Sell-out crowd gathers for end-of-season festival

A sell-out crowd of 13,500 has made the most of some late summer sunshine at one of the final dates in the UK festival calendar.

More than 100 live music performances featuring artists from across the world were on the bill at this year’s End Of The Road Festival, held in a quiet corner of rural Dorset.

The independently run event, which is in its 18th year, is renowned for its cross-genre musical line-up, and for showcasing emerging talent alongside established acts.

Headlining on Friday were Bristol-based punk band Idles, riding high after their Glastonbury set earlier in the summer, while on Saturday, 90s shoegaze pioneers Slowdive – who released their fifth album last year – were also taking a turn on the main Woods Stage.

In a late change to the schedule – after Swedish electro-pop artist Fever Ray announced they were cancelling their UK festival exclusive because of ill health – US indie rock trio Yo La Tengo were announced to close proceedings on Sunday.

Other performers include UK rapper Casisdead, who won a Brit Award this year, and Irish folk group Lankum, whose 2023 album became the first in the genre to be nominated for the Mercury Prize in more than a decade.

Lebanese collective Sanam and Somali singer and cultural activist Sahra Halgan played the more intimate Garden Stage, while two experimental musical outfits – Indonesian duo Senyawa and Japan’s Cornelius – were performing in the Big Top.

End Of The Road hosts five music stages as well as a Talking Heads arena, this year featuring comedians Janine Harouni, Fern Brady and Stewart Lee, although surprise shows and one-off collaborations are usually among the highlights for festivalgoers.

The four-day gathering is held at Larmer Tree Gardens and is running from August 29 to September 1.