Pulp Headlines 20th End of the Road Festival with 15,000 Sell-Out Crowd

The End of the Road Festival celebrated its 20th anniversary in Dorset, drawing a sell-out crowd of 15,000 to Cranborne Chase near Blandford Forum. The four-day event, one of the final UK summer festivals, featured more than 140 acts across five music stages, showcasing indie-rock, folk, and alternative music, alongside comedy performances. Britpop band Pulp headlined the main stage on Saturday, marking their first appearance at the festival. Frontman Jarvis Cocker, who had previously performed a solo set at the festival in 2019, led the band through classics like 'Common People', 'This Is Hardcore', and 'Underwear', interspersing the set with a visual history of Pulp via slideshows of artwork and postcards. Cocker sang 'Happy Birthday' to the festival and toasted to another 20 years, also announcing a break from performing. The anniversary line-up included Irish indie-pop singer Cmat, New York art-rockers Geese, and Canadian singer-songwriter Mac DeMarco. Comedians Fern Brady and Adam Buxton performed in the Talking Heads arena. The festival occurred at the end of the UK's warmest summer since records began in 1884, prompting organizers to ban barbecues and open fires due to extremely dry conditions.