Postcards from GALA 2026

For one resplendent weekend each May, GALA signals the beginning of London summer.

The South London festival took over Peckham Rye for its 11th edition over the second bank holiday, with a lineup that was stronger than ever. A heatwave in the capital seemed to only intensify the infectious feeling of abandon in the crowd.

For photographer Frankie Casillo, who attended his sixth edition this year, GALA still gives him the same feeling every time he returns. That kind of consistency is rare, and it says as much about the GALA experience as it does about the people who keep coming back to it.

What sets Frankie’s work apart is his eye for the moments that exist beyond the music: the people behind the scenes that make the party happen, a festivalgoer in deep dancefloor flow, or a crowd losing themselves in the bass.

We’re sharing Frankie’s postcards from GALA 2026 below. Here’s what he had to say about the weekend:

“For me, GALA is what it is because of the people, first and foremost.

And I don’t just mean the crowd—the artists, the team, the security. Everyone brings something that makes it what it is. 

Friday is my favourite day. You can feel the festival taking shape, and the programming leans more local and UK-rooted. You can hear it in the low end; bass on a UK soundsystem just hits different. Mala with SGT Pokes was easily one of my highlights of the whole weekend.

Saturday belonged to Job Jobse at Patio. A long, sun-kissed set. In that setting, nobody can match him. 

And then Sunday. After three days of amazing music, Antal, Hunee and Palms Trax closing out 1908 felt like an instant GALA classic. 

That was GALA 2026. A proper one, as always.”

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