Leeds Festival Thursday: Torrential rain, huge crowds and a night of unexpected highlights
After a historic first Thursday at Bramham Park this year, YEP reporter Lana Conway delivers her verdict of Leeds Festival’s (brand new) first day
For the first time in Leeds Festival’s history, Thursday has been transformed into a full day of live music, giving festival-goers an extra night of performances at Bramham Park.
Leeds Festival got off to a suitably dramatic start, with torrential rain following me all the way from home to Bramham Park.
Waterproof ponchos stretched as far as the eye could see, while a sea of umbrellas disguised the faces of festival-goers making their way into the site.
But the miserable weather did little to dampen spirits, with fans pouring towards the Main Stage for the first night of the festival.
Manchester band Arkayla were the first band to take to the main stage, drawing a surprisingly huge crowd as fans sprinted from their campsites to catch them.
The band reflected on their last visit to Leeds Festival, when they were just 15-year-old fans watching Post Malone, before thanking Leeds for allowing them to perform to such an incredible crowd.
They were undoubtedly my highlight of the day, although I left slightly disappointed that they didn’t play my favourite track, ‘Ella Malone.’
Next up were The Lathums, a band I hadn’t heard before arriving at the festival.
Despite being new to me, they attracted a sizeable audience and their crowd interaction was a standout, proving that connecting with a festival crowd can be just as important as the music itself.
As the night drew on, the rain finally eased, and the ponchos began to come off, replaced by a humid evening.
Then Kasabian arrived with a bang.
I wouldn’t necessarily choose to listen to Kasabian on Spotify, but seeing them live was a completely different experience.
Frontman Sergio Pizzorno’s voice was incredible, while the band’s crowd work once again proved a running theme of the day.
Closing with their iconic hit Fire, mosh pits erupted across the crowd as thousands of voices rang out across the Main Stage.
And, of course, no festival review would be complete without the food.
After hours of rain, The Lids’ homemade pie was exactly what I needed, while a sticky toffee pudding and custard from The Custard Club provided the perfect sweet ending to a surprisingly memorable first night.