04 Aug 2026
Hundreds of live music lovers filled Ye Olde Fighting Cocks for its fourth annual summer festival, with crowds staying throughout the day and into the evening for the late-night DJ set.
The free Fighting Cocks Fest began at 1pm on Saturday and brought a full day of live music, food and entertainment to one of St Albans’ most historic pubs.
Visitors arrived from across St Albans, Hertfordshire and beyond to enjoy performances in the pub garden, with many settling in for the entire festival and remaining for the late-night DJ set.
The line-up featured Hertfordshire blues favourites Kaspar ‘Berry’ Rapkin & The Swamp Dogs; 1950s and ’60s rhythm and blues, soul and rock ’n’ roll band Two Gun Mathilda; and Savannah Gardner & The Recovering Good Girls, who brought their energetic blend of country, Americana and blues to the festival.
The Paul Ryan Band entertained the crowds with a mix of indie, folk, Americana and rock, while other performers included blues-rock outfit Seb Wesson Band, acoustic father-and-daughter duo Adam and Elsie Franklin, singer-songwriter Marta Valadon and award-winning British blues-rock artist Brooke Law.
A fire breather kept festival-goers entertained in the pub between live music acts.
After the live performances, Chris Clifford kept the celebrations going with a late-night DJ set of house favourites and Old Skool club classics, with festivalgoers continuing to dance and enjoy the atmosphere until closing time.
Ye Olde Fighting Cocks landlord Martin Robinson said: “We were overwhelmed by the support for this year’s Fighting Cocks Fest. To see hundreds of people enjoying the music and staying with us from the afternoon right through to last orders created an incredible atmosphere.
“The festival is all about bringing people together, showcasing brilliant musicians and giving everyone a memorable day at the pub. Every artist brought something special to the stage and the crowd supported them from the first performance to the final track.
“A huge thank you goes to all the performers, our team and everyone who came along and helped make the fourth festival such a success. We are already excited to see what we can do next year.”
Ye Olde Fighting Cocks has carved out a reputation as a popular music pub in St Albans with open mic nights every other Monday evening and live music from up-and-coming bands every Friday night.
For more information about forthcoming live music and events, follow @fightingcockssa on Instagram.
Photos by Emily Dicks
