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LIVE REVIEW: NBHD Festival 2026 highlights
Festival season doesn’t end with the summer. Last Saturday, Manchester saw its streets light up as crowds poured in and out of beloved, legendary music venues all across the city centre. Now a decade since the first Neighbourhood Festival was born, the lineup continues to spotlight some of the best Indie acts of the new generation. Here's our top 5 picks from the day...
Florence Road
Wicklow four-piece Florence Road have made waves on the Indie Pop scene with their blend of theatrical grit and raw softness. Their set was a beautiful blend of cathartic angst and poetic lyricism that showcases the bands growing confidence and distinctive sound. Tracks like ‘Hanging Out To Dry’ offered catchy choruses that sunk their teeth in while funky-pulsating basslines whirled around.
Humming, ethereal ad-libs often gave way to surging electric guitars and deep percussive grooves making for a show that had the danceable Indie swagger of Lime Garden and the swooping grandeur of The Last Dinner Party. A fantastic performance that saw them at the top of their game.
Cherryholt
Being the first act playing Academy 2 this festival, Cherryholt had a standard to set. And it comes without a doubt that they raised the bar exceptionally high. Despite only having a 30 minute set, they effortlessly performed to the best of their abilities and made the performance one to remember. ‘Irresistible’ was certainly a fan favourite, with lead vocalist Reuben Baskerville telling the crowd that they “might know this one”. Baskerville embodied an energy similar to that of Van McCann from Catfish and the Bottlemen. His stage presence was truly electric and naturally matched the crowd's excitement. As well as playing cherished favourites, the quintet made room to showcase some new, unreleased ones too like ‘Heaven’. With only six released songs on streaming services at the moment, their remarkable live performances only make the wait for new music seem longer, leaving fans eager for more. ‘Rose’ took a more emotional approach with white streaks of light shining through the band's silhouette. The bewitching lyricism of the track evoked an atmosphere within the venue that really tugged on the audience's heart strings. To completely wrap up their performance, the band dove flawlessly into ‘The Bullet’ which ultimately got fans off their feet and on shoulders.
Words by Abigail Jones
Florentenes
Tucked away in Ambers were Bolton band Florentenes. Emerging from a warm, musky light, the band soon exploded into ‘The News’, one of the tracks from their latest EP which delves into an addictive angsty sound that got the crowd moving and ready for the set ahead of them. Florentenes are truly characters of passion, their love for performing is clear through their infectious vigor which is brought to life in every strum of a guitar and beat of a drum. Lead vocalist William Smith applauded Manchester as the “best city in the world” before leaping into ‘A Step In The Right Direction’, which ramped up the energy even more. Amidst all the chaos, the band made room for ‘Undiscovered Colours’, which illustrated a more mature and heavy side to their sound and image as artists. Blue and purple lights clad the members as they encouraged phone lights and arms to wave in unison across the room. ‘Madeline’ made the band return to their usual lively selves and was a favourite for many. This was the ultimate track that showed the inseparable chemistry between the band and the audience, seeing fans singing along to the catchy chorus and dancing to the vibrant tempo.
Words by Abigail Jones
The Guest List
As the end of the evening was seeping in, The Guest List had come prepared with a phenomenal set stacked with tracks that filled the O2 Ritz with life and charismatic energy. The Manchester band opened with ‘You Should Care’, one of the lead singles from their latest album ‘Something Real’. It was from the very first guitar riff played by Tom Quigley that the audience knew this show was going to be something special. ‘Ruine’ was the band's way of unveiling their musical talent at its peak. The intensity that came with its drum fills faultlessly filled the venue and had everyone moving in sync with the melody. ‘Canada’ and ‘Loose Tongue’ being their first ever released singles, were played as odes to long-time fans of the band.
Straying away from the emotional intensity of the tracks from their latest album, ‘Canada’ felt bubblier and more light-hearted, falling back into their youthful selves. There was truly no better song The Guest List could’ve chosen to close than ‘Weatherman’. This powerful ballad explores the urgency that’s lost when discussing climate change in the modern age. Although every previous song carried emotion, we’d never witnessed such passion and anger until this moment in the set. During the last verse and chorus, the venue had become a mega vessel for a sea of crowd members to get on shoulders and sing along. It was at this point it became clear that The Guest List had conquered O2 Ritz, and are likely to do it over and over again.
Words by Abigail Jones
AKA
The new project of The Mysterines guitarist Callum Thompson, AKA, combine the coolness of The Brian Jonestown Massacre with electronic and percussive elements making their live set captivating. There’s a certain swagger to their performance, with each song blending gritty guitar-driven songwriting and memorable hooks that ring around your head. As The Abbey sits a fair distance from the hustle and bustle of the city centre, many might have spent their day toing and froing between The Ritz and The Academy, but for those in the know, AKA put on a stellar set. While they only have three songs out, they’re already making great headway, with single ‘It Grows On Trees (Money)’ featuring on this year’s EA Sports FC soundtrack. If this is your first introduction to AKA, give them a listen and go and see them live, you won’t be disappointed.
Words by Alex Nuttal
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