PhillGood 2026: The Cure, Gorillaz, Kneecap & Suede

Some of the world’s biggest bands came to this site (including headliners The Cure, Gorillaz and Moby), many visiting the country for the very first time.

The very first of these was Just Mustard, whose moody, dark Irish indie was a fitting way to start a day headlined by The Cure. Generous set times for opening acts meant they played a long set filled with deep, bass-heavy guitar music.

The festival featured three stages. PhillRave was nestled in the trees and featured DJ sets from global icons like Erol Alkan, whose entrancing beats attracted a vibrant crowd of dancers. PhillCool hosted predominantly Bulgarian artists such as Bulgarian Cartrader, whose voice gave depth to his laid-back indie R&B. 

Huge in the UK but on the rise across Europe, Wolf Alice manoeuvred between gentle indie rock and heavier punk-influenced moments led by Ellie Rowsell’s iconic voice. The frontwoman stood angelically in front of a glittery silver background embellished with a star as her band performed hits from across their catalogue such as ‘The Sofa’ and ‘Don’t Delete the Kisses’.

Despite being present on the scene for decades, this was The Cure’s first ever show in Bulgaria. Their two-and-a-half-hour showstopper took the audience on a journey through the band’s discography. Fronted by Robert Smith, the group somehow sounded just as they did on record years ago. Their performance was filled to the brim with singalong hits like ‘Friday I’m In Love’ and ‘Boys Don’t Cry’ alongside beautiful guitar lines. A fervent cult crowd — though a very big cult indeed — meant that each and every word was repeated back from the audience. Despite the long runtime, the set breezed by as if it were a dream. The people of Bulgaria had been waiting a long time for The Cure to come to their nation, and it was certainly worth the wait. 

Post-headliner DJ Daniel Avery took to PhillRave with his techno rhythms, bass up to the maximum. He kept the energy up far into the night after The Cure had finished. Familiar, repetitive beats rang through the night in what was an eclectic party. 

Saturday’s programme featured polyphonic surf rockers Los Bitchos, their summery, jangly guitars shimmering in the heat. This was followed by Sleaford Mods, with frontman Jason Williamson throwing crazy shapes as he dragged his mic stand around with him, yelling bizarre adlibs. Meanwhile, Andrew Fearn seemed almost  an accessory, dancing by a laptop having just pressed play. The group’s lyrical content was very British, bringing UK humour to Bulgaria which was fitting given how many British bands were performing over the weekend. 

Irish rap group Kneecap opened their set with a message onscreen in support of Palestine. The crowd stood and chanted in solidarity, but it wasn’t long before they entered into non-stop, frantic moshing. At one point a flare was lit, the revelling crowd spiralling around the flame in the centre of the pit. DJ Próvaí leapt into the crowd too, crowdsurfing during ‘The Recap’ whilst clad in his signature Irish flag balaclava. Though the group themselves were incredible, it was the crowd that really stole the show.

Headliners Gorillaz opened with ‘The Mountain’, featuring a full live band of over a dozen members. Frontman Damon Albarn donned a Bulgarian military uniform as he sang (a metaphor for the band’s anti-war stance), often through a retro-sounding intercom mic. He meandered down to the barriers, to each side of the stage and even to the back of the audience throughout the set, which was filled with synthy hits performed impressively by the large band. Visuals courtesy of Gorillaz resident artist Jamie Hewlett were played onscreen, including harrowing cartoon representations of bombs and fighter jets during ‘El Mañana’ and ‘On Melancholy Hill’. Their performance was filled to the brim with special guests like Yasiin Bey and Bootie Brown, who performed their features on Gorillaz tracks, and ended with ‘Clint Eastwood’ and a fantastic firework display. 

EDM producer Apashe took to PhillCool with a robed brass ensemble. In a booming and epic performance, they played classical interpolations of recognisable dance tracks alongside plenty of Apashe’s own material. His own dexterity, alongside the ensemble’s, made for seamless transitions between songs in a clash of genres that somehow worked perfectly. Flames licked up from the bottom of the stage in what felt like an ominous, clandestine meeting shrouded in darkness to close the night.  

The final day began with Son Lux’s atmospheric dreamscapes, as featured on soundtracks for films such as Everything Everywhere All at Once. German industrial icons Einstürzende Neubauten were up next with their odd analogue setup. Musicians played metal tubes, a drill and even a shopping trolley as instruments in strange, haunting metallic melodies that embodied the derelict stadium next door. 

One of the ‘big four’ britpop bands, Suede’s set was filled with recognisable hits like ‘Animal Nitrate’ and ‘Beautiful Ones’, with some songs also featuring lyrics onscreen for the crowd to sing along. Given the show was in Europe, they couldn’t help but play ‘Dancing With the Europeans’. Outgoing frontman Brett Anderson pranced about the stage as he swung his mic cable, the opposite of Neil Codling, whose aloof rockstar energy kept him statuesque. Regardless of stage presence, though, their instrumentation was incredible and they put on a hell of a show.

The final headliner of the debut PhillGood festival was electronic legend Moby. With a live band —- including strings — and backing singers, he explored an array of ambient electronica alongside plenty of heavy-hitter tunes. The multi-instrumentalist moved between guitar, keys and bongos as well as singing on some tracks. The live versions at times differed slightly from the studio recordings but the core of the music remained the same. Below him was constant feel-good dancing from opener ‘Bodyrock’ to encore track ‘Lift Me Up’, the latter of which he dedicated to the fight against fascism and tyranny.

Thievery Corporation performed the final set of the festival. The electronic duo and their band waltzed onstage after an booming voice narrated the history of the group, introducing their 30th anniversary tour. Their performance consisted of bassy dub alongside traditional instruments like a sitar for a laid-back, chilled out vibe. A roster of three live vocalists made multiple appearances throughout the set to perform feature parts of tracks. After a lengthy set they bowed off but the crowd was not going home anytime soon. They applauded and applauded until the band were forced back onstage for an encore. This huge dance party went on into the early hours of the morning to end the festival on the highest of highs, pure good vibes until the very last note.

The first ever edition of PhillGood was without doubt a resounding success. The festival’s location was unique and charming, and the sound quality at each stage was magnificent. Moreover, the atmosphere amongst festivalgoers was electric and friendly. Given many of these huge bands had yet to play the country, they went all out — singing their hearts out and dancing to their hearts’ content. You’d be hard-pressed to find a festival with such legendary artists as well as easy manoeuvrability between stages and an unhurried yet bustling site. There’s no doubt that PhillGood makes you feel good.