Way Out West 2026 Experience

(Photo: Timothy Gottlieb)

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I have previously mentioned the Way Out West festival, held in Gothenburg, Sweden, on these pages, and I shared my experience from last year with you right here.

This year, the festival took place on August 13–15. In terms of weather conditions, I think it is the best summer festival because, despite being right in the middle of August, thanks to the delightful Scandinavian weather, you enjoy a wonderful festival experience in temperatures hovering around 20–21°C without feeling sweltered at all. In fact, in the evenings, a genuinely cool breeze caresses your face :)

Since I visited all the cliché tourist spots during my visit last year, the festival felt like visiting an old friend in a city I know well this year. I can say it was a much more enjoyable festival trip—containing less "rush to see new places" and more "resting and dining." Imagine what it will be like next year! (By the way, it seemed like the number of attendees coming from Turkey was slightly higher this year; if you're thinking of coming next year, a couple of food and drink recommendations await you at the end of the article.)

It was clearly a much more enjoyable year not just for me, but for the festival itself as well, because all ticket categories sold out for the first time in 19 years. Alongside fantastic concerts, interesting highlights of this year included Nick Cave and his crew dancing along while watching The Cure perform on the opposite stage right after their own set finished; Zara Larsson giving her only festival concert in her hometown; the festival hosting 3 weddings; film screenings; and the inaugural Flamingo Film Awards.

I am skipping general topics such as the festival being 100% vegan (yes, 100%), using only green energy, having limited alcohol sales and drinking areas, having no front-of-stage separation, and the layout of the festival stages; however, those who are curious can read these details from the link I shared at the beginning of the article. Allow me to briefly share what stuck in my mind from the fantastic artists I watched this year.

First of all, a huge round of applause for the festival—which has now become a phenomenon—for running smoothly despite having performances on 5 stages all day long, starting every concert right on time, and having zero issues in the food, drink, and restroom areas! This year, just like last year, I stayed at the Riverton Hotel. I love it here; it's both comfortable and clean, as well as being within walking distance to everywhere. It's 2 minutes away from Stenpiren, which has a ferry terminal and a bus/tram stop. Thus, you can easily reach the other side of the city, and as for the touristy Haga district, it's a 10-minute walk. Reaching the festival area from Stenpiren by tram or bus takes 8 minutes (if you're not old like me, you can also walk it in 25 minutes). In summary, I recommend the Riverton Hotel for accommodation.

(Photo: Timothy Gottlieb)

On the first day of the festival, I watched Lily Allen first, followed by Zara Larsson. I had also watched Zara Larsson at Bonus Parkorman a week earlier and was amazed by her energy. It's incredible how she sings live while performing those dance routines. Similar to how she took the stage to a Tarkan song in Istanbul, she came on stage in Sweden to a popular Swedish song. A great tactic that hypes up the crowd right at the start of the concert. On the Way Out West stage, she managed to drive tens of thousands of youngsters wild once again. I watched her endless energy in awe once more. Then came Moby, whom I also recently watched at Zorlu PSM. We were subjected to the "Thank you, thank you, thank you" trilogy here as well :) I closed out the first day with a fantastic concert by The XX. They mentioned that they returned to the stage after an 8-year hiatus. I'm so glad they did.

(Photo: Linnea Thomasson)

On the second day, I watched Blood Orange, The Hives, Fcukers, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and The Cure, respectively. As in all his concerts, Nick Cave was in constant physical contact with the crowd in the front :) At the start of the concert, his microphone malfunctioned 3 times, and he threw all 3 of them toward the stage, but luckily his good spirits never waned. The last time I saw The Cure was in Bucharest in 2019. Robert Smith is getting older, yes, but he can still perform for about 2 hours on stage.

(Photo: Timothy Gottlieb)

Coming to the final day of the festival, I had the opportunity to watch Ezra Collective, Wilco, Maribou State, sombr, Lorde, and Gorillaz. I love Ezra Collective's cheerful concerts, and watching Wilco took me back to my youth :) Gorillaz delivered another performance similar to the wonders they created at Bonus Parkorman in recent weeks. However, the surprise concerts for me—both on the last day and for the entire festival—were sombr and Lorde. I don't know, maybe I found them impressive because it was my first time seeing both live. But who is this sombr guy? How did a 25-year-old at the beginning of his career build such a fan base so fast? Sipping his cocktail and doing push-ups, he took the stage with full rock star swagger, and everyone sang all his songs at the top of their lungs. I wouldn't put his music on at home, but I won't miss this kid's concerts anymore :) And Lorde... I had watched previous concert recordings on YouTube and was impressed, but seeing her live was truly something else. She mostly sings over backing tracks, but both her stage performance and production were extremely good. I'd love to watch her again.

(Photo: Pao Duell)

By the way, after the concerts at the festival grounds end, concerts you can enter with your wristband continue at various clubs spread across the city. Since Pustervik and Folkteatern were very central and close to me, I had the chance to go. Standing on my feet for 7–8 hours a day and continuing into the night is getting tough for me now, but keep that in mind for yourselves.

I will wrap up my words with my food and drink recommendations right away:

• Breakfast: BODYBUDDY (this place is a culinary paradise with its atmosphere and the healthy alternatives it offers, make sure to drop by. They also serve lunch), En Deli Haga, Cafe Husaren.

• Lunch/Dinner: Wrapsody Saluhallen (one of many restaurant options in a covered market-like spot; try their salmon salad), Södra Liden (has delicious cuisine accompanied by local beers), Restaurang Solrosen.

• Bar Recommendation: I won't give specific bar recommendations as every place I randomly walked into was quite good, but don't leave without visiting Steampunk Bar. It's right across from the Södra Liden restaurant I mentioned above.

By the way, next year's festival will take place on August 12–14, and early bird ticket sales have already started right here! Way Out West has become a permanent August destination for me; if it tempts you too, see you there!