THE FRONT ROW

If Friday was the warm-up, Saturday at Bridlington Spa is the knockout punch.

This Feeling By The Sea’s third year keeps raising the stakes, and day two is where the grit, sweat, and swagger of the UK’s new wave of indie collide head-on. It’s a bill stacked with bands who’ve outgrown the term “promising” and are now demanding your full attention, alongside those who might just be headlining this same festival in a few years’ time.

Saturday isn’t just another run of live sets; it’s a snapshot of the scene’s sharp edge.

STONE: Merseyside’s Punk-Poet Powerhouse

If you’ve been anywhere near a UK festival over the past few years, you’ve felt STONE’s impact. Not seen, felt. From Liverpool’s streets to international stages, they’ve carved a space that’s raw, socially switched-on, and unapologetically loud. Their music pulls from punk urgency, indie sharpness, and lyrical grit that’s as much observation as it is confession.

Headlining Bridlington Spa is no small statement, it’s a recognition of a band who’ve put in the hard yards, built their live show into something as physical as it is musical, and know exactly how to take a crowd from casual nodding to all-out chaos. If The Lottery Winners’ Friday headline is about emotional connection, STONE’s Saturday headline is about total release. Expect sweat, feedback, and maybe a few bruises from the pit.

The Lilacs: Wigan’s Heart-on-Sleeve Hitmakers

Some bands write songs. The Lilacs write memories, the kind you attach to a place, a night, a feeling. Hailing from Wigan, their journey has already taken them to the Isle of Wight Festival, Manchester’s Albert Hall, and onto the playlists of tens of thousands. “Vicarage Road” remains their calling card, a track that’s as instantly singable as it is deeply personal.

But behind the hooks is a story rooted in resilience. Their name comes from The Lilac Centre, where guitarist Sam Birchall’s mum received treatment before she passed away. That emotional core bleeds into everything they do, giving their indie anthems a weight that lingers long after the encore. In a live setting, they’re all high-energy delivery wrapped around honest songwriting, and they’ve got a knack for winning over rooms who didn’t know them 30 minutes before.

The Covasettes: Indie Polished to Perfection

When The Covasettes formed at uni, they couldn’t have known they’d end up with over 8 million streams, national radio airplay, and main stage festival slots alongside Two Door Cinema Club and The Vaccines. But here we are. Their rise has been built on a tight understanding of what makes a modern indie track tick, sharp hooks, shimmering guitars, and lyrics that wear their heart openly without slipping into cliché.

They’re Manchester-based but festival-honed, and that shows in how they work a crowd. Expect melodies you’ll be humming all the way home and choruses that make strangers throw arms around each other. In short: they’re the kind of band This Feeling exists to platform before they break bigger.

The Sway: Liverpool’s Triple-Fronted Force

Three songwriters. Two acclaimed EPs. One of the most exciting live reputations in the northwest. The Sway have built their name on blending a gritty rock backbone with breezy, summer-drenched melodies, and doing it with variety. Each track feels distinct, thanks to the rotating creative perspectives within the band, but all share that scouse spirit and a knack for hitting emotional sweet spots without overcomplicating things.

If you’ve ever caught them at Liverpool’s Arts Club or O2 Academy, you’ll know: they don’t just play gigs; they detonate them. Bridlington’s about to find out why their fanbase swears by the live experience.

Arkayla: Manchester’s Next Big Export

Arkayla are moving fast, and they’re not apologising for it. From debut single to No.2 on the iTunes chart, sold-out shows, and a rapidly growing following, they’ve achieved in months what takes most bands years. Pulling influences from The Strokes’ grit, The Smiths’ poetry, and The Doors’ mystique, they’ve created a sound that feels both instantly familiar and entirely their own.

Frontman Cal Blakebrough commands attention with every line, backed by the equally magnetic Finley Rubens (guitar), Joe Harley (bass), and Dylan Murphy (drums). They’re on track for a national breakout, and Bridlington is a prime chance to say “I saw them first.”

Lock-In: Essex Energy Dealers

From Essex, Lock-In have been together for a good number of years now, and it shows. Their indie-pop leans into the upbeat without skimping on edge, giving their live sets a fizzing, infectious energy. They’ve been grinding it out in small venues, honing a performance style that gets even the back-row lurkers moving.

If Saturday’s bill has a through-line, it’s momentum, and Lock-In have plenty of it.

Eighty Eight Miles: Back to the Future with Indie Pop Shine

With a name lifted straight from Back to the Future, Eighty Eight Miles bring the colour, harmony, and charisma of Fleetwood Mac and The Beach Boys, mixed with Blossoms-esque modern indie pop charm. They’re part of a new wave of female-fronted bands making big inroads in the UK scene, and they’ve already clocked festival credits at Truck, Y Not, and 2000 Trees, plus their debut UK tour saw fans travelling internationally to catch them.

Expect an infectious mix of vintage influence and modern sparkle, the kind of set that wins festivals by sheer joy alone.

Lizzie Esau: Alt-Pop Storyteller

Lizzie Esau isn’t here to play background music, she’s here to make you feel something. With a sound sitting at the crossroads of indie, alt-pop, and raw singer-songwriter confession, she’s been steadily gaining ground with BBC Introducing support and festival appearances. Her lyrics have a way of locking onto an emotional truth and holding it there, while her live delivery makes it impossible to look away.

Acoustic Stage: Quiet Moments with Big Impact

Dylan Robert brings Liverpool storytelling pedigree to the table, his vocals balancing the grit of Sam Fender with the fragility of Elliott Smith. Songs like “Floodlights” show a tightrope act between alternative and pop that makes him equally at home in an intimate room or on a festival stage.

PG Ciarletta has gone from bedroom songwriting to playing stadium pitches and festival main stages. His blend of folk storytelling and indie-rock anthems has already carried him from Murrayfield to the Isle of Wight Festival. Tracks like “Freedom” and “Start A Revolution” land with both lyrical bite and singalong appeal.

Alice SK channels Joni Mitchell’s poetic intimacy with the grounded wit of Lily Allen. Her indie-folk sound thrives in the acoustic setting, drawing you in with warm, soulful vocals and keeping you there with melodies that feel instantly lived-in.

Why Saturday at This Feeling By The Sea Matters

If Friday showcased indie’s emotional and melodic heart, Saturday is the shot of adrenaline. STONE lead the charge with unfiltered intensity, backed by a main stage bill that covers the full indie spectrum: The Lilacs’ heartfelt anthems, The Covasettes’ polished festival-ready choruses, The Sway’s triple-threat creativity, Arkayla’s fast-track rise, Lock-In’s unshakeable energy, Eighty Eight Miles’ sunshine pop, and Lizzie Esau’s alt-pop depth.

The acoustic stage keeps the storytelling flame burning, with Dylan Robert, PG Ciarletta, and Alice SK proving that volume isn’t the only route to impact.

Saturday at Bridlington Spa isn’t a cool-down after Friday, it’s a culmination. It’s the scene’s sharp edge, its restless energy, and its refusal to sit still. If you want to know where UK indie is heading next, you need to be in that room.