Bearded Theory 2026 started off strong on the Friday. Better Joy were the first I saw on the Meadow Stage and they was a fantastic place to start. The whole festival was already in pretty good spirits and Bria Keely only added to the positivity, holding the crowd in her hand as she effortlessly rocked the stage.
Girl Scout were to follow and whilst they’re a whole lot calmer, Emma Jansson still enchanted the tent with both her voice and talent on the guitar.
Next up was The Molotovs. The young brother and sister paired with their drummer were in high demand, packing out The Meadow Tent while Issey Cartlidge demonstrated exactly why people needed to be there. Her insane stage presence and unrelenting energy was enviable and made for a hell of a show.
Over on The Pallet Stage, Panic Shack started their set with ‘What’s up, sh*t munchers?!’ which let anyone who didn’t know them aware of exactly what they were in for. Song like ‘Baby’ and ‘Jiu Jits You’ were well received and a perfect example of women’s rage which left the audience wanting more.
Sir Chloe gave a different vibe back on the The Meadow Stage with their indie/alt rock and dedicated audience also packing out the tent.
Whilst Los Bitchos are mostly instrumental, they were just what this Bearded Theory audience were after to chill out to before the ground breaking headliners who were on that evening.
In the meantime, Swim School were giving an ethereal performance over in the Woodland compared to some of the angrier acts dotted around that evening.
Skunk Anansie stormed the mainstage to their 2019 hit ‘This Means War’ and had the crowd ready to go from the off. They were the perfect headliners for Friday night and had mosh pit erupting from everywhere for their whole sets as Skin’s energy and mesmerising presence didn’t let up for a second.
