14th-16th August 2026

It’s the middle of August, and the festival season is still going strong for music lovers around the country.

Today, I’m heading to the Summer’s End Angus music festival in the small City of Brechin. 

This is a first for this new festival, and I have to say the line-up has something for everyone’s who’s heading to the three day event. 

With acts such as, The Jacksons, Emeli Sande, Pixi Lott, UB40, the Sugababes, and many more, it promises to be a great weekend and hopefully the good old scottish weather plays its part over the three days. 

I wasn’t really sure what to expect when I arrived, but I was blown away with the size and scale of this event. 

I know the Brechin area very well, but on arrival, it felt like I was somewhere completely different.

We don’t get many big music events of this scale and size in our area. I think the last big event that came our way was the BBC Radio One Big Weekend back in 2023, so Summer’s End Angus has big shoes to fill.

Arriving at the gate, I was directed to the car park, but to my misfortune, it was the wrong place, but what I did see was quite impressive. I was really taken aback by the number of camper vans and people who had put up tents for the weekend. It was like our own version of Glastonbury.

When I finally got to the right parking destination and found my contact who seemed to be working flat-out and with only three hours sleep behind her, she was doing an amazing job getting this event ready.

The staff still had a lot to do on the Friday, but it was all starting to fall into place as the lone piper opened the event at 17.05. 

Scottish singer Roisin McCarney was the first act of the night to take to the Garden Stage, follwed by Nati, Tide Lines and a late night DJ set by SHWAN to keep all the campers in the party mood.

The Saturday event was a sell-out, and the weather was looking good for the day ahead. 

Outside the festival gates, the fans started to gather bleary-eyed for this early morning start, and up first was Pixie Lott.

Pixie was originally slotted in for a 17.25 stage time, but this had to be changed to 11.10 start due to her playing the new role of Marilyn Munroe in the London Westend. 

Pixie took to the stage right on time and just slightly ahead of the fans who were rushing to get to the stage as the gates opened. At one point, I thought Pixie was going to be performing in front of an empty audience, but right on cue, the fans made it just in time.

Pixie dressed in her bright yellow outfit with sunglasses got the weekend festival off to an amazing start. You also have to give a huge compliment to Pixie for making such a long round trip journey from London when other artists might have just cancelled, so well done Pixie Lott. 

It was really impressive to see the two stages side by side and a further two stages placed in different locations across the venue, but I wondered if it was all too much for our little town.? 

Up next on the main stage was new girl band Sweet Love. The four-piece band consists of members Jasmine Hood, Honey Harrison Maw, Venice Salam, and Maya Willis. They girls already have three songs under their belt with “Bad Guy,” “I Hate You So Much,”and “Maybe I’m Crazy got the fans dancing in the early sunshine 

I also have to say that it was refreshing to see the Sweet Love girls interacting and posing for photographs with their fans off stage throughout their two days on Brechin.

By lunchtime, Just the Brave and Local lad Ben Walker kept the fans entertained in the sweltering heat. It’s the first time I’ve seen Ben Walker live, and I have to say, big things are heading this boys’ way.

By 2pm, it was mayhem as the fans waited for Right Said Fred to take to the stage. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I’ve not seen much of them for a while, but I was really surprised by their performance. They might be that wee bit older since I last time I heard them, but their performance was amazing. It was colourful and energetic, and the fans of all ages loved it. 

The day continued with Taylor Swift tribute, Gok Wan, Red Hot Chilli Pipers & Susan Boyle, and the nice wee surprise guest that only the scottish fans would appreciate. It was Isa from still game. 

The smaller stages also had plenty to offer the fans of different musical genres with The Ogretones, Late Landing, Sonnet 65, and David Delinquent & the I.O.U’s. 

By 5pm, the food bars were queued out with people wanting fed or watered, but back on the main stage, The Eves, a tribute to Bonnie Tyler and UB40 were keeping everyone in the summer spirit. 

The only disappointment of the day was being told that we weren’t allowed to photograph the Sugababes and RUDIM3NTAL. This was nothing to do with the Summer’s End Angus Festival it was instructed from the bands management. Sometimes, I don’t really understand this when we live in a world of the mobile phone. Hundreds, if not thousands of people, have mobile phones at these gigs or festivals, and the quality might not be as good. A professional photographer has a clearer or better vantage point to capture these images so it baffles me when bands don’t want to be photographed.

Anyway, we did look forward to photographing Emeli Sande as she took to the stage, but after the first song, the photographers were told by security that we had to leave the pit area. Another disappointment on the day, but hey-ho, that’s the music and photography world for you.