Chase & Status, Yung Lean & Bladee and Nothing But Thieves keep the party going at Electric Castle 2026 day three
In partnership with Electric Castle
The third day of Electric Castle 2026 is punctuated by some unforgettable performances, as well as lightning strikes over Bánffy Castle, which really only heightens the magical atmosphere that constantly envelopes the grounds. Chase & Status closed out the whole day with a set full of UK dance classics, while Yung Lean & Bladee joined forces to bring Scandi melancholy to the Hangar.
There’s still one more day of music left for this year’s edition of the festival, with The Cure set to close out the main stage tonight. You can check out highlights from day one here or day two here, and read below for NME’s picks from day three.
Words: David Renshaw and Laura Molloy
Chase & Status put on a drum & bass clinic
Chase & Status are legends of the British dance music scene with good reason. For over 20 years, Saul Milton and Will Kennard have put drum & bass front and centre, introducing new generations to their beloved sound while also helping push the genre forwards into increasingly mainstream directions. Their blockbuster DJ set at Electric Castle was the perfect way to close out the Saturday night as flames exploded from the main stage to the sound of hits like ‘Disconnect’ (featuring Becky Hill) and ‘Blind Faith.’
MC Takura kept the vibes high, marshalling the crowd and squeezing as much energy from them as possible. Thousands were gathered to watch the late-night set with moshers and ravers united by their gargantuan basslines and jagged percussion. The 90-minute set also included new music the pair have spent the last 18 months working on. “We’ve got a whole bag of tunes to show you,” Takura said as they ran through collaborations with U.K. rappers Lancey Foux, Pozer, and Little Simz.
In addition to the unreleased tracks, Chase & Status filtered a bunch of remixes into their set, including a riotous spin on A$AP Rocky and Skepta’s ‘It Ain’t Safe’ plus a wild Etta James edit that kept the set truly unpredictable.
Their 90-minute set culminated with a pair of highlights that showcased Chase & Status contributions to the U.K. rap world. First up was the indignant ‘Backbone’ featuring Stormzy. The Croydon MC might say “They think I’m a rapper, I think I’m a singer ” on the track, but his delivery suggests he shouldn’t leave MCing completely in the past. Meanwhile, the unmistakable rumble of Flowdan’s baritone delivery sends the DJ set skywards as ‘Baddadan’, causing pandemonium among hordes of skanking Romanians.
Chase and Status have been doing this for so many summers now, and it’s easy to see why. They unite the ravers and deliver every time.
Yung Lean celebrates his 30th birthday onstage with Bladee
To say that the crowd gathered before the Hangar stage in the minutes leading up to Yung Lean and Bladee’s joint set was excited would be an understatement. Each time their names flash across the screen, they erupt into cheers, impatient to bear witness to a rare convergence of two of Sweden’s most influential rappers. It also happens to be Yung Lean’s 30th birthday, and they’re determined to make it one to remember.
When the experimental cloud rap pioneers arrive, they burst into their 2024 collaboration ‘I Don’t Like People’ as flames erupt from the stage in time with the bass, which seems to make the entire site tremble. Obscured by red light and carrying a (fake) trident and a machine gun, respectively, they blast through their joint tracks ‘Evil World’, ‘Inferno’ and ‘Red Velvet’, before Yung Lean departs to give Bladee the spotlight.
Alone on stage, Bladee ups the melancholy, taking the audience on a journey of the psychedelic and post-punk-inspired beats that make up his latest album ‘Sulfer Surfer’. “Give it up for Yung Lean. Today is a very special day. He’s turning 30,” he takes a moment to say. When the lights go down, and Yung Lean re-emerges for his iconic hit ‘Ginsing Strip 2002’, the screams are deafening. “It’s good to be here in Romania on my birthday,” he told the audience as the set drew to a close. “I was born on July 18 1996. I turn 30 today. My life has been crazy and beautiful. This is insane. Thank you.”
Nothing But Thieves showed their festival-headliner credentials
“How the fuck are we doing? We’re Nothing But Thieves. This is our third time here, and we fucking love it,” says Conor Mason and he and his band step onto the stage as the Saturday headline band. They may hail from Southend, but Romania clearly holds a special place in Nothing But Thieves’ hearts, and it’s easy to see why. A massive crowd of devoted fans went back as far as the eye can see to hear their anthemic choruses and emotionally driven songs. It’s a bold move to play one of your best songs upfront, but ‘Amsterdam’ proved the perfect opener to the group’s hour-long set while the soaring ‘If I Get High’ followed not too long after.
Nothing But Thieves have hits. We know that. But right now the band is looking to the future. Their fifth album ‘Stray Dogs’ is out this September and marks a return to their DIY roots. Two tracks from the upcoming album were included tonight; ‘Evolution’, a breezy indie-pop tune with punch, while the title track had guitarists Joe Langridge-Brown and Dominic Craik working together to build a morass of distortion.
Last year Nothing But Thieves celebrated a decade together, and it is clear watching them tonight that they are enjoying a new chapter in their story. This is a band that has spent time thinking about who they are as people and how to synthesise that into a collection of songs as touching as they are celebratory. It’s a cohesive and unfettered performance from a five-piece that remains truly underrated.
“I can hear you singing along to every word” Mason said before the set-closing ‘Impossible’. With one last chance to join in, the Electric Castle audience belted out every word. The invite for their fourth time at the festival is surely a formality.
Kid Kapichi represent Britain in their raucous, first-ever set in Romania
Kid Kapichi frontman Jack Wilson takes to the Hangar stage donning a t-shirt emblazoned with the Romanian flag – a commemoration of their “first fucking time in Romania”, he tells the crowd. It’s a sentiment true for many acts across the weekend, and it translates into an incomparable energy that bubbles throughout audiences who are constantly, clearly, immensely excited to have so many of their favourite artists finally in their country.
It’s why so many are unfazed by the heat, moshing along to the gritty punk hits ‘Artillery’, ‘Let’s Get To Work’ and ‘Stainless Steel’. “We are from the south east of England, basically London… Basically France,” Wilson jokes with the crowd, introducing ‘Working Man’s Town’ – an ode to their native Hastings.
It recalls something he told NME back in 2024 when offering advice to emerging artists. “Don’t be afraid to say stuff that might rock the boat or that your nan and grandad might get upset about – just really sing about what you believe in, because if you’re performing songs that you believe in, people feel that and people relate to it.” In bringing tales of British culture to Romania, they’ve found a new avid fanbase far from home.
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