Festival Review – Brighton Psych Fest 2026

Brighton Psych Fest, multi-venue across Brighton, 4th September 2026

Brighton Psych Fest once again turned the city centre into a sprawling playground of electic sounds, with some of Brighton’s best-loved grassroots venues hosting a mix of breakthrough and established UK and international artists. With everything within easy walking distance, there was plenty of opportunity to dip in and out of venues — and judging by the conversations outside, discovering something completely new was very much part of the appeal.

Once the Prince Regent’s riding house, The Corn Exchange now provides a live music space complete with heritage features. Opening their stage, Gwenno brought her distinctive blend of pure vocals and electronica, while Anna von Hausswolff delivered something altogether more intense and atmospheric. Over at Patterns, Lael Neale offered a more intimate change of pace, her sparse, hypnotic sound cutting through the busy festival surroundings.

Gwenno – shot by Mike Burnell

Anna Von Hausswolff shot by Mike Burnell

Lael Neale shot by Siobhan O’Driscoll

Things got considerably louder at Volks, where Vancouver’s PISS packed the room to the rafters. Their intro overview was a nice touch: content trigger warnings, wear your earplugs, raise your hand if you’re not comfortable. It was an inclusive way to start a set that certainly lived up to its promise of being one of the loudest of the night.

PISS shot by Siobhan O’Driscoll

Over at Alphabet, swirling laser beams lit up Little Grandad, who veered effortlessly from mellow psych to full-on, head-spinning territory. Martial Arts followed, telling us they spent seven hours travelling and arrived just half an hour before their set. Their hard-hitting multi-guitar performance was clearly worth the frantic journey – an impressive set.

Back at The Corn Exchange, Allah-Las brought their hazy West Coast psych-rock to the stage, before Stereolab took things somewhere else entirely. One of the most anticipated acts of the festival, the iconic 90s disco-psych pioneers were greeted by an enchanted crowd, with shouts of “Je t’aime” and “We love you” ringing out before they’d even played a note. When they launched into their set, the response was every bit as warm, their mix of krautrock rhythms, pop melodies and experimental electronics sounding as fresh and cool as ever.

Little Grandad shot by Siobhan O’Driscoll

Allah-Las shot by Mike Burnell

Martial Arts shot by Siobhan O’Driscoll

Stereolab shot by Siobhan O’Driscoll

With a strong mix of recognisable names and new discoveries, venues close enough to wander between, and a healthy turnout across the city, Brighton Psych Fest 2026 showed just how well a multi-venue festival can bring a diverse range of artists and audiences together.

Early bird tickets for next year’s festival are available here

Photos:

Lael Neale, PISS, Little Grandad, Martial Arts, Stereolab © Siobhan O’Driscoll – 16beasleystphotography.com | Instagram: 16beasleyst

Review by Siobhan

Published 5th September 2026