Stacked with feel-good fun and bursting with joyful moments, Truck Festival celebrated an unforgettable festival weekend - serving as the go-to hub for the most exciting names in modern alternative/indie culture and a blossoming world of collective festival spirit that sits unrivalled throughout the summer. Thriving with character, hilarious fun and emphatic memories, Truck Festival 2023 set the new standard - with eyes now turning to an anticipated 2024 weekend, with Super Early Bird Tickets on-sale this Friday starting from JUST £99.50.
Spread across six stages from sunrise to sunset and beyond, 2023 saw the perfect combination of everything that makes Truck such an essential date in the summer festival diary. Kicking off on Thursday night, the likes of dreamy indie-faves Swim Deep alongside the punchy Dead Pony and The Bug Club laid a market down for a weekend where the heartbeat of a modern scene was put front and centre. Headlining the Thursday night with an arsenal of festival-made anthems, The Wombats showcased just why they remain the party-starting force that they are. Ripping through classics such as ‘Moving To New York’, ‘Kill The Director’, ‘Greek Tragedy’, ‘Lemon To A Knife Fight’ (which included a lemon being thrown on-stage to be signed by the band), ‘If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You’ before welcoming a wisdom of Wombats on-stage to ‘Let’s Dance To Joy Division’ - it’s a set that perfectly encapsulates the fun and freedom that Truck Festival is all about.
Turning Friday into Fri-YAY, Truck showcased its full moreish nature with a mesmerising mix of ridiculous spectacle, beloved indie favourite, thriving new talent and more at a festival fizzing with the best atmosphere in the country. A real rite of passage of music fans to discover their next favourite band - highlights across the day included the pandemonium-inducing riot of Lambrini Girls + Opus Kink, the rip-raw punch of Wunderhorse seizing his place as the talked-about act of the summer, the singalong energy of Kate Nash + Mae Muller, the must-see hits of Red Rum Club + Highschool and the wild eruption of Spector headlining The Nest Stage and The Reytons headlining the Market Stage amongst others. With queues down the block from the famous Barrioke takeover from Shaun Williamson himself, the inaugural Truck Gameshow pitting festival-goers against each other for prizes with your favourite indie bands and crowned with singalong masses gathered for The Vaccines history-making set - it set the bar high for a festival Friday like no other. Capping the night before late-night takeovers from Oxford’s own Switch and the famed TPD TV, Two Door Cinema Club took to the Truck Stage for a scorching headline set packed to the brim with hit after hit. Slick indie-pop and strutting disco combined for a headline turn that showcased why they sit at the top of the indie game, with the likes of ‘Undercover Martyn’, ‘Are We Ready? (Wreck)’, ‘Sleep Alone’, ‘Wonderful Life’, ‘Sun’, ‘What You Know’ and more making for an unforgettable evening in Truck history.
Wake up! It’s Saturday lunchtime and Truck Festival started its day in a way no other festival can - with moshpits and pogoing masses greeting the Oxford Symphony Orchestra, who were joined for a special guest appearance from the chart-topping Clean Bandit. It set the tone for a day where the Truck faithful well and truly took on the rain to party in the face of it all. From the stacked and surging hub of the Market Stage presented by So Young Magazine which included some of the brightest emerging names in modern alternative music (such as The Beths, Porij, Courting, Deadletter, English Teacher, Cowboyy and more), to the insightful chats and debates over at The Tap Room Stage from Vocal Girls Club, to the gigantic sounds bursting from the Truck Stage from the likes of Maisie Peters and Circa Waves - there was no stopping Truck’s undeniable recipe for smile-spinning memories. After a statement of intent from the likes of DMA’s, Crawlers and Squid - alt-J closed out proceedings with a majestic dive through their incomparable back catalogue that demonstrated why they sit apart from the rest as one of the 21st century’s most inventive and forward-thinking bands. With a stunning light show spanning across the sky, it ensured a mesmerising and hypnotic Saturday evening moment, before spinning late into the night with the likes of Shy FX filling the Market Stage as part of the party-pumping Switch Takeover once again.
Winding out the festival in style, Sunday brought countless highlights as Truck Festival once again swung into fashion with unmissable hits. Whether it was the vast singalongs greeting The Lathums, the storming Pale Waves bringing their rock show to the fore to a massive crowd, the stage-scaling STONE, the full-throttle Sprints, the soothing punch of a superstar continuing to grow in Rachel Chinouriri or the packed tent getting a look at exciting newcomers The Last Dinner Party - Sunday was all about celebrations with the most exciting names in modern guitar music all pointing towards their own blazing futures. With vast crowds adorning the Truck Stage for Cian Ducrot and Prima Queen, an overflowing closing set on the Market Stage from Everything Everything and a jaw-dropping stage show courtesy of Self Esteem - it was left to Royal Blood to close out the weekend in a fashion only they can. With crunching riffs and emphatic hooks at every turn, the likes of ‘Come On Over’, ‘Little Monster’, ‘Trouble’s Coming’, ‘Out Of The Black’, ‘Figure It Out’, ‘Loose Change’ and ‘Boilermaker’ acted as a fuse to light up the night sky as proof they sit as a true force in modern British rock. With a huge firework display closing out their set, it served as the perfect way to close Truck Festival 2023.
Speaking about 2023’s incredible weekend, Truck Festival Organisers said:
“When we set out planning the next edition of Truck, that idea of special moments surrounded by like-minded friends and an undeniable community always rings true. Truck 2023 symbolised that and more, where come rain or shine - 25,000 fans danced and celebrated in the best ways possible! From landmark headline sets that’ll go down in the record books, to the surprising appearance of Clean Bandit during the Oxford Symphony Orchestra, to the vast array of exciting new artists that fans will be leaving the festival with as their next favourite bands to much much more - this year’s festival felt like a triumphant celebration that has warmed our hearts to see. More importantly, that community spirit that exists at Truck between festival-goers, staff, artists and more was amazing to see - really confirming once again why Truck stands apart from the rest in the festival summer.
We’re already looking forward to next year’s festival, with a bunch of surprises and exciting announcements to make over the coming months, and we hope to see as many of our beloved Truckers back once again in 2024!"
A true festival experience in ever sense of the word, Truck now looks ahead to a hotly anticipated 2024 return - with festival-goers and those feeling the FOMO of 2023 available to book their place at a true rite-of-passage weekend for just £99.50 (+BF), or from just £11.77 as part of a Truck Payment Plan. This Super Early Bird ticket is available for a Limited Time Only, and serves as the best deal possible for those ready for yet another unforgettable weekend on Hill Farm.
Super Early Bird Tickets are on-sale from 12pm on Friday 28th July.
