by Libby Fleming
This summer, YNot festival was a blur of cowboy boots, glittered faces, and bucket hats all welcomed into the small village of Pikehall, Derbyshire.
Despite its rural setting, YNot, the “Peak’s biggest party,” has become host for over 40,000 visitors, with its stages showcasing a multitude of popular rock, pop, and indie artists.
This year’s main stage welcomed big names including Snow Patrol, Jamie T, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Declan Mckenna, and the Kaiser Chiefs.
For those wondering how a peaceful village in the heart of the Peak District became a stage for music icons, the answer is all down to the founder of the festival, Ralph Broadbent. In 2005, Broadbent’s plans for a house party went awry when he was unable to host in his parent’s back garden. Instead of cancelling, Broadbent relocated to a nearby disused quarry.
This was the beginnings of YNot festival. Broadbent’s house party originally hosted only around 120 people, but when he gained a license the following year, the festival grew; both in recognition and in talent of the artists it was showcasing. The small local bands that originally entertained on the main stage of YNot began to be accompanied by internationally recognised artists such as Snoop Dogg, who performed in 2015, Basement Jazz, and Primal Scream.
Yet, despite YNot’s growth in the artists it was showcasing, the festival continues to highlight local talent, staying true to the community that helped sustain and promote the festival.
In 2022, YNot held the Battle of the Bands in Ashbourne, in which local bands and artists went
head-to-head to win a slot for that year’s festival.
In order to win, the contestants performed in front of a crowd who voted which they thought were most worthy of gaining a performance slot at the festival. The winning band was Souza, an alternative Rock Band from Stoke-on-Trent, and performed at the opening of the festival that year, showcasing how YNot has continued to stay true to its local roots.
Although YNot continues to grow in its success, the festival ensures to give back to its community and supporters. One of the main ways it does this is through the yearly volunteering scheme that YNot promotes. Their official charity partner Child Bereavement UK, who help rebuild the lives of grieving families, recruit volunteers to aid the smooth running of the festival.
This includes scanning tickets, controlling the car parks, and doing bag searches at the entrances, which is no wonder why YNot labels its volunteers as the ‘backbone’ of the festival.
The scheme works out that in return for 16 hours of work over the 4-day period, each volunteer is rewarded with free entry to the festival as well as parking passes and early general camping entry.
By setting up a great system of volunteers, and a fab incentive to help out, the event is efficient and well-organised, all while creating a more affordable way of experiencing the festival whilst also gives back to charity.
The role of the volunteers gives the entire festival a community feel, with their hard work being paid off later as they sing along to the Kaiser Chiefs, or dance away the night in the DJ tents later on in the evening.
Although YNot is perhaps a more modest festival due to its smaller capacity and rural location, there is a reason the beautiful scenery of Derbyshire has become a backdrop that so many music icons have performed in front of, with it winning the best small festival award in 2012.
If you are looking for a festival that has incredible household names whilst also promoting smaller up and coming bands, artists, and DJ’s, YNot is the place to be!
Edited by Emily Duff