Photo + Words: Esme Brigden

Golden Touch Festival returned to Portsmouth’s Wedgewood Rooms for what was billed as its final edition, taking over both the Main Room and Edge Of The Wedge across two days packed with emerging talent and no clashes. Drawing artists from across the UK, the festival once again showcased the breadth of the country’s grassroots music scene, bringing together established festival favourites and first-time performers for a weekend celebrating independent music.

Festivalgoers were arriving before the doors opened on Friday evening, with a queue forming outside the venue ahead of the 6pm start. A mixture of Golden Touch regulars and newcomers gathered in the unexpected heat, eager to make the most of what promised to be a memorable final chapter for the Portsmouth institution. Opening the festival on the Edge Of The Wedge stage, Sheffield quartet CRUZ immediately set the tone for the weekend. Joking about the already sweltering temperatures inside the venue, the band delivered a confident set that drew an early crowd into the room. Tracks including ‘Amsterdam‘, ‘Hold On‘ and ‘Man Of The People‘ were met with enthusiastic singalongs, while the band’s energy transformed the small room into a sweat-soaked dancefloor despite the early hour. 

Opening the Main Stage, Spangled ensured energy levels remained high. Frontman Ben Johnson barely stood still throughout the set, bouncing around the stage and repeatedly encouraging the growing crowd to dance. Their infectious enthusiasm proved impossible to resist, with tracks including ‘Crank Up The Splendour‘ and ‘Good Life Better‘ providing some of the first memorable moments of the weekend. Back in the Edge, Mansfield outfit The Publics delivered one of the most engaging sets of the evening; telling the crowd that “you’re as involved as we are“, the band embraced the intimate atmosphere of the room, creating a genuine connection with those in the room. ‘Karen’s Song‘ proved a particular highlight, with the crowd encouraged to dance when lead guitarist Elliot Stephenson made his way into the crowd to form the first pit of the night.

Kate Couriel followed, bringing something completely different to the Main Stage with dramatic vocals and a stripped-back arrangement of electric violin, keys and drums. The set steadily built in intensity, with Couriel’s commanding stage presence ensuring that even those unfamiliar with her music remained captivated throughout. One of the youngest acts on the bill, Portsmouth locals COAST attracted a notably large and enthusiastic following to the Edge stage – with fans singing along throughout the performance, the band demonstrated why they have already begun building a dedicated audience despite their relatively short time performing together.

The Kairos delivered one of Friday’s standout performances on the Main Stage; greeted by chants of “No Kairos, No Party” before they had even played a note, the band were met by a sea of fans that seemed determined to treat their 30-minute set as they would a headline. Festival anthems such as ‘Lazy Lethargic’ and ‘Punchline Fistfight’ led to constant bouncing, arms aloft and near-constant singalongs, creating one of the most electric atmospheres seen all day. The Slates followed with what was comfortably the busiest Edge Of The Wedge crowd of the evening, with almost every festivalgoer attempting to crowd into the 100-capacity room. Bassist Jude Wales immediately abandoned the idea of wearing a shirt in the Edge’s intense heat, although the temperature did little to slow the band down. Their relentless energy and sharp delivery justified why so many people had crammed into the venue, rewarding those lucky enough to squeeze into the Edge.

Closing Friday’s lineup, Andrew Cushin brought a sense of occasion to the festival’s first night. With the Wedgewood Rooms’ main room packed out, the Newcastle singer/songwriter delivered a polished set that provided a fitting conclusion to an already impressive first day. Backed by a tight three-piece band, Cushin balanced anthemic indie-rock tunes with more reflective tracks, showcasing the songwriting that has earned him support slots with some of the UK’s biggest artists. By the closing songs, the audience were joining in with enthusiasm, bringing the festival’s opening day to an emotional and memorable close. 

Following a packed opening day, festivalgoers returned to the Wedgewood Rooms on Saturday afternoon for another eleven hours of live music. With temperatures climbing even higher than the previous evening, both rooms quickly filled up as fans settled in for the final day of what was billed as Golden Touch Festival’s farewell edition. Saturday began with Office Party opening the Edge. While setting up, frontwoman Chloe Smedley was cracking jokes to the already sizeable crowd, immediately establishing the playful atmosphere that would characterise their set. Despite the soaring temperatures, the group bravely stuck with their suit jackets throughout the high-energy performance, much to the disbelief of those watching.

Finn Forster followed on the Main Stage with a stripped-back solo acoustic set. Taking time between songs to discuss both their inspirations and songwriting process, Forster created one of the festival’s most intimate moments, offering a refreshingly personal and engaging contrast to the louder guitar-driven acts elsewhere on the bill. Millichamp continued the afternoon in the Edge, where a group of devoted fans occupying the front row sang every word back to the stage, their enthusiasm adding to the sense of momentum building throughout the second day.

Despite having driven down from Manchester that morning, Florentines arrived on the Main Stage full of energy. The band performed with confidence well beyond their years, with vocal harmonies on ‘Undiscovered Colours‘ standing out as a particular highlight. Before closing their set, they begged the audience to help suggest names for an unreleased song[…] One of London’s most exciting emerging acts, Lady Of Mars, maintained the youthful energy over in the Edge – with only three singles released to date, it highlighted the festival’s commitment to showcasing emerging artists. Despite their limited catalogue, the band performed with remarkable confidence, drawing a sizeable crowd and proving why they have quickly become a name to watch on the grassroots circuit.

Lizzie Esau brought a set packed largely with new material to the Main Stage. The Newcastle artist’s distinctive sound and commanding presence ensured the newer songs were received just as enthusiastically as the more familiar tracks; Esau demonstrated her versatility as a songwriter and the strength of the material set to appear on future releases, leaving those in attendance eager to hear what comes next. Making their Portsmouth debut, The Harbours quickly won over the Edge crowd with their intense energy and upbeat tunes. Promoting their slot at the Isle Of Wight festival the following weekend, a cover of The Cure’s ‘Friday I’m In Love’ went down particularly well, prompting one of the biggest singalongs heard all weekend. The celebratory atmosphere soon gave way to a more reflective moment as the band dedicated their song ‘Scarlet (Boys That Sing)’ to the late Viola Beach, seamlessly transitioning into a cover of ‘Boys That Sing’ to create an intimate and emotional ending to the set.

Southampton’s The Manatees delivered one of the weekend’s most anticipated sets, drawing a packed crowd to the Main Stage. Balancing infectious indie-pop hooks with an engaging stage presence, the set further cemented The Manatees’ reputation as one of the South Coast’s most exciting live acts, while tracks including ‘Know You‘ and ‘Better Way To Think Of It‘ prompted fans to enthusiastically sing back to the band. With their second single released just last week, Saint Clair proved how the already growing hype around their music is well deserved, showcasing their range through the ambitious and varied set of unreleased material. Closing with their first single ‘Too Young To Notice’, they drew in the crowd who were already confidently joining in, further evidence that they’ll definitely be ones to watch out for over the coming months.

A long-established festival staple, Sheffield’s The Rosadocs made it clear how popular their upbeat indie anthems were with the Golden Touch crowd; tracks including ‘At Your Door’ and ‘No. 54’ encouraged high-energy singalongs, with frontman Keelan Graney entering the crowd during ‘Run Away Instead’ for an upbeat yet intimate finale. At the opposite end of the spectrum, favourite daughter represented one of the freshest additions to the lineup. After Lauran Hibberd’s rebrand in November 2025, the project already appears to have found its footing, delivering a confident performance that balanced witty songwriting with undeniable charisma and likeability.

Golden Touch alumni Pentire returned for their third consecutive festival appearance, this time graduating to the Main Stage after previous performances in the Edge Of The Wedge. The upgrade felt fully deserved, with a sizable crowd turning out to sing along to the band’s atmospheric indie-rock anthems and proving just how far they have come alongside the festival itself. Cherryholt followed on the Edge stage, delivering a tightly wound set of melodic indie tracks that steadily built momentum as their set progressed. Despite the relatively early slot, the room filled quickly, with the band’s driving guitars and earnest vocals cutting through the heat and earning the crowd’s full attention. 

Billed as a “Special Guest”, Saint Raymond arrived on the Main Stage to a warm reception, immediately confessing to the crowd that it felt almost like a karaoke set after spending time Googling the lyrics before he went onstage. Drawing on a strong back catalogue, his set balanced nostalgia with newer material; a reminder of why he remains such a reliable presence on festival lineup. Luna Bay followed, bringing a sun-soaked burst of indie-rock energy to the Edge stage. Their set leaned heavily into upbeat, guitar-led hooks and soaring choruses, quickly lifting the atmosphere despite the late-afternoon fatigue setting in. With the crowd fully engaged from early on, the band delivered a tight, high-energy performance that reinforced their reputation as one of the more exciting emerging names on the circuit.

Playing their second show in one day, and performing live for the first time since September 2025, Deco wasted no time getting into their groove. With catchy, 80s inspired tunes and a crowd-pleasing cover of The Verve’s ‘Bittersweet Symphony’, their upbeat, synth-pop sound provided a refreshing change of pace with the packed crowd embracing frontman Max Kendall ‘s infectious energy. Dream-pop quartet She’s In Parties followed, closing the Edge in style, with their ethereal and theatrical tones creating a striking contrast to the high-energy indie bands that had dominated much of the weekend. As one of the most promising up-and-coming bands, having recently earned a place in NME’s top 100 list for 2026, the performance felt like confirmation that the band’s rapid rise is only just beginning – they drew in a sizeable crowd and delivered a set worthy of the growing attention surrounding them. 

By the time The Covasettes closed the Main Stage, the crowd showed little sign of fatigue despite two days of relentless live music. Celebrating their recent debut album release and their official Number 1 on the Download Charts, the band performed a balance of new material and older favourites, to a crowd fully aware of the significance of their recent milestone. A surprise moment came when Crystal Tides’ Billy Gregory joined the band onstage to celebrate their number ones, for a spirited (and hastily put together) rendition of ‘Teenage Dirtbag’, sending the room into one final burst of collective nostalgia and singalong chaos. In a final touch that summed up the festival’s easygoing spirit, organiser Billy Fitzjohn was invited onstage, only to sidestep any sentimental closing remarks in favour of humour. His refusal to deliver a heartfelt speech, instead asking “Can I get a rum and coke?”, drew laughter across the venue and provided one last light-hearted moment before Golden Touch came to a close.

Whether this proves to be the final festival or whether it’ll be back in the future, the weekend served as a reminder of exactly why Golden Touch has become such a beloved fixture of Portsmouth’s music scene. Across two stages and two days, the festival once again demonstrated the quality of new music in the UK, providing a platform for artists from every corner of the country and creating countless moments that will live long in the memory of those fortunate enough to attend.

And as Jay Harris of The Manatees said: “If this is the last ever Golden Touch, what a way to end it.“