The gates are open, the pints are flowing and the unmistakable sound of electric guitars is once again echoing across the Welsh mountainside โ Steelhouse Festival 2026 is officially under way!
Friday 24 July marks the opening day of Steelhouse XV, and the festival has assembled a cracking collection of blues-rock swagger, modern hard-rock muscle and proper Welsh heavy-metal firepower to launch the weekend.
Steelhouse might only have one main stage, but that means there are no horrible clashes, no frantic sprinting across a muddy field and no accidentally watching the wrong band because you followed someone wearing a similar battle jacket.
Everyone gathers in front of the same stage, shares the same atmosphere and experiences every glorious riff together.
Here is the Friday line-up in the order the bands played, from the first notes of the afternoon to the final headline anthem of the night. ๐ค
๐ King Kraken
Opening the musical action were Welsh riff monsters King Kraken, and what a gloriously heavy way to wake up the mountain.
There is no polite easing into proceedings when King Kraken are involved. These lads deal in enormous guitar riffs, pounding drums, thunderous bass and vocals capable of frightening the sheep several valleys away.
Their appearance gave Friday an immediate injection of home-grown heaviness and reminded everyone arriving through the arena gates that Steelhouse XV had officially begun.
For any festival punters still recovering from the journey up the mountain, King Kraken provided a far more effective wake-up call than coffee.
Welsh band. Welsh mountain. Massive riffs.
Proper job, boys. ๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ๐ฅ
๐บ๐ธ Parker Barrow
Next onto the stage were American southern rockers Parker Barrow, bringing a generous helping of Nashville swagger to the Welsh hills.
Their blues-soaked guitars, soulful vocals and infectious live energy made them an ideal early-afternoon festival band. It was the sort of set that encouraged people to grab a drink, move closer to the stage and properly settle into Steelhouse mode.
Parker Barrow also appeared inside the VIP Big Top later in the afternoon for a stripped-back acoustic performance between 4:50pm and 5:20pm.
That intimate session gave VIP festival-goers a chance to experience another side of the band before returning to the full-volume madness outside.
๐ธ Anthony Gomes
Canadian blues-rock powerhouse Anthony Gomes followed, bringing fiery guitar work and buckets of old-school showmanship to the mountain.
Gomes is exactly the sort of performer who feels at home at Steelhouse. His music combines muscular blues riffs, soulful vocals and guitar solos built to soar across an outdoor festival crowd.
With every bend, flourish and full-throttle solo, he turned the mountain into one enormous blues-rock club โ albeit one with dramatically better scenery and considerably more unpredictable weather.
It was loud, confident and wonderfully excessive.
Just how we like it, butt. ๐ธ๐ฅ
โก Luke Morley
Next came Luke Morley, best known as the guitarist and principal songwriter of British rock favourites Thunder.
Morley brought decades of songwriting experience and unmistakable rock pedigree to Fridayโs line-up, offering a set filled with melody, storytelling and beautifully crafted guitar work.
Where some artists attack a festival stage like they are attempting to demolish it, Morley commands attention through songs, musicianship and the relaxed confidence of someone who has spent years playing to enormous audiences.
VIP ticket holders were also treated to a special Luke Morley acoustic session from 7:30pm until 8:00pm inside the Big Top.
It was a rare opportunity to hear his songs in a more intimate setting before heading back outside for the final stretch of Fridayโs main-stage action.
๐ฅ Mason Hill
Scottish rockers Mason Hill then arrived to crank the intensity firmly back towards the red zone.
With powerful vocals, chunky guitars and choruses seemingly designed for thousands of voices, Mason Hill have become one of the most exciting names in the modern British hard-rock scene.
Their songs carry the weight and polish of arena rock while retaining the hunger of a band still determined to prove themselves on every stage they play.
That combination made them a natural fit for Steelhouse.
The riffs hit hard, the choruses climbed into the Welsh sky and the crowd responded with raised horns, bouncing heads and the occasional airborne pint.
Festival season was now properly in full swing. ๐ป๐ค
๐ค Hollow Souls
Taking the penultimate position on Friday were Hollow Souls, stepping into one of the biggest slots of the opening day.
With the evening atmosphere beginning to settle over Hafod-y-Dafal Farm, Hollow Souls had the task of preparing the crowd for the nightโs headliners โ and they did so with energy, confidence and plenty of rock โnโ roll attitude.
By this point, the arena was packed with sunburnt shoulders, battle jackets, questionable festival shirts and fans fully committed to squeezing every last riff out of the opening day.
Hollow Souls kept that momentum rolling and ensured the mountain was ready for Fridayโs grand finale.
๐ The Temperance Movement
Closing Friday night were The Temperance Movement, delivering the soulful, blues-infused rock that has earned them such a passionate following across the UK.
Their music feels built for moments like this.
Big melodies drifted across the mountainside, emotional vocals pulled the crowd into every song and richly textured guitars provided the perfect soundtrack as darkness descended over Steelhouse.
After a day filled with heavy riffs, southern swagger, blues fireworks and modern hard-rock anthems, The Temperance Movement brought everything together with a headline performance overflowing with warmth and soul.
There were huge singalongs, arms raised across the arena and plenty of voices likely to sound slightly rougher in the morning.
It was an emotional and suitably triumphant ending to the first night of Steelhouse XV.
๐๏ธ Fridayโs VIP Big Top Sessions
VIP festival-goers also received two special acoustic performances during Friday:
Parker Barrow โ 4:50pm to 5:20pm
Luke Morley โ 7:30pm to 8:00pm
These stripped-back sessions have become an important part of the Steelhouse experience, allowing fans to see performers in a smaller and more relaxed environment away from the full-volume main-stage sets.
๐๏ธ Fridayโs Bands in Playing Order
For anyone keeping track at the campsite, here is the complete Friday running order:
- King Kraken
- Parker Barrow
- Anthony Gomes
- Luke Morley
- Mason Hill
- Hollow Souls
- The Temperance Movement
๐ป The Riff Report Verdict
Steelhouse Festival did not gently stroll into its fifteenth edition.
It charged through the gates carrying a guitar amplifier, ordered a pint and immediately started throwing riffs down the side of the mountain.
Opening the day with King Kraken was a brilliant celebration of Welsh heavy music, while Parker Barrow and Anthony Gomes delivered enough blues-rock swagger to keep the arena moving.
Luke Morley brought songwriting class, Mason Hill supplied modern hard-rock power, Hollow Souls prepared the evening crowd and The Temperance Movement closed Friday with a soulful headline set worthy of the mountain.
One stage. Seven bands. No clashes.
Just an entire festival crowd experiencing every riff, chorus and guitar solo together.
And this was only Friday.
Steelhouse XV is awake, the mountain is rocking and The Riff Report is right in the middle of the chaos.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. See you down the front, butt! ๐ค๐ด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ท๓ ฌ๓ ณ๓ ฟ๐ฅ
