Float Along Festival 2026 Review

Words by Olivia Beard

This past weekend, Float Along Festival returned to Sheffield city centre for its 5th consecutive year, bringing a day packed full of some of the best up-and-coming post-punk, psychedelic rock, and indie talent. Taking over Sydney and Matilda,  Corporation, and Octagon, the festival saw the likes of the legendary White Lies, Dublin rockers Sprints, and the energetic and fast-emerging MAN/WOMAN/CHAINSAW  take to the stage.

​Photo by Olivia Beard

Opening up the Sydney and Matilda Gallery was alt-rock, Manchester-based trio ‘SHAKING HANDS’. The band was a calming, melodic, and ‘chill’ introduction to the festival; the band’s use of looped, melodic, echoing guitar riffs and musical melodies really did make for a great opening slot. Next up was ‘LITTLE GRANDAD’ with their indie/slater rock sound; they packed out Sydney and Matilda’s basement. For fans of bands such as ‘Westside Cowboy’ and the recent Folk rock renaissance, Little Grandad were an absolute delight to watch; their optimisation of brass and wind instruments made for an exciting and well-engaged performance, which was better rounded off by their charismatic and down-to-earth stage presence.

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Well on the other side of town at Corporation, ‘TTSSFU’ was hitting the main stage, bringing an array of ‘dream rock’ bangers to a sunny Saturday afternoon. With a unique and genre-defying sound, the Manchester-based artist was the perfect pick to open up the Corporation stage; the defying bass lines, ghostly, echoing vocals, and the distinctive guitars created a captivating and dazzling performance.

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Next up at Corporation is post-punk jazz group ‘Opus Kink ’, whose clever combination of jazz brass instrumentation and clever lyricism made for an incredible genre-bending performance. Opening with their track ‘Come over, Do me wrong’, lead singer Angus Rogers’s vocals echo through the venue and blend perfectly with the unique instrumentalisation that follows. There’s a certain atmosphere that is present at an OPUS KINK gig; it’s unnerving and chaotic, but you can’t help but be banging your head the whole time.

Just off the back of a debut album and on a current sold-out UK tour, six-piece London rock group ‘MAN/WOMAN/CHAINSAW’ were taking to the stage next at Sydney and Matilda. Once you see them, you’ll just want to keep going back for more; they’re captivating and exhilarating and one of the most exciting new acts within the current indie scene. The intertwined vocals of Billy Ward and Vera Leppänen complement each other perfectly and are flawlessly tied together by the addictive violin playing of Clio Starwood. Their debut album ‘Cannonball’ is a joy to hear live, and I cannot wait to see what they have in store for the future.

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‘SPRINTS’ closed out the stage at Corporation, and what a closing performance they put on to close out the day. Frantic and energetic, the Irish group brought a set packed full of heavy, catchy guitar riffs, addicting lyrics and ‘mosh pit’-worthy melodies. Opening with their song ‘HEAVY ’, the band had the audience captivated and moving right from the first note.

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In conclusion, the Float along festival has proved once again to be the festival ‘to be at’ for discovering new and up-and-coming talent. The festival celebrates the indie rock and psychedelic punk scene all whilst supporting some of the city’s best independent venues. For a city with such an important and vibrant musical history, Float along festival further solidifies Sheffield as one of the best cities for new music.

​Photo by Olivia Beard