Pulp have closed the main stage at the 20th anniversary of the End of the Road Festival, headlining a sell-out gathering of 15,000 people in Dorset. The four-day event, held on Cranborne Chase near Blandford Forum, stands as one of the concluding music festivals of the UK summer season.
While the Sheffield indie-rock band had never performed at the festival before, frontman Jarvis Cocker is a regular attendee who previously delivered a headline solo set on the Garden Stage in 2019. During Saturday night’s performance, the band played staple tracks including Common People, This Is Hardcore, and Underwear. Cocker treated the audience to a detailed history of the band, featuring slideshows of artwork and postcards, before singing Happy Birthday to the festival and raising a toast to its next two decades.
Cocker also informed fans that the band would be taking a break following the appearance. The festival’s wider lineup featured more than 140 acts across five music stages, with support from Irish singer Cmat, New York art-rock group Geese, and Canadian artist Mac DeMarco. The Talking Heads arena hosted comedians such as Fern Brady and Adam Buxton, attracting audiences interested in indie-rock, folk, alternative music, and comedy.
The event took place against the backdrop of the warmest summer on record since measurements began in 1884. With provisional Met Office data indicating persistent wildfires across the country, organizers issued warnings regarding the extremely dry ground and vegetation. Barbecues and open fires were prohibited anywhere on the site to mitigate fire risks.
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