Glam Van, Faster Bars and More Space Headline Love to be… Upgrades
Iconic house music brand, Love to be… returns with its flagship festival at The Stray in Harrogate on Saturday 5th September with a newly reworked site designed to elevate the experience for its 6,000-strong crowd. Following last year’s sold-out success, the 2026 edition – which over three stages welcomes Claptone, Sam Divine, Paul Woolford, Todd Terry, Gok Wan and many more – introduces an expanded main stage, new chillout zone, upgraded VIP offering and a host of fresh additions, all aimed at delivering the most enjoyable Love to be… yet.
A standout new feature for 2026 is the Glam Van from local business, The Hair & Makeup Project. Inside a luxury mobile beauty space, punters can get camera-ready glam with a range of treatments, including festival braids, biodegradable glitter, soft and full glam makeup, hair styling and face painting. Fully equipped with professional styling stations and statement lighting, plus a 360° video booth along with party props to capture the moment forever, the Glam Van is where getting ready becomes part of the event itself.
VIP ticket holders will now benefit from a fully redesigned area, set in a prime new location. Guests can expect a new VIP garden with interactive games, an upgraded stage hosted by funkylove with exclusive DJ sets and live performances, expanded seating and table areas, a free pamper room stocked with glitter and beauty products, a premium bar, and they’ll even be a magician entertaining guests throughout the day!
The festival’s main stage has been rebuilt with a larger structure and increased 3,000-capacity, paired with upgraded sound and production for a fuller, more powerful experience. The festival’s overall footprint has also been completely reworked to improve flow, with more space between stages and clearer routes across the site.
While dancing to the best in house music is the dish of the day, Love to be has introduced a brand-new chillout area for 2026, offering a retreat from the dancefloor complete with bean bags, soft lighting and a covered area for rest and recuperation.
This year also sees the festival move to a traditional bar system, replacing the previous wristband top-up approach. With contactless and card payments throughout, service will be faster and queuing times shorter to keep the drinks flowing.
Further additions across the site include an expanded food village with more choice than before, a permanent jewellery stall, festival clothing traders, coffee van, and the popular Love to be… merch stand.
These upgrades arrive alongside a heavyweight 2026 lineup. Spanning house music legends with contemporary hit makers, Love to be has pulled out all the stops for 2026, featuring Claptone, Paul Woolford, Sam Divine, Julie McKnight (Live), David Penn, Mousse T, Trimtone, DJ Cash Only, Janika Tenn, Todd Terry, Gok Wan, K-Klass (Live), Grant Nelson, Paul Taylor, Tom Wainwright and loads more.
Love to be… has been a defining force in UK house culture since 1994, evolving from its Sheffield roots into a global event brand, a record label and a syndicated radio show. Its Harrogate festival has quickly become one of the North’s essential annual celebrations of house music, uniting generations of fans in one of North Yorkshire’s most iconic green spaces.
Tickets for Love to be… Festival 2026 cost from £51.50 plus booking fee. Limited allocations are available from Skiddle.
Love to be…
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