Gabby Rivers is a certified Latitude Festival veteran. At just 23, the Suffolk singer-songwriter and Access Creative alumna has spent much of her life at Henham Park, both as a festivalgoer and performer. In 2026, she reached a major milestone by headlining the BBC Introducing Stage at Latitude Festival on Saturday night alongside fellow East Anglian artists PleasureInc. and Mama Oh No.
Pop Scoop caught up with Gabby after the festival to talk about her Latitude journey, performing at one of the UK’s biggest festivals, her evolving sound, and the artists she’d love to see on the lineup in future.
Gabby Rivers on the Latitude Festival comedown
Hi Gabby – so, don’t know about you but us lot are well and truly feeling the Latitude comedown!
It’s bad! You go to work and you’re just really depressed and low about it – but in a good way! It was such a good weekend and now it’s just done. You’re just a bit like, oh – now what?
Do you feel like you’ve got more motivation though?
100 percent! I’ve got a call later with someone I’m recording with next week and that is just the icing on the cake.
Latitude is very much the hub for the music scene in Norfolk & Suffolk too, like everyone is there.
Yeah! And I think what I also notice is that everyone is such different genres. I really feel like the artists that are really going for it and working super hard at the moment on the scene are all doing completely different things – which is really refreshing to see. You’re not seeing repeats of bands, like classic indie boybands everywhere. Everyone’s so unique which is really cool!
How Gabby Rivers prepared to headline the BBC Introducing Stage
You were there all weekend – how do you try and keep a level head and make sure you’re ready to perform but also enjoy the festival?
It was so hard! Especially the Friday when all the music started, like everyone wanted to obviously go out and drink and have a good time but it’s also one of those things where I had to wear a mask the whole weekend because of how bad the dust was. So I was so conscious of my voice on Thursday and Friday, like I didn’t put that mask down at all and I think people were looking at me being like “why is she still wearing that mask?” But I just didn’t want to risk it as I needed to be on top of my vocal game.
We had early nights on Thursday and Friday – I say early – we were in bed by midnight! We were just like “OK, we need to be ready for the next day” and even on the days we were just watching the acts, I didn’t even do anything crazy. I would just stay at one stage for a few hours and then go to another stage. It’s really tricky but I think when you care about it and you want to make sure that it goes well, you want to be on top form, so it’s worth making those sacrifices.
So no boozing then?
I feel like I’ve turned into such a lightweight – I was actually quite hungover on Saturday morning! I’ve got to a point now where with alcohol and drinking that I know what is OK for my throat and what isn’t, for a singer. Like if I drink wine or any sort of spirit I cannot sing the next day for love nor money. But I actually think I just drank beer all day Friday, woke up the next morning, had a Lucozade and then I was like “it’s performance day!”
It always interests me how bands can walk around and enjoy themselves before a gig because I know if I’ve got an appointment or something later in the day I just can’t do ANYTHING.
Somebody actually said to me “oh were you nervous the last time you played?” Which was when I was still at Access [College] and looking back I don’t remember being that nervous in 2021 because I knew that I was on at like 12. By the time I woke up at 10, got ready, had breakfast, had a coffee, checked in for accreditation and got to the Alcove I remember being like “OK I’m going on stage” – like there was no time to be nervous.
But being on at 9 o’clock at night this time, headlining the BBC Introducing Stage was a completely different feeling the whole day. I had an interview at 1 that day and then I think after that I just did nothing for the whole day. I just watched a couple of acts but sat down at the back and really contained myself.
We went backstage really early because I didn’t want to be in a rush. So I reckon from like 4 o’clock onwards I was in shutdown mode – like no one talk to me, I’m gonna be in a “zen mood” all afternoon.
I actually felt really nervous this time, but was also like “OK this is happening”. But at the same time I feel really grateful that I’ve got to a position in my music career that I know kind of what I need to do before I go on. So I knew I had to eat a few hours before, had to be by myself for a bit, getting ready etc. All of that really helps to not make you rush before you go on which is good.
Gabby Rivers’ Latitude Festival memories
Have you ever thought about playing reworked versions of the songs you released off your first EP from 2020?
I think it was me then and this is me now. You know, people always ask me why the sound has changed, because a lot of people liked the old sound and I just tell them I’ve matured. I’ve matured into the music I’ve always wanted to make and the younger me would’ve wanted me to be in this position now – I think if college me found out I was doing this music now she would be passed out on the floor!
Like even my grandparents sometimes turn to me and go “are you going to try any of your old stuff again, like what are you doing?”
As this was the 20th anniversary of the festival we’re gonna take a little trip back down memory lane. As a seasoned Latitude goer, when was your first?
I think I’ve only missed six Latitudes in total, so I’ve been like 14 times – I’ve been a lot! I looked, there were a load of posters of all the years at the festival and I think I started going when I was about 3 or 4? I missed a few in 2023/2024 just because I didn’t have any money and my parents stopped paying for my ticket! They still went – just without me…
My first time playing was in 2018. I played on the Access Stage [The Inbetweeners Stage] and then again in 2019. Played in 2021 on The Alcove Stage and then 2026. But I played the Access Stage when I hadn’t even been to Access yet. It was kind of like an audition in a way to see if I could do it, so it was really cool they gave me that opportunity. I think they knew I was a big Latitude goer.
Were you one of the kids with ear defenders on, sat in the wagons?
Yeah I was! We had fairy lights in there and I always used to get those flower crowns and was entertained in the kids area all day long. I was one of the screaming kids in the morning kicking off, having a tantrum because I couldn’t have candyfloss for breakfast!
First memories of the festival?
I remember my Dad got really ill one year and they had to call an ambulance and I just remember being hella annoyed because I wanted to see all the acts! In my head I was just a bit like “he’s literally just got an earache”.
Then there was another one where my brother ate loads of sweets before he went on the ferris wheel, then felt sick and threw up in his tent. Then the other one – I remember being a massive fan of Florence & The Machine when I was really young and she played it one year but I was kicking up such a fuss because my feet hurt and I wanted to go to bed.
My Dad was Florence’s biggest fan at the time and I literally kicked up such a fuss that he missed the set as he had to take me back to the tent. He was SO annoyed!
But then teenage years, so many strong ones! I remember watching Crystal Fighters on my Dad’s shoulders and it was so hot that day, bit of a breeze, got a nice tan on and I just remember thinking “I’m having the best time ever”. I had my first kiss at Latitude, met my first boyfriend at Latitude, got drunk for the first time! I just feel like I’ve grown up there!
Gabby Rivers’ favourite Latitude performances
What’s the best set you’ve ever seen at Latitude?
I would say The Killers in 2018, when they headlined and that was just next level! And Wolf Alice in 2021 too. I’d seen them there around 2017 on a smaller stage and I’d seen them before then in smaller venues prior to that and I remember thinking “oh their sound wasn’t very good” or that they sounded “too big” for a small venue. Then they played the Obelisk and I was like “yep – they were made for the big stages!”
What about this year?
I saw Florence Road this year and they were incredible!
Gabby Rivers’ advice for emerging artists
Then you got picked up to play. What advice would you give 15/16-year-old you playing that stage for the first time? Or any Access student who wants to play?
I would say be more prepared for the hype from after the festival. I remember playing those early sets and the follower engagement, the listener engagement on Instagram was so good for a couple of months but I didn’t have anything to follow up my performance with as I didn’t have any new music out, no new shows.
I remember feeling really panicked and quite deflated six months after, rather than being able to celebrate it and be like “I did that”. I wished I’d done more to finish the year. But at the same time, I was still a teenager, I needed to be more easy on myself.
I just think I could’ve done more to keep up that hype, like releasing a single in August or at least hint at things that are coming, play a show in Ipswich etc. No one realises how impactful doing these small sets are until you look at Instagram.
For example, some of my posts go from 65 to 300 likes just from one gig and that’s purely because people see your gigs and go “wow, that’s pretty cool!” Just try and be as consistent as you possibly can.
Who does Gabby Rivers want to see at Latitude Festival?
Finally – who do you wanna see on the lineup next year?
If we’re talking local – I really wanna see Sebbuku on the lineup, he’s amazing. Juliet – I’d love to see her play. I’d just love to see the local acts shine.
If we’re talking headliners – Wolf Alice again! And I’d love to see Florence & The Machine come back as they did it years and years ago but haven’t been back ever since. I would love Oasis too but I think we’re way too big!
Then quite controversially I’d love some heavier acts, like they did with Native James on the BBC Introducing Stage and it went down so well! There’s a band I follow called Demob Happy and Dead Poets Society too, they’ve got a bit of grunge, a bit of grit.
Oh and Gorillaz for headliner too! Damon’s got such a good relationship with the festival so get them on the Obelisk! Crystal Fighters again. Also just jazz music in general, I went to see Jarman Jones [Ezra Collective] on Friday night so they have done it recently – but Franc Moody & Tom Misch would be great!
Listen to Gabby Rivers’ Latitude Festival 2026 headline set
You can listen back to Gabby Rivers’ full headline set on BBC Sounds.
Listen to Gabby Rivers’ full Latitude Festival 2026 set on BBC Sounds
Based in Norwich, Cerys Hubbard is a music journalist and history nerd whose passion for rock n roll began when she was named after Cerys Matthews.
A BIMM Brighton graduate, she founded Dead Pop Mag Society to revive the chaotic fun of 80s and 90s music journalism. Her work has led to appearances on BBC Radio and interviews with rising stars at Wild Paths Festival.
When she is not writing, Cerys works at Norwich Arts Centre, where she can be found putting up posters, pulling pints, and chatting about her favourite bands to anyone who will listen.
