A sell-out crowd of 15,000 marked the End Of The Road Festival's 20th anniversary on the rolling farmland of Cranborne Chase near Blandford Forum, Dorset.
Sheffield indie-rockers Pulp closed the mainstage on Saturday night, finishing their set by singing Happy Birthday to the festival and toasting another 20 years. Frontman Jarvis Cocker, who has played the event solo before, led a set that included classics such as Common People, This Is Hardcore, and Underwear, and threaded the performance with a retrospective of Pulp history illustrated by slides, artwork and postcards. The band had not previously appeared at the festival, though Cocker performed a headline solo Garden Stage set in 2019.
The four-day event staged more than 140 acts across five music stages, showcasing indie-rock, folk and alternative artists and hosting comedians in a Talking Heads arena. The anniversary bill also featured Irish indie-pop singer Cmat, New York art-rockers Geese and Canadian singer-songwriter Mac DeMarco.
Organisers staged the festival on land designated a protected National Landscape and ran it as one of the final events of the UK summer season. This year follows what the Met Office describes as the warmest UK summer since records began in 1884, a period that saw an increased incidence of wildfires. Ahead of the festival, organisers warned that ground and vegetation remained extremely dry and prohibited barbecues and open fires anywhere on site.
The crowd size and diverse bill underline End Of The Road's position on the autumn festival circuit and its appeal to both music and comedy audiences. Organisers must now balance that popularity with ongoing safety precautions after a summer of record heat.
