Rewind South 2026 live review: Christmas Hats, Rubber Chickens & 40 Years of Hits
- photogroupie
- 11 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Another year has flown by and once again it was time to step back into the 80s and 90s as Rewind South returned to Henley on Thames.
The sun was out, the temperature was hot although thankfully not quite as hot as some of the temperatures we've endured recently and the Rewind faithful were once again arriving in their finest attire.
There is something gloriously ridiculous about seeing thousands of people turn up dressed for a weekend somewhere between a music festival and the world's biggest 80s and 90s fancy-dress party. And that's before you get to the famous Rewind 'pegging' ritual, which was back in full swing. But while Rewind is undoubtedly built on nostalgia, this year's festival once again proved that it's about much more than simply looking backwards.
A surprising number of the artists are still recording new music, touring and finding new audiences. And perhaps more importantly, the standard of vocals across the weekend was seriously impressive.
Saturday's line-up delivered a succession of Rewind favourites, first-timers and some very welcome surprises.
Louise was making her Rewind debut, and the former Eternal singer demonstrated that she has lost none of her vocal ability or stage presence. Moving from her time with Eternal into a successful solo career, she brought plenty of familiar material to the stage, including Stuck in the Middle, Arms Around the World and Naked. With a tour coming next year, Louise is clearly still looking forward rather than simply looking back.
Soul II Soul delivered a strong set, with vocals from Nadine Ceasar standing out. Their version of Nothing Compares 2 U was a nice addition alongside the songs that made them such an important part of British dance music, including Keep On Movin' and, of course, Back to Life (However Do You Want Me).
Bow Wow Wow brought the fun with I Want Candy, while Sonia delivered her own hits and then took us back even further with Hopelessly Devoted to You.
Dave Hill's Slade were another Rewind first, and what could be more Rewind than a sea of Christmas hats appearing in August? Merry Xmas Everybody, alongside Slade favourites such as Mama Weer All Crazee Now, and yes, there really was a sea of Christmas hats.
The Trevor Horn Band provided a reminder of just how enormous Trevor Horn's influence was on the music of the 80s. His fingerprints are all over some of the decade's most memorable music, and having Lol Creme join him on stage added another little piece of musical history to the set.
Toploader brought a heavier, more energetic vibe to proceedings and proved a popular choice with the Rewind crowd. Led by Joe Washbourn, the band delivered the songs people know and love, including Achilles Heel, Time of My Life and, inevitably, Dancing in the Moonlight. There was plenty of singing along from the crowd.
And then there was Kim Wilde.
One of the biggest-selling artists of the 1980s, Kim was on fine form. But it was Cambodia that really stood out. There was genuine emotion in her performance as she reflected on the passage of time. "The years have passed." And they really have.
More than 40 years on, Kim Wilde is still standing on a festival stage performing these songs. So are so many of the artists around her. And when you looked around the crowd, there were people who weren't even born when some of these songs were released singing along to them.
That's something rather special.
As the evening drew on, the anticipation built for Saturday's headliners and The Human League were on fire. They delivered exactly what you want from a festival headliner a huge, confident performance packed with songs that have become part of the fabric of British pop music. The crowd responded accordingly, bringing Saturday to a suitably big finish.
Sunday brought another packed line-up, and The Beat, featuring Ranking Jnr, were a great example of music being handed down to the next generation. With Ranking Jnr carrying the flag for his father, Ranking Roger, there is a real sense of musical history continuing rather than simply being preserved.
Peter Andre was, surprisingly, very good. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but his performance was energetic and entertaining, with the influence of Michael Jackson particularly obvious in the dancing and stagecraft.
Tunde, from Lighthouse Family, performed Diamond in a Rock, Lifted and Nina Simone's I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free, adding a few different flavours to the set.
Britpop favourites Dodgy released their new album Hello Beautiful earlier this year and brought new material to Rewind, including the title track. It's a song with a message that encourages you to love yourself a little more, and it's great to see a band so closely associated with the Britpop era continuing to write and release new music rather than simply relying on the past.
Tom Robinson brought his usual ability to get an audience involved. Glad to Be Gay had people singing along whether they were gay or not, while War Baby was another reminder that some of these songs still have something to say.
Toyah — well, I love Toyah. Looking fabulous and bouncing around the stage like a ball of energy, Toyah is theatrical, charismatic and completely herself. Her set always feels like an event rather than simply a performance. Isn't it about time Toyah got a longer set at Rewind?
Tony Hadley remains another festival favourite, and those vocals are still incredible. But it was Gold that really demonstrated just how much these songs have become part of the Rewind experience.It turned into one enormous festival singalong, with thousands of voices joining Tony as he delivered one of Spandau Ballet's defining songs. More than 40 years on, that voice is still there and so is the audience.
But one of my personal highlights of the weekend was Nik Kershaw.
The atmosphere during his set was fantastic, with younger and older fans alike singing along. There was a real sense of people rediscovering songs they loved and introducing them to another generation. Quite honestly, Nik could also have headlined too.
And while all this was going on, Rewind's slightly bonkers side was never far away. The famous 'pegging' ritual was back in full swing, but this year there was a new addition: rubber chickens.
Yes. Rubber chickens, thrown around the site, they were actually quite amusing. Until they started being thrown towards the stage. At that point, not so much.
For performers, photographers and security, having rubber chickens flying towards the stage is distracting and potentially dangerous and, frankly, annoying. Please Rewinders, let's leave that ritual at home next year.
The Doctor and Jenny Powell presented across the weekend, while TV favourite Andy Crane also made an appearance. We also discovered that Basil Brush isn't merely a fox with an impressive vocabulary. He's actually a Sith Lord. How cool is that?
Away from the main stages, one of the weekend's unexpected treats came in the Pink Flamingo Tent when Mel Gaynor, legendary drummer with Simple Minds, made a surprise appearance. And he wasn't just behind the kit Mel also took to the microphone, adding vocals to the performance and making the surprise appearance even more memorable.
Another shout-out has to go to the Reading Community Gospel Choir, who brought their own energy and sound to the weekend, proving once again that there is plenty happening around Rewind beyond the big names on the main stages. And a mention too for Last July, who added another welcome live music moment to the weekend with their hard rock to shake off the cobwebs from Saturday.
A huge thank you also has to go to Nick and Charlie at Ginger Wings, who once again helped keep the Photogroupie team fed with their delicious Cajun-spiced fries and salt-and-pepper chicken. Because festivals are hungry work.
Sunday's headliners were The Proclaimers, making their Rewind debut. Now, I'm going to be honest: I'm not a fan of The Proclaimers. So I'm probably not the person to give you the most impartial review of their set! Their performance was very different from some of the more energetic and theatrical acts across the weekend. This was about folk-pop songwriting, musicianship and those unmistakable voices. But even I have to admit that when I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) came along, the atmosphere was fantastic.
Thousands of people singing along to one of those songs that has become completely embedded in popular culture is quite a sight. I'm on My Way, Letter from America and Sunshine on Leith are equally capable of turning a festival field into one enormous singalong. I may not have suddenly become a Proclaimers convert, but you can't deny the power of a festival-sized singalong.
The All Star Band also deserve a mention. Once again, they were working their arses off, providing the musical backbone behind many of the artists across the weekend. It's easy to focus on the singers standing at the front of the stage, but without the musicians behind them, Rewind simply wouldn't sound the way it does.
This isn't simply a festival where artists turn up, play the hits and remind us how old we are.
It's a celebration of music that has survived. Artists who are still recording. Artists who are still touring. Artists who can still walk onto a stage more than 40 years after their first hits and make thousands of people sing. There were new songs alongside the old ones. There were artists carrying on musical legacies into another generation. There were younger fans singing songs that were released long before they were born.
There were surprises, nostalgia, brilliant performances, some questionable fashion choices, an alarming number of rubber chickens, Bum Butter and enough Christmas hats in August to make you wonder whether we'd accidentally wandered into December - but hey, that
's Rewind!
Review Cathy Clark and Gerry Driver
Photos Gerry Driver
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