Third time lucky for Pixies at End Of The Road Festival

Music fans gathered in their thousands in a quiet corner of the Dorset countryside to celebrate one of the final events in the British festival calendar this weekend.

A sell-out crowd of 15,000 were at this year’s End Of The Road Festival, with American indie-rock pioneers Pixies a notable draw, headlining the main stage on Saturday.

They were due to headline again in 2021 but the continuing effects of the pandemic put paid to those plans too.

Other festival highlights this year include Texas psychedelic soul trio Khruangbin and Seattle indie-folk rockers Fleet Foxes, who headlined the main stage on Thursday and Friday respectively.

The four-day gathering, which is in its 16th year and ends on Sunday, is held at the Larmer Tree Gardens, near Blandform Forum.

Among the unannounced acts performing this year were English experimental electronic rock band Beak, featuring Portishead’s Geoff Barrow.

Speaking earlier, festival co-founder Simon Taffe said he was “beyond excited” about this year’s event which he said featured artists who organisers had been asking to play since 2006.