I can confirm it is true, the best adventures go unplanned. I have just recovered from an unforgettable whirlwind weekend of live music at Powderham, near Exeter, made more memorable thanks to a no-show shuttle bus (more on that later).
Exeter was the musical mecca of the south west at weekend when 140,000 festival-goers descended on Powderham for four days of sell-out headline shows.
American singer-songwriter Teddy Swims, Canadian-American 90s icon Alanis Morissette and double headliner Lewis Capaldi rocked the hell out of Powderham over the four nights.
Teddy Swims
Teddy Swims headlined Thursday night at Powderham, near Exeter.
Photo: Cuffe and Taylor.
Grammy award-winner Teddy Swims kicked of the mega event on Thursday night, bursting onto the stage joined by his band Freak Freely to belt out his hits and treat his fans to a show to remember.
He was joined by Lauren Spencer Smith and Jordan Rakei (who I am gutted I missed).
I had been due to go on my own, billy-no-mates, catching the shuttle bus from Exeter to the grounds of Powderham. But when it failed to show up, held up on the motorway, I ended up piling into my car with four complete stranded strangers, all heading for the concert venue, holding our breath we would make it on time.
Joining me in almost missing the headline act were Carol Hancock, from Redruth, and Suzannah Ball, from Truro, who had travelled up from Cornwall with an overnight hotel stay, plus Teresa Parsons, and her husband, Adrian, from Wellington, in Somerset.
L to R: Carol Hancock, from Redruth, and Suzannah Ball, from Truro, my no-show shuttle bus adventure buddies. Photo: East Devon News.
Teresa Parsons, and her husband, Adrian, from Wellington, in Somerset, who also joined in the unplanned adventure. Photo: East Devon News.
We had waited for an hour for the Exeter Science Park no-show shuttle bus to arrive. Excited chatter turned to despondency and disappointment as the clock turned past eight o’clock and inched towards Teddy Swims’s expected entrance.
I made a quick call to the event’s media team who told me use my car, drive over, and on-site parking would be arranged.
Urging friends Carol and Suzannah to jump in, plus Teresa and Adrian, we set off, fast-friends, on an adventure into unknown territory.
After a lengthy detour around the back lanes of Powderham, chatting all the way, we were herded into the gold car park, and set off to find the stage.
Teddy Swims headlined Thursday night at Powderham. Photo: Suzannah Ball.
As Teddy Swims belted out the first lines of The Door, Hammer To The Heart across the park, The Teddy Swims Misadventure Club – as our WhatsApp group is now called – made a mad dash to join the throng.
With tickets already on their phones, my four passengers easily skipped through security to join the party. But I was hampered by a closed box office, resulting in me urging my new-found friends to go on, (they thankfully refused) until a kind Oxfam volunteer took pity on me and radioed the right person to authorise me through.
Big screens ensured fans got a good view of Teddy Swims from across the park. Photo: Suzannah Ball.
Inside, we were treated to a 90-minute set, including the star’s 2025 release Are You Even Real.
With a voice to die for, Teddy entertained and connected with the crowds – even signing a bear and jacket for one young superfan.
He closed with his multi-platinum global hit Lose Control, as we all sang along, wishing the night would never end.
Watching the show hugged by the crowd, we were far from the front but missed nothing thanks to the big screens either side of the stage.
Teddy Swims treated fans to a 90-minute set at Powderham, Devon. Photo: Suzannah Ball.
After the lights went down and it was evident there would be no encore, we hot-footed it back to the car, determined not to get stuck in any tailbacks.
Thankfully the traffic dispersed quickly and left the site at a steady rate without any hassle.
However, not expecting to drive far from home that night, my car was very low on fuel, running on fumes. And it was a nail-biting trip away from Powderham with five onboard, following a lengthy route through Starcross and country lanes to Telegraph Hill, where thankfully there was a petrol station.
After filling up, and a quick pit-stop for the loo under the stars amid much laughter for any cross-legged passengers, I dropped Carol and Suzannah at their hotel in Exeter, leaving in a flurry of hugs and promising to stay in touch, then on to drop Teresa and Adrian to the Science Park where their son was waiting to collect them.
Alanis Morissette
Alanis Morissette wowed the crowds with her energetic headline performance on Friday night. Photo: Cuffe and Taylor.
Grammy Award winner Alanis Morissette brought pure energy to the stage on Friday night with a host of hits, many from her 1995 worldwide album Jagged Little Pill.
Alanis Morissette headlined on Friday at Powderham, Devon. Photo: Cuffe and Taylor.
As someone who played that album back-to-back when it was released, seeing Alanis Morissette on my doorstep in Devon was a real pinch-me ‘wow’ moment that my 90s self would never have believed possible.
Going along with my other half, Stefan, we were lucky enough to have VIP passes for the night, allowing us into a themed garden area close to the front of the stage. There, we enjoyed a spacious, relaxed area away from the crowds.
The VIP garden area allowed us to get closer to the stage for Alanis Morissette. Photo: East Devon News.
Alanis Morissette’s Devon show, wth special guest Skunk Anansie, and Pale Waves and The Big Moon, was one of just seven headline performances planned in her diary for the UK this summer.
Her vocals and on-stage presence were electric. The crowd roared then sang along when she opened with her hit One Hand In My Pocket, later plucking more favourites from the famed album, You Learn and Ironic, and an acoustic mini-set of Rest, Mary Jane and Perfect.
She left us all wanting more.
Alanis Morissette fans watching her headline act at Powderham. Photo: Cuffe and Taylor.
Alanis Morissette fans sang along to Jagged Little Pill hits at Powderham, near Exeter. Photo: Cuffe and Taylor.
Our on-site parking for the night was the gold car park, following the same back lanes detour in and out of the site, with very little hold-up.
Lewis Capaldi
Lewis Capaldi played two sell-out shows, headlining over two nights at Powderham, near Exeter. Photo: Cuffe and Taylor.
Lewis Capaldi on Saturday night told fans to expect 17 ballads as he launched into his first UK tour date of 2026.
His Powderham appearance marked a year since he made his surprise live performance at Glastonbury after he stepped away from the limelight in 2023 when he grappled to control his much-publicised anxiety and Tourette’s.
Some 35,000 festival-goers watched Lewis Capaldi headline at Powderham. Photo: East Devon News.
To cheers and applause the singer-songwriter told fans at Powderham his ‘mental was healthy’, adding he had spent the day on a pebbly Devon beach, thought to be Beer, in East Devon.
His cheeky sense of humour shone through when he joked with the crowds during his set, which opened with hits Hollywood, Grace and Heavenly Kind Of State Of Mind.
Lewis, who was joined by 2026 Ivor Novello and BRIT Award winners Jacob Alon, and Tyler Ballgame, told fans he was ‘glad to be back here with you all’ at Powderham, recalling his previous visit to Exeter.
Lewis Capaldi headlined Powderham on Saturday and Sunday nights. Photo: Cuffe and Taylor.
The crowd roared with approval as he revealed he was gearing up to create a new album after the summer, thanking his fans for their support, telling them ‘it means a lot to me’.
Fans sang along to all six of his number one hits: Wish You The Best, Pointless, Before You Go, Forget Me and Survive.
He saved Someone You Loved for the finale, delighting the expectant crowds.
At the concert on my own with a general admission ticket, I stood near the back to watch the performance, relying on the big screens to see up-close on stage, leaving only after the last note drifted away and fireworks exploded over the parkland, lighting up the night’s sky.
Fireworks lit up the night over Powderham, bringing Saturday night to an end.
Photo: Cuffe and Taylor.
I was saddened to see hundreds choosing to miss the last three songs, forfeiting any finale in favour of an early dash for their shuttle buses in a bid to beat the crowds.
I had been directed to the red car park, which easier to reach by road, was a brisk 20-minute scenic walk through the castle grounds to the venue.
Had it not been for kindly castle gamekeeper Jack taking pity on me, hitching a lift in his buggy to the box office to collect my ticket, I would still have been trekking through the grounds when Lewis Capaldi started his set.
An aerial shot over the concert site at Powderham. Photo: Cuffe and Taylor.
As a regular off-road dogwalker, I speedily made the the distance back to the car at the end of the night. On the way I overtook many who had clearly left the concert before the end, determined to beat any traffic or bus queues.
Picking up the pace uphill to the castle, I overheard one puffing walker describe the incline as ‘cardio vascular’ to her friend.
Traffic leaving the red car park towards Exeter had an easier, more direct route, quickly reaching the A3015 and Exminster without any mishap.
Much has been made on the parking and disruption to Kenton residents during the build-up and concert.
When I learned I had press tickets for the concerts, hoping to avoid traffic queues, I asked my friend who lives minutes from the event if I could park in her drive.
“Unless you have a pass you can’t drive through from Exminster to Kenton. All the back roads are closed,” she said.
She had two passes but needed them for her lift to and from work, and the other for her brother, driving them to visit their mum.
“I have keep the other one in case I get stuck coming back on Sunday from seeing mum, to get through to drop me off,” she said. “It is fu**ing chaos for residents and businesses. Everyone is losing their sh*t.”
Festival organisers announced the 2026 event a ‘massive success’ and revealed Live At Powderham will return in 2027, with four dates from Thursday, June 24 to Sunday, June 27. Early bird four-day passes are available online from 10am Wednesday, July 1.
Peter Taylor, co-founder of event organiser Cuffe and Taylor, said: “Live At Powderham 2026 has been an incredible weekend with four dazzling headline shows and we are truly delighted to be coming back in 2027.
“The location at Powderham on the beautiful south Devon coast could not be better and the fans have been phenomenal. Added to that, the positive feedback we are continuing to receive from attendees is testament to the hard work of everyone involved in organising and delivering a festival of this scale”.
He added: “From bringing world-class headline artists to the region, to the extensive travel and transport plans put in place, our entire team has worked with military precision to ensure the very best experience for everyone.
“Now the planning begins to do it all again and we look forward to making Live At Powderham 2027 even better for everyone.”
