wonder If The World Knows. I’m not sure if the world knows the K’s yet, but I’m sure they enjoyed knowing that they were playing to dedicated fans braving the rain to see them. South Arcade Sheltering under a tree to little effect, I next enjoyed South Arcade on the King Tut’s stage, a Y2k-styled pop-punk/rock band from Oxford. I’d not listened to their music before, but they surprised me with their live performance, feeling like a shock of nostalgia. Despite performing through possibly the most intense rain of the day, lead singer Harmony Cavelle has an impressive stage presence that nicely matched the group’s fun Y2k-inspired outfits. When she wasn’t singing in a manner reminiscent of Hayley Williams through a fun autotune, she kept up a cheery, upbeat chatter with the clustered crowd below. As they’re slated to play the famous Barrowland Ballroom in February of next year, I feel confident that the crowd there at TRNSMT will pull through for them. NewDad On the same stage after them was Newdad, a band whose shoegazey, dreamy sound was perfect for the sun that was finally peeking through the oppressive clouds. Although they come from Galway, lead singer Julie Dawson confessed that Glasgow was the band’s second favourite city in the world, a statement met with cheers. It was not my first time seeing NewDad perform, but it’s always a pleasure; and paired with the finally welcome weather, it was lovely to hear “Angel” live again, one of my favourites off of their 2024 album Madra. Arkayla I couldn’t stick around all day, however, and slipped off a bit early to head towards the BBC Introducing stage. Arkayla, an indie rock four-piece from Manchester, was one of my absolute must-sees of the festival, and would end up being my highlight of the day. The front rows were cluttered with dedicated fans, and it’s easy to see why. The moment frontman Cal Blakebrough and the rest of the members took the stage, I was charmed. Blakebrough is an excellent frontman. Rocking a stylish Gretsch guitar over his Adidas jacket, Blakebrough is already visually striking, helped by his incredibly expressive eyes and facial expressions as he performs. Recent single “Run Kid” has achieved plenty of acclaim and was great live, but the true standout of the set was the soon-to-be released single “Doba”, which the band explained was inspired by explorer Aleksander Doba, known for his long kayak voyages done in his sixties. It was also just an insanely catchy tune. From the sounds of the crowd belting lyrics back at them from set start to finish, I am positive Arkayla is moving up the ranks, and their upcoming September headline in King Tut’s is bound to be a riot. By the time I wandered off from the BBC stage,Dylan John Thomas was already on the main stage halfway through his set, and I watched from afar as I enjoyed a quick dessert. A Glaswegian and thus a local favourite, Thomas’s folkish indie music struck a chord with me even though I was very far from the stage. “Fever”, his biggest song and closer, was of course a highlight, getting me to tap my feet all the way from the churro truck.

Wolf Alice I then entered the pens in preparation for Wolf Alice, the brilliant alt-rock band that I’d enjoyed for ages but never quite had the chance to see. Their sound spans genres: some songs heavier, and others, like the incredible “Don’t Delete the Kisses”, leaning into more of a soft shoegaze style. No matter what song they’re playing, though, lead Ellie Rowsell has a wonderful stage presence, combining well with her powerful vocals. Standouts for me include “White Horses”, “The Sofa”, and of course, the aforementioned “Don’t Delete the Kisses”. If you can ever catch Wolf Alice live, certainly do. The night ended with headliner Richard Ashcroft. Or perhaps, it would have, if I was any good of a reviewer and stuck around to the evening’s bitter end. Alas, I had not yet dried off from the morning’s showers, my wellies were just about carving painful divots in my ankles, and I was hungry enough to eat an entire haggis. I have it on good authority, however, that the lead singer of The Verve delivered a stellar performance of songs both old and new. On my way out of the park, I saw more kilts and kits heading in—TRNSMT had been selling a “late entry” ticket, for fans to catch Richard’s performance and stick around to see the Scotland game projected on the main stage. I, however, enjoyed clips of “Bittersweet Symphony” from the comfort of my bed, exhausted from the day but thoroughly pleased with the sets I was able to see despite the weather.