By Patrick Maloney
Photo Credit: Alisha Lawton.
A year of anticipation was finally at its end. It was time for the 19th edition of Liverpool Sound City, starting on Saturday 2nd May. Acts like The North, Gurriers, Keo and many more talented artists from across the globe made their way down to Liverpool for what can only be described as one of the greatest festival line-ups of 2026, and I among thousands of lucky others spilled to the Liverpool streets to watch.
First up for the weekend was Fletchr Fletchr. They took to a packed out Shipping Forecast with people queuing out the door for just an earshot of their Cornish anthems. The set was electric and powerful – you could really feel the emotion in the crowd. With two guitars, a bass and drums, it was clear from the first chord that this band meant business. The lead and backing vocals complemented each other so well, providing such an important wall of sound that really was a highlight of my weekend. However, my favourite part of the set was the closing song Life. Despite it only being available live, and still without any planned release on streaming platforms, it had numerous members of the audience singing every word. A truly perfect start to the day.
Next was the north. Coming off the back of their debut EP release, Coming of Age, and tour slots including shows with The Guest List and Seb Lowe, the Leeds four-piece opened up an eager Grand Central Hall. Songs like Can’t Sleep and Soundtrack Your Soul led to people on shoulders and a lovely start to an excellent showcase on the main stage. Frontman Billy Memphis really excelled with his notable stage presence alongside the rest of the band proving their talent as serious ones-to-watch in music.
After an emphatic set from Morning Star and Brooki, it was time for Bleech 9:3 in The Tunnel, who had by far the craziest set of the weekend. Members of the band entered a dimly lit, red tinted stage in oversized clothing. This did not last long, with the heat in the venue and the energy radiating from the crowd leaving the members shirtless. The band opened with Jacky and instantly pits were opened, and people were bouncing. Lucky members of the crowd spilled onto the stage, with one taking over lead vocals from Baz for a brief period. The highlight of their set was their final song Ceiling. After a sweaty 25 minutes, the Irish band had a room of exhausted people putting every ounce of the energy they had left in every word. The insane energy and musicianship led to many deeming it as their favourite set of the weekend.
After a break, it was then time for Keyside on the main stage, exactly where they deserve to be. The hometown heroes announced their debut album the same week and played a few new tunes from it, making me very excited to hear what comes next from them.
Anthems like Runaway and Angeline were also played, forcing a packed out Grand Central into song. My personal favourite was Michael (What’s Your Call?). Hearing a room full of people sing my favourite Keyside song was a truly heartwarming moment. As per usual, Keyside smashed their set, from the dedication of their musical capabilities to acrobatic attempts from Keo’s drum platform, the Scouse four-piece really solidified what I have always preached – these guys are a future headliner. They certainly made their city proud.
By the end of Keyside, a sea of flatcaps had taken over the crowd at Grand Central Hall. The anticipation had been building all day. It was time for our Saturday headliners: Keo. The four-piece opened up with Hands from their EP, Siren. Shrouded in aura, Jimmy Lanwern (lead guitarist) took to the stage in a camo jacket with his hood up, something which is becoming a signature look. Similarly iconic, bassist Conor Keogh wore a beanie covering his eyes, whilst his brother Finn donned his trademark Kangol flatcap with sunglasses, which were generously tossed into the crowd mid-set. The energy these lads have is second to none. Jimmy’s guitar work and movement was seriously exceptional.
A key thing that I noticed was how happy frontman Finn seemed himself during the set, especially for Thorn. I saw Keo in The Tunnel last year playing to 50 people, way before Thorn was released, and to see it exactly one year later to a headlining crowd is nothing short of what the band deserve. You could really feel how grateful they were.
My favourite tune of the night was an unreleased masterpiece called Spent on You. Despite the small number of released songs they played, such large numbers of the crowd knew every lyric to every unreleased song which blew my mind. The four piece ended their set with their standout tune I Lied, Amber. It was the cherry on top of an amazing set and an amazing Saturday. This hour of music really solidified Keo as one of the world’s best live bands and proved their worth as a headliner.
The first half of the festival had unfortunately come to a close, but was an epic beginning to the Bank Holiday weekend. Thousands of people came together to watch artists shine upon their respective venues and Sound City legends were made. Sets like Keo in Grand Central and Bleech 9:3 in The Tunnel will be spoken about for many years to come and, among others, truly made for an iconic day.
Photography Copyright 2026 © Alisha Lawton/ADRENALINE Magazine.
Text Copyright 2026 © Patrick Maloney/ADRENALINE Magazine.
Grace Elizabeth 
Kyle Horne