Poole Harbour Festival (31.7.2026 to 2.8.2026) Baiter Park, Poole.
Who can resist a music festival on the doorstep, where they allow camping chairs in and you can pop home for a rest. These things are important to an aging gig-goer with health problems. Tickets bought blind at the bargain price, later they announced Kaiser Chiefs as a headliner to mark the ten-year anniversary of this Poole Harbour Festival. That and three days of sunshine. Can’t be bad.
When the full line-up emerged I have to confess I was scratching around a bit to identify acts to watch but in the end I was aided by a bit of easy going nostalgia, some excellent tribute bands and local legend Chris Payn.
You can’t escape the fact that most people aren’t here for specific music. They just aren’t. Out in front of the main stage it’s like hundred of family picnics with territory grabbed and defended selfishly, mapped out with added rugs and mats. For more musical enthusiasm, head for the tents – well, Smugglers Bar or The Big Top in my case (not the dreaded dance tent – full of happiness though, when I popped in for a look).
FRIDAY
I started by getting down early Friday for Chris Payn – original material with a few ripping rock covers thrown in, including The Stones’ Gimme Shelter. He met Jagger recently and posted pics with him, having done a gig also with Mick’s brother Chris. Great set this afternoon and, as ever, full on rock.
Next Guns N’Roses Experience. A tribute to a band I have seen once but my knowledge is a bit shallow on. Sweet Child o’ Mine and Welcome to the Jungle fulfil any limited expectations. Nice to see a few real GNR fans enjoying it with their tour t-shirts on.
I bumbled about. Sat in the sun in my camping chair. Had a few £7.50 ciders. The only other band of note on Friday was the Fu Fighters, the Friday headliner with a full light, flame and smoke embellished show, and fireworks to finish.
Busy. Squint and you could be at a Foo Fighters gig. Plenty of recognisable tunes to pump out. Quite happy with that.
SATURDAY
Lunchtime entry for The Artificial Monkeys. Not as good as some of the tribute acts here in my mind but a good feeling of likeness for the real thing. Enough to keep me in the tent which was by now beginning to roast its contents.
Then it was out to the sunshine and Republica.
Hard not warm to Saffron’s Republica. Festival circuit regulars with a few good singles but not much material. It’s all about that eponymous 1996 debut LP. You remember the singles: Drop Dead Gorgeous and Ready To Go.
I wandered down the front to get a better ‘gig experience’ amid the large crowd of picnickers. Easy to wander and I even popped for a crêpe – lovely apple and cheese among a Nutella packed menu from the van. At the messy height of devouring this crêpe I think Saffron was looking in my direction. I paused.
A bit of a breeze helped on the temperature front, but not the sound. This festival is right on the harbour edge so there is a usual bit of seaside cooling.
I noticed a familiar face on guitar – it was Maxine Cahill from live favourites of mine, The Ramonas.
I retreated to the Big Top again for a bit of Stereoironics – sounded really good and the tent was full and the appreciation was obvious.
I was back in tent for Stipe. This REM tribute band was the highlight of my weekend. Not a huge crowd but an enthusiastic one of REM fans lapping it up. The set was excellent from across the albums. The likeness of sound and visuals was exceptional. All the hits and album tracks you would want to hear. Of course, Losing My Religion, complete with mandolin and End of the World as You Know It to finish. Everybody Hurts – the emotion. Wow.
Been checking their gig dates since. You can’t have the real thing now so this is the best you’re going to get, and it’s going to be accessible, intimate and reasonably priced.
Back into the sunshine and it’s Heather Small of M People doing a short half hour solo set with a backing track and some wardrobe malfunctions. Given her talent this was unremarkable and not my bag. A few singalongs lifted it, especially for the arm waving picknickers. I guess this is the sort of music that draws in crowds.
Glasgow’s Fratellis were the early evening choice. A name. A big tune – Chelsea Dagger – and I found just it generally enjoyable rock’n’roll to listen to on a Saturday evening. Not a band I would have bought a ticket for – saw them supporting Kasabian once – but yes I would and did cross the road to see them. Sound.
We went home after that. Groove Armada’s DJ set was something to dodge and there’s plenty more tomorrow.
SUNDAY
Again, an early start cannot be resisted as tribute band Oaces are on at lunchtime in the Big Top. Really very good. The Oasis fever never settled from last summer and this makes the Oasis tribute scene a crowded place. Best I’ve seen though.
Out at the Main Stage it’s East 17. Well, two of East 17’s lesser known members. The Christmas song and some acrobatics were notable. Some people enjoyed it.
Someone I was looking forward next, for old times’ sake and because their latest album is a good listen: 1990s Britpoppers, Dodgy. A few sound problems first up with Nigel Clark’s mic. Lots of “can you hear me?”; “No!”, crowd exchanges to start with.
An easy going set with singles Good Enough and Staying Out For The Summer included. I could have listened all afternoon but their’s was a more supporting slot.
I was quite looking forward to Scouting for Girls. They played Victorious last year, early one afternoon and got a big crowd involved and jumping. I was left today thinking the jumping and cheerleading was overwhelming any focus on the songs. The gathered crowd enjoyed it and I felt I was missing out on something.
As the toilet queues grew, the water ran out, the pint glasses ran out and bar queue got ridiculous it was time to have a listen to something local and heavier: the beautifully named local legends, Lady Winwoods Maggot.
Not much time though as the highlight of the festival was looming…. Kaiser Chiefs. I shall catch up again with The Maggot soon.
A cut above anything else on show this weekend, the crowds piled into the front chair-free section. Kaiser Chiefs are here, in Baiter Park, Poole. Quite something in my book. My fifth time of seeing them and I have the first three albums on CD, so of course I’m going to like them. Last two occasions I thought I probably would have seen them enough and got tired of them but they just get better. Always deliver.
Ricky has shed a bit of weight and has a new red head. He jumps on amps, climbs the lighting rig and seems pretty fit. He’s given up alcohol apparently and looking good on it.
The set runs across their albums, opening with the more recent Factory Gates but includes the predicted ‘Riot‘ and classics like Everyday I Love You Less and Less and Angry Mob.
My pleasant surprise was a cover of The Ramones’ Blitzkreig Bop, which I whipped my camera out to record as soon as I heard. (YouTube link Grey-Haired Gig Goer channel.)
This was a very positive and happy way to round off another hot and dusty day. A privilege to have Kaiser Chiefs on my doorstep. Keep it up with some ambitious signings next year and bring us Stipe again…and a few newer bands.
Gigs with Ivan 