Parklife 2026 returned to Heaton Park over the weekend, and for once the weather delivered, with festivalgoers swapping raincoats for bandanas, bucket hats, and sunglasses as they enjoyed two days of live music under sunny skies.
New Features and Surprise Sets
This year, the festival—first held in 2010—introduced several new attractions, including secret sets, new stages, a food court, and a quirky supermarket with a hidden twist. On Saturday, the lineup featured Prospa, Josh Baker, Nia Archives, and Morgan Seatree. Moston rapper Aitch made a surprise appearance during BOU’s set on the Magic Stage. Happy Mondays legend Bez took over the Beatbox stage, remixing Step On with KRS-One’s Sound of Da Police.
Saturday Headliners
Grime MC Skepta headlined The Valley, ending his set with the chant “it’s coming home,” which sent the crowd wild. DJ Sammy Virji closed Saturday night. The sun continued to shine on Sunday, with highs of 25°C, as the party vibes carried on with sets from Clementine Douglas, Fumi, Different, Luuk Van Dijk, and American house music legend Armand Van Helden. Sheffield-based producer Silva Bumpa played a large crowd at the new Panorama stage, designed for Boiler Room-style behind-the-DJ viewing.
Sunday Headliners
Sunday’s headliners at The Valley were Dutch DJ Chris Stussy, Zara Larsson, and Calvin Harris. Larsson delivered a crowd-pleasing set including her 11-year-old hit Lush Life and a remix of PinkPantheress’s Stateside. Calvin Harris, who has built a $300 million music empire and holds the record for most UK Top 10 hits from a single studio album, first appeared at Parklife in 2010 at Platt Fields Park. Returning 16 years later, he closed the festival with hit after hit, accompanied by spectacular pyrotechnics and fireworks.
Photo Gallery
The gallery features 95 images capturing the best moments of the weekend, including performances, crowds, and the sunny atmosphere. Photographers Kenny Brown and Luke Taylor contributed to the collection.
