TRNSMT Festival June 19th - 21st 2026

Day Two: Saturday, June 20th

Story by Emily Strout

01/07/2026

Horrible news to awaken to: Scotland’s lost the game. The sombre mood felt palpable for perhaps twenty minutes until I realized the sun was shining down, and I couldn’t be bummed for much longer. Sun cream was a must, and back to Glasgow Green I went, beaming beneath the bright blue sky. The only traces of yesterday’s misery was, perhaps, the amount of mud I squished beneath my feet.

Brogeal My first set on the main stage was Brògeal, five folky blokes from not too far away—Falkirk. Never in my life had I seen a crowd get so excited for instruments like an accordion, a mandolin, and a tin whistle, but I was very pleased by the result. Brògeal combines their Celtic folk sound with more punk aspects, all of which worked strangely well for the massive main stage. The crowd, though a bit thinner from it being early in the day, seemed very engaged, with several Saltire-flag clad teens behind me singing along loudly. They’re certainly a live act to check out. English Teacher I stayed on the rail for the next act, English Teacher. The indie rock band has been on my radar a long time, and they’d even won the Mercury prize for their album This Could Be Texas in 2024. Frontwoman Lily Fontaine was a standout, with passionate vocals and double duty on guitar and keys. Though I’d gone into the set mostly unfamiliar with their music, I was a bit surprised by their variety; despite impassioned lyrics and sounds, the whole set felt artistic and subdued. I did enjoy “Nearly Daffodils”, amongst others, and am looking to check out English Teacher further after seeing such a tight yet authentic performance. I thought they deserved a much bigger crowd than they got. Madra Salach Though I had every intention of sticking around the main stage to see Glasgow favourite The Fratellis, I’d heard murmurings of the Dublin band Madra Salach over on the King Tut’s stage, and I was glad I made the choice to head over. Madra Salach, which translates to “dirty dog”, delivers poetic Irish folk music with a contemporary edge. Vocalist Paul Banks was chatty and outspoken, giving anecdotes about band members and their time in Glasgow as well as calling attention to the Palestinian support flag draped on stage. The music was well-performed and an overall excellent time; I’d actually forgotten about the Fratellis altogether. Keo The crowd around the King Tut’s stage only got bigger and bigger, however, as indie rockers Keo were on next. Keo has experienced an incredible rise in the past year or so, and have just recently announced their debut album, Put A Smile On For Me. So it was no surprise to me that they gathered a rowdy Glasgow crowd, the air in the pit heavy with anticipation. And ultimately, Keo are brilliant. Frontman Finn Keogh is magnetic, leaping and twisting around stage with his Telecaster and grungy vocals, with equally great stage presence from other band members like his brother Conor and guitarist Jimmy Lanwern. Recently released single “That’s Me” was a standout hit, but even when the band performed an unreleased track like “Black Dress”, there were still dozens of voices singing back every lyric. The only issue I’d take is that their set seemed too short (although anyone aching for more Keo can catch them headlining the O2 Academy later this year). I’d unfortunately missed the lovely band The Last Dinner Party in my pursuit of Keo’s set, though they’re certainly not an act to miss if you can help it. Up next on the main stage after them was another local favourite, The Snuts. Opening with “Gloria” (a great tune), members of the crowd were already scrambling onto shoulders in festival spirit. My highlight of course had to be their song “Glasgow”, which is just extra special to hear live in the city itself, though a bit ironic when lyrics consist of “and the clouds won’t clear / the sun’s to blame” while underneath the blaring summer heat.

Basht. I had to leave The Snuts a tad early, however, as the Dublin band Basht. were up soon on the BBC Introducing stage and I anticipated a large crowd. I was correct: by the time frontman Jack Leavey and the rest of the group took the stage, I peeked back to see the largest gathering I’d seen all weekend at this stage. Everyone had the right idea: Basht. are not to be missed. Another indie/alt rock band (it is perhaps a bit obvious what this reviewer’s favourite genre is), Basht. put on a rocking live show. Despite starting a few minutes late due to some sound checking issues, the crowd was instantly raucous, and the band played an assortment of old and new tracks alike. With their upcoming debut album Poor Advice to be released in October, it was great to hear what sort of tunes to expect. By the end, several large circle pits had opened up, and fans were being flung left and right to the energetic songs. Recent single “Keira Knightley” was great, as Leavey hopped off stage and came up to the rail to sing right up to the fans. Basht. is an act that thrives on close connection and animated crowds, and are even better live than they are on their studio work—I wholeheartedly recommend them. Radio Free Alice I’d worked up a sweat from all the moshing at Basht., but thankfully the next band up on the stage was Radio Free Alice all the way from down under Australia. Their sound, while also leaning into post-punk and indie rock, was definitely calmer than Basht.’s intensity, even including some saxophone playing to a few songs. Although I wasn’t too familiar with them in advance, I ultimately found that I enjoyed their sound and the lead singer Noah Learmouth’s unique vocals. “Johnny” is a good track, and so is the recently released “Lunch Money”. Unfortunately for headliner Kasabian, I took another early night for myself, but watching their set later on BBC iPlayer, they looked like a great time. Yet I had one more day of the festival ahead of me, and I needed every drop of sleep I could get (and every drop of after-sun gel to treat the gnarly sunburns on my arms from the indecisive weather).