After 18 years at the heart of Nottingham summers, organisers of the much-loved festival in Wollaton Park have revealed this July will be its final outing.
A special two-for-one offer has been released today, giving people the opportunity to buy a day ticket and receive another completely free. The offer applies to like-for-like general admission tickets.
Now it is full steam ahead towards Splendour weekend, with a huge line-up led by The Wombats, Primal Scream, The K’s and Hard Life on Saturday 18 July, and Snow Patrol, Editors, Craig David Presents TS5 and The Flaming Lips on Sunday 19 July.
It is all part of a plan to help Nottingham come together to send off Splendour in style, with the weekend festival having become a much-loved staple of the city’s summer for tens of thousands of people.
Many attendees first experienced the festival alongside their parents and now return with their own children, while others have forged lifelong friendships and created memories that have kept them coming back year after year. The festival has been the setting for countless personal milestones for fans, from first dates and meeting future partners to anniversaries, marriage proposals, retirement celebrations and other commemorative moments, becoming part of many people’s lives and family traditions along the way.
Splendour has also been a longstanding champion of Nottingham’s music scene. Hundreds of local artists have taken to its stages, performing alongside national acts and gaining invaluable exposure to new audiences.
In 2013, Nottingham’s Jake Bugg headlined the festival, just two years after opening the acoustic Courtyard Stage. ALT BLK ERA opened the festival in 2022 after winning Future Sound of Nottingham. Returning to the Main Stage this year, they have since secured a record deal, performed on arena tours and won a MOBO Award for Best Alternative Music Act.
More than 150,000 discounted tickets for residents and 30,000 free tickets for children have been given out since the festival began in 2008 with headliners Kate Nash and Paolo Nutini.
Festival organisers said: “We’ve loved bringing Splendour to you since 2008. We know how special it is to this community. We want to let you know upfront that this will be the last one so we can celebrate together in style.
“The ambition is to make the final Splendour a big celebration and a moment of togetherness for Nottingham, so if you’ve ever been or never been, this is your chance to bring along friends and family for one last time.”
The Lathums, Estelle, Cast, Neville Staple from The Specials, Kingfishr, The Futureheads, The Pigeon Detectives, The Sugarhill Gang, Say She She, Divorce and ALT BLK ERA join the headliners. Splendour 2026 will also feature the full line-up of artists on the Bodega New Music Stage, the Day Fever clubbing experience, Vicky McClure and Our Dementia Choir, and Future Sound of Nottingham winners the TWO 2’S and Omari Marsalis opening the festival.
DHP Family managing director George Akins said: “We’re really proud of Splendour. It has truly played an important part in the lives of many people, and is much loved for its family-friendly environment, as well as its genre and era-spanning line-ups that have seen some huge artists come to play in Wollaton Park. Thanks to everyone for your loyalty and support over the years, we couldn’t have done it without you.
“Like many independent festivals, Splendour has had to navigate a very different landscape in recent years, with the cost of staging events rising sharply at the same time as household budgets have come under pressure and the festival market has become much more crowded. After a lot of careful thought, we feel the right thing to do is to make this year a proper celebration of everything Splendour has meant to Nottingham and give it the send-off it deserves. Please do come along and help us go out on a high.”
Splendour has a proud history of bringing international artists to Nottingham’s Wollaton Hall, with past line-ups featuring Paolo Nutini, Noel Gallagher, Madness, Pet Shop Boys, Calvin Harris, Rag’n’Bone Man, Scissor Sisters, Blondie, Paloma Faith, Manic Street Preachers, The Specials, Dizzee Rascal, Jess Glynne, Anne-Marie, Becky Hill, The Human League and many others.
Councillor Neghat Khan, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “We’re proud to have helped develop Splendour into a Nottingham institution since its inception in 2008. The festival has showcased an incredible breadth of talent – from emerging Nottingham artists who went on to achieve great success, to internationally renowned performers.
“Beyond the music, it created a joyful, welcoming and family-friendly atmosphere, where countless Nottingham residents made lasting memories. We hope now that many of you will turn out to say goodbye and make this final festival a fitting celebration of Splendour’s legacy in Nottingham.”
The final Splendour day ticket two-for-one offer is available from www.splendourfestival.com.