"The best thing to do is simply wander'
Read the reviews from RALLY 2026.
So Young Magazine
“RALLY has a track record of rain. Other than its 2025 edition, the modestly sized end of summer gathering in Southwark Park has been subject to sideways rain, torrential downpours and any other form of precipitation the mind can comprehend. If you imagined 2025 had broken the RALLY rain curse, 2026 would bring you back to reality.”
“The typically capricious British weather aside, RALLY’s 2026 showing was very much one to battle the elements for. Scanning the spectrum of art-school graduate indie, bass-oriented dance music and multi-hyphenate electronic music, RALLY’s lineup is incredibly progressive and broad, with this year being one of the festival’s strongest. With this, RALLY stands as one of the best festivals for exploration, where wandering within the small subsection of Southwark Park can bring you to a range of new and interesting sounds you may never come across.”
“RALLY’s particular strength is that it makes the weather almost irrelevant. You spend half the day moving between tents looking for shelter and emerge somewhere completely unexpected: a drum machine, a broken PA, a cloud of guitar, a house groove, a trumpet, a voice you’ve never heard before. The festival’s modest scale makes this possible. There is no need to commit to a route when the best thing to do is simply wander.”
BRICKS MAGAZINE
“Inside our festival walls, we made our own reality”
“RALLY Festival 2026 brought together grassroots music, emerging artists and interactive art for a day built around connection and creativity”
“The Southwark Park day festival not only remained true to its core values of prioritising and uplifting grassroots culture and independent music from London, but built upon them. The theme for 2026 was ‘Make Your Reality’, reminding us that arts spaces, and the dancefloor in particular, are places of resistance, community-building and collective expression.”
“The day again opened up both digital and physical spaces where connection and friendship can be fostered.”
"RALLY 2026 was one for the history books. At all levels, it shone a light on community and connection, showing us how festivals can, and should, operate. This year’s RALLY reality was made by grassroots cultural pioneers and independent artists, and I hope it continues far beyond the festival!”
Aa Magazine
“We wanted to date everyone at RALLY”
"One thing was immediately clear upon entering the festival grounds: Best. Crowd. Ever."
"The quaint festival promised a day of tasteful music, with artists including Blood Orange, Smerz, james K, Daniel Avery, keiyaA, Parris, Nabihah Iqbal and Roman Flügel, amongst others. Live performances mixed with DJ stages and sound experiences created a casual atmosphere, giving you the option to easily oscillate from artist to artist depending on your mood – and, your attention span. The line-up felt less like a collection of festival bookings and more like an extended exercise in taste, each artist representing a different corner of the musical world, but all speaking the same slightly strange, cool and alien-like language.
"With a line-up co-curated by Dev Hynes and a crowd that might just be London’s best, Rally 2026 offered a refreshing approach to festival season. We spent the day wandering Southwark Park, drinking many pints of Guinness and taking pictures of some of the best-dressed people we could find."
Festivals & Gigs
“DIY spirit, with an impeccable lineup to boot”
“RALLY is definitely one to circle in your calendar. The vibe is very well curated; the staging is unique; the site is a breeze; the lineup is fantastic. Even if you don’t go, as soon as the lineup drops for the 2027 edition, it will be worth pouring over — this year was full of hidden gems the whole way down.”
“The exposed scaffolding stage makes the festival feel DIY, clearly a vibe they’re going for.”
“Experimental, modern and boundary-pushing”
Clash Magazine
“Since it debuted in 2023, RALLY’s expert curation of cult underground acts has cemented itself as a hidden gem of the capital, and this year solidifies its lofty reputation.”
”RALLY couldn’t have picked a better headliner; someone who embraces the perilous unknown, and dives into the void with love and transcendence.”
The Upcoming
“Restrained, not indulging in excess, and if anything, only leaves one wanting more.”
“Even when competing with blockbuster lineups from contemporaries with deeper pockets, the independent festival sells out its fourth instalment – evidence of an enduring appetite for what the grassroots sector can offer.”
“Focus shifts entirely to the music as the day draws to a close. Ilford-born Blood Orange (Dev Hynes) released his debut album 15 years ago on the day of writing, ideal timing for a career-spanning headline on the Channel Stage. As a co-curator of the event, it feels right that the day’s influences converge in his wide-ranging set.”
TNAM
"Seriously unifiying"
“Iqbal sent me to heaven at the end of her set when she pressed play on ‘Let’s Dance‘ by David Bowie. It truly showcased the reason why people attend RALLY Festival: being inspired by DIY culture and grassroots music, and celebrating London’s music and art communities.” (George Ginn)
“The BPM increased and so did the crowd’s energy, culminating in a proper collective boogie at the end. It felt seriously unifying”, “The sense of camaraderie at the festival this year felt special and, for me, was the warmest, most welcoming festival community I have been involved in all summer.”
“There was a constant buzz no matter whether u were in the smallest tent, the largest stage, or even in the queue for a gyros. If you aren’t ready to buy your ticket for next year already, what are you doing?” (Jasmine Siefert)
JUNO
“This festival will doubtless be top of many festivalgoers lists next year”
“RALLY’s multi stage set up and its super eclectic line up, boasting everything from Scandi dream pop to Nine Inch Nails-esque industrial aggro, sassy girl rap and techno thumping, is the just the tonic for anyone who finds festival planning too often offers far too much of a good thing. RALLY Festival may only be in its fourth year, but it seems to have a few answers.”