Magical musical musings from the mind of the marvellous John Matthews.

All snaps from John’s phone.

In my “Lucky 7” end-of-year roundup I noted that 2025 marked a definitive shift for Convenanza — reinvigorated by a younger, high-energy crowd and a daring roster of experimental electronic artists. This year, walking up to the spectacular Château Comtal for my 8th festival under the blazing sun of Carcassonne‘s medieval citadel,  my expectations were high. The 2026 lineup promised to push boundaries even further while perfectly aligning with my own current musical tastes.

The opening Thursday night party in the lush surroundings of the open air Bar A Vins, situated within the castle walls, was given over entirely to Vladimir Ivkovic, who perfectly displayed the art of the slow burn. Across 6 and a half hours he spun a hypnotic sonic journey that steadily mounted in tension, ultimately driving the packed courtyard into an absolute frenzy that hung on his every transition. Starting this small boutique festival with an extended experimental set by a single DJ was the perfect introduction and  immediately delivered the promised transcendental experience to the  dedicated following. 

Last year Tia Cousins closed the festival in this more intimate venue, with an astonishing session that’s destined to go down in Convenanza folklore. It immediately endeared her to both the veteran Weatherall devotees and the festival’s fresh blood, so anticipation was high when it was announced that this year she would be playing on 3 separate occasions over the course of the weekend. As I entered the walled castle courtyard early Friday evening, Tia looked the definition of effortless cool on the main stage. Sporting dark glasses and chain-smoking, she played a stack of dark, guitar-driven, 60s psych that paired brilliantly with the surrounding medieval architecture and ancient battlements.

Then the weekend’s first live act, Elijah Minnelli launched into his gig with eerie, wide-ranging, quasi-religious vocal chants. Building the suspense for 10 minutes before finally unleashing his first beat. Driven by the deep bass and dub rhythms that vibrated through the courtyard, Elijah’s performance grew increasingly animated, leaving the audience completely spellbound. Standouts included “Unkind”, “Donna Donna (Chwerthin)” and the immense closer “Canaan Land”, by which time I was surrounded by a relatively young crowd massively getting down to the deep dub sound. Minnelli’s live act is a force to be reckoned with and he delivered one of the weekend’s absolute highlights for me. 

Keeping with Convenanza tradition, Sean Johnson wrapped up Friday night with an extended, 5-hour A Love From Outer Space ritual, effortlessly weaving together elements of chug, disco, and house. Sean brought immense intensity right from the opening track, sparking an immediate, electric response from the audience. By the time he ended the night with The Fall’s brilliant take on “Lost In Music” and Causeway’s cover of New Order’s “Your Silent Face”, the dance floor was entirely spent and everyone headed home completely exhausted but sporting massive, glowing smiles.

For me, Convenanza has never been just about the music. More than simply an event, it is a temporary community and a shared experience—an annual pilgrimage. The historic city of Carcassonne is a vital ingredient to the magic that unfolds across the weekend. The real heart of the festival happens outside the venue walls. It’s found in those serendipitous moments when you’re wandering through the medieval streets and labyrinthine alleyways, unexpectedly bumping into old friends or striking up a conversation with a new one. There is something profoundly special about sharing this ancient fortress with like minded people who indulge themselves in the same musical passion. This sense of community truly shines during the long weekend lunches—a tradition so essential that I’d gladly travel to Convenanza just to savour the incredible pork rib at St. Jean, high up in the Château Comtal. As I sat devouring said rib on Saturday afternoon a deep rumble shook the air. I figured it was just the fighter jets from the local airshow, which had been flying over Carcassonne for the past two days. Yet as I  gazed up the clear blue sky I realised it was completely empty. That’s when festival organiser and all round wonderful chap, Bernie Fabre, stepped in to solve the mystery. The source of that colossal noise? None other than Ghost Dubs, sound checking inside the castle just a stone’s throw from our lunch spot. If a sound check could rival fighter jets I knew the actual performance that evening would be something special.

After lunch, I stepped into Bar À Vins to the sound of Phil Kieran spinning Love Corporation’s “Give Me Some Love“. The place was buzzing, with the Belfast crew absolutely losing it to Phil’s brilliant, eclectic selections. The Belfast contingent at the festival has steadily grown over the last few years, bringing an unmistakable Northern Irish warmth and vitality to Convenanza. Their positive impact on the festival is massive – long may it continue.

Early Saturday evening and back in the castle courtyard we ate delicious local ice cream and sampled fresh French oysters as Tia played her second set of the weekend. This time she displayed her incredible versatility and thorough musical knowledge, spinning a more upbeat mix of foreign-language post-punk and new wave  tunes. The guitar-driven tracks vividly recalled John McKay-era Siouxsie & The Banshees, with elements of The B-52’s thrown in for good measure. Giving the gathering crowd the perfect excuse for an early dance. Again, looking effortlessly cool dressed all in black and dark shades, Tia adapted perfectly to the larger arena.  Over the course of the 2 evenings she truly made the “music’s not for everyone” slot her own.

Jeannie & The White Boys brought raw, primitive rock and roll to the festival with a whirlwind energy. Musically reminiscent of The Stooges and The Cramps, the 3-piece band maintained a tight punk groove behind front woman Jeannie’s adrenaline-fueled stage presence. Loud, and exciting, they captivated the crowd, particularly Jeannie’s provocative between song rants introducing tracks like “I Hate Your Fucking Girlfriend, She’s A Cunt” and “Rectum”.

The mood then shifted completely with Ghost Dubs. Michael Fiedler cut a lone figure on a stage, bathed in dark blue light, creating a slow, deep, and punishingly heavy bass driven atmosphere. Slowly but surely the stuttering beats took hold, getting the crowd moving and skanking to the dub infused rhythms. As the earlier sound check delivered on its promise, Ghost Dubs live was an incredible, deeply immersive experience that had me totally captivated, and again it was wonderful to see a young audience genuinely engaging with dub music. A special mention must also go to this year’s fantastic sound design in the castle. It was easily the loudest and clearest of any Convenanza festival I have attended.

Concluding Saturday night, Jonnie Wilkes (Optimo Espacio) began uncharacteristically with an impassioned, short speech where he acknowledged the sadly departed Andrew Weatherall and Keith McIvor as his primary “sources of wisdom.” Wilkes shared how deeply meaningful it was for him to play at this year’s Convenanza, and instantly hit a celebratory, emotional tone that primed the crowd to go wild. Once the invocation commenced he seamlessly dropped classics like Weatherall’s remix of Fuck Buttons, Sabres of Paradise‘s “Smokebelch”, Optimo’s own mix of Liquid Liquid and Carl Craig’s “At Les“. As a friend aptly remarked, Wilkes is a technically phenomenal DJ, a claim he most definitely proved with a completely faultless tension building tour de force show of skill. The big hug he received from Bernie Fabre at the end was the most poignant moment of the weekend. 

Sunday afternoon means only one thing: White Rabbit Books’ Literary Salon, which has firmly established itself as an essential highlight of my Convenanza weekends. Held in the luxurious surroundings of the Hotel De La Cité, the first half of this year’s Salon featured author Michael Smith in conversation with Zophia Page. Their humorous and absorbing chat was preceded by a gritty, excellent short film by Smith and Maxy Bianco which provided context for his latest novel, “Strangers On The Shore”. Smith also shared some wonderfully funny and touching memories of his time spent working with Andrew Weatherall on the soundtrack to his previous novel, “Unreal City”.

The second part of the afternoon saw British writer and curator Paul Gorman talking style and fashion with White Rabbit head honcho Lee Brackstone. Focusing primarily on punk and psychedelic fashion trends, and aided by some fantastic archival visuals, Gorman regaled the audience with a succession of brilliant anecdotes featuring Malcolm McLaren, Vivienne Westwood, and the iconic boutique that is the subject of his latest book, “Granny Takes A Trip”. It all amounted to yet another thoroughly engaging and entertaining literary salon. The afternoon drew to a perfect finish with Lee delivering heartfelt words that beautifully captured the unique  communal spirit of this very special annual event.

Sunday’s programming delivered a further breath of fresh air as 3 female DJs provided the festival finale, each with a set at the Bar A Vins. I arrived just in time to catch the tail end of the excellent Princess P as she handed the decks over to Tia Cousins This time Tia leaned into a heavier dance vibe, but still managed to squeeze in a few psychedelic guitar driven tracks. Unlike her selections from the previous two nights, we actually managed to identify two standout tunes: Massimo Barlotti’s Fuzz Dance classic “Whole Lotta Love” and Nightmoves’ “Transdance”.

Rosie Ama then served up a chug-heavy, acid-influenced session that drove the dance floor wild. It was my first time seeing her play live, and she impressively mirrored the signature style of her monthly Melodic Odds shows on Noods Radio, which I’ve been loving over the past couple of years. One magical moment came from electronic duo Zillas On Acid, an act allied with Rosie’s own Human Endeavour record label. By the end of her slot Rosie had an ecstatic crowd eating out of the palm of her hand, cementing her status as another future Convenanza favourite.

Come Monday morning, as I dragged my exhausted body out of bed for the trip back to London, one thing was clear: Convenanza ’26 was an absolute triumph. Over the last few editions the festival organisers, Bernie and Martine Fabre, Lizzie Walker and Rusty O’Shacklewell, have truly pushed the musical envelope. By booking left-field, young, and relatively unknown artists they’ve perfectly honoured the memory and ethos of the festival’s former curator, Andrew Weatherall. This bold programming has also attracted a younger crowd, bringing a fresh, vibrant energy to the event. Sure, some of the older Weatherall purists still complain about the new acts, and cling to the headline DJs, but that’s their loss. As long as Convenanza keeps taking musical risks, I’ll be back next year and each and every year after.

Many thanks to Matt Vesey, Ben Nicholl, Loreta Nardone and Andrew Nicholls for their valuable assistance.

Memorabilia and merchandise from Convenanza 2026, and previous events, can be purchased, while stocks last, from Gnostic Sonics.