Whittles, Oldham
4th – 6th July 2025
SOS Festival began in 2008 as a grassroots rock and metal showcase in Radcliffe’s Civic Hall and found temporary accommodation at Prestwich’s Longfield suite before finally resting at Whittles@Tokyo in Oldham where it is set to remain. This year rolled into the festival’s 16th year, and our Gregg Howarth went over to check out the weekend and experience this family friendly festival.
At its heart, SOS is a community festival. Long-time organiser Lynne Hampson describes it as “a big family get together,” where most attendees already know each other, and newcomers feel instantly welcomed. Parents bring toddlers between sets, teenagers swap merch, and grandparents reminisce over classic tracks – All under one roof, organised by a very small team of very dedicated people and manned on our festival days by the wonderful staff at Whittles@Tokyo.
Fans travel from across the UK and even mainland Europe – Which is quite remarkable when you consider that there is no official camping area at this event, but us seasoned rock festival goers are a crafty, creative and inventive bunch that will pay and display their campers pretty much anywhere they can in order to be closer to the music as they are drawn as much by the warmth of fellow music lovers as by the bands themselves. Road-trippers swap stories in the queue, locals invite out-of-towners for post-gig pints, everyone chats at the bar regardless friend or stranger and organisers pop up at every stage to ensure everyone’s having a blast.
It’s the kind of festival where the value isn’t just in the ticket price – It’s in the spirit of the crowd, the passion of the performers, and the joy of being part of something real. The atmosphere was intimate yet electric – Perfect for discovering new favourites and connecting with fellow music lovers and guaranteed to have a line-up that punches way above it’s price tag, so bring on 2026!
The line-up included Gin Annie (Sunday headliners), Absolva, Luke Appleton (Power Trio), Ashley Sherlock, The Blue Lena, Jack J Hutchinson, Ashen Reach, Black Lakes, For The Forsaken, and many more.
Here’s a gallery summarising the weekend of rock n roll!
Photos and words by Gregg Howarth
Cobspix Photography 