25 August 2026
Gilles Petersons’ We Out Here Festival returned this weekend for its seventh iteration, with 25,000 excitable festival goers descending on Wimborne St. Giles to celebrate the best in emerging and established talent across the musical spectrum.
The excellently curated line-up, spanning from soul and jazz to house, dub and electronica brought together a number of vibrant musical communities, all of whom were eager to revel in their respective cultures.
Speakers Corner Quartet
The Speakers Corner Quartet kicked off the Thursday in style, with the four piece powerhouse paying tribute to the late great Arthur Russell over at the Lush Life stage. However, the groups Brawnswood set on the Friday proved exactly why they have been a stalwart of the UK music scene for two decades.
Bringing out a dizzying array of guests over their set, from the jazz legend Shabaka Hutchings to a slew of up and comers they are renowned for championing, the group effortlessly glided across an array of genres. Transitioning from lo-fi hip hop beats to punk-like crescendos in a matter of moments, the crowd was transfixed by the supreme musical ability the group commanded, eagerly hanging on every note to see where it might take them next.
This was the kind of set that brings you back to festivals year after year: the kind that makes the squelching mud, battered feet and sleepless nights feel entirely worthwhile. Where the boundaries between performer, crowd and music seem to dissolve, giving way to something almost transcendental.
The set culminated in a dizzying crescendo of sound, with the rabid crowd erupting in celebration as the groups flautist, Biscuit, held his flute aloft like a revolutionary with his rifle. It was a fitting ending for a group who have refused to be defined by musical norms.
Joy Crookes
Joy Crookes proved exactly why she drew one of the largest crowds to the We Out Here Main Stage, blending soulful vocals, effortless charisma and a set packed with fan favourites and fresh material. Opening with ‘Brave’, Crookes immediately commanded the crowd before announcing she was “feeling silly” and planned to “have fun with it”, setting the tone for a performance full of energy and personality.
That sense of fun never came at the expense of emotion. The set effortlessly shifted between euphoric highs and heartfelt moments, highlighting the depth of her catalogue. ‘Feet Don’t Fail Me Now’ and ‘When You Were Mine’ sparked huge singalongs, with fans climbing onto shoulders and dancing together as the summer sun began to set. Moments later, the atmosphere softened during a stunning rendition of ‘Don’t Let Me Down’, where swaying arms replaced jumping feet as friends embraced and sang every lyric back to the stage.
Tracks from her recent Juniper album landed just as strongly, with ‘I Know You’d Kill’ and ‘Perfect Crime’ becoming some of the loudest moments of the set. Crookes also teased unreleased music, giving the audience a glimpse of what is to come while picking up the guitar herself.
Equal parts soulful, playful and emotional, Joy Crookes delivered a standout Main Stage performance that had the crowd dancing, singing and wanting more.
John Glacier
John Glacier stepped out at the Tomorrows Warrior’s Big Top stage on Friday night, revealing that a hospitalisation just 24 hours before had prevented her from performing her allotted slot on the Friday day.
Despite this, the Hackney based rapper didn’t miss a step as she kicked off her shoes and effortlessly commanded the crowd, with the distinctive laid back swagger she has become known for.
Whispers of her performance must have circulated, as the stage became increasingly crowded with every passing song.
Her distinct sound of ambient rap, blending lo-fi, glitchy electronic production with freeform poetic verses creates an almost dystopian, otherworldly environment for the listener to get lost in.
Whether the crowd were swaying along to the glorious melancholic synth that spans ‘Emotions’, or bouncing along to the infectiously club-coded ‘Bond Girl’, John Glacier’s introspective, deadpan flow transfixed those that were lucky enough to be in attendance.
Genre-defying, experimental and completely unique, John Glacier perfectly encapsulates the kind of artist that We Out Here was made for showcasing.
Joshua Idehen
Joshua Idehen delivered one of the standout performances of We Out Here, turning the Main Stage into a celebration of spoken word, dance and collective energy alongside creative partner Ludvig Parment.
Blending sharp lyricism with infectious electronic beats, Idehen had the crowd hanging on every word, laughing at his playful observations and cheering his powerful statements on the state of the world. The set constantly shifted between moments of focused listening and complete euphoria, with the crowd dancing just moments after falling silent.
More than any other performance of the weekend, Idehen brought the audience together. Encouraging strangers to shake hands, teaching the crowd the “Nigerian Wave” and getting thousands to sing along, his constant interaction made the performance feel genuinely collective.
‘Mum Does the Washing’ had the crowd listening intently to his clever storytelling, while ‘Choose Yourself’ saw thousands shouting the chorus back and jumping to the beat. ‘It Always Was’ brought ven more energy as the sun emerged, with fans dancing on shoulders and embracing across the field.
Closing with Talking Heads’ ‘Once in a Lifetime’, Idehen had the entire Main Stage singing, dancing and arms in the air. With captivating spoken word over infectious dance beats, it was a set that left the crowd feeling truly connected on the final day of the festival.
The Festival In Full
As We Out Here 2026 came to a close, after four days of music, dancing and community, the final sets felt bittersweet as crowds began saying goodbye to the festival’s beautiful Dorset setting, the new friends made along the way, and the music that will ring on in the hearts and minds of the attendees for years to come.
It’s not every day a festival feels like a family, yet We Out Here year on year creates an environment where different cultures and communities can come together, share, and rejoice in the music that means so much to them.
It is this feeling of community, so fervently embraced by both acts and attendees, that makes this festival so uniquely special.
If you love discovering new music, making friends and dancing with strangers, or simply just fostering a sense of more than just yourself, We Out Here is the place to be.
Star Rating: 5/5
Words by Jack Donoghue and Tamara Crane-Robinson
Photography by Chloe Hashemi, Sienna Lorraine Gray, Jake Davis, Ellie Koepke