Four years after a chaotic but memorable first appearance, the Leigh band return with two number-one albums behind them and their name firmly on the poster.

In a recent BBC interview, Thom Rylance recalled arriving at Belladrum in 2022 feeling as though Lottery Winners had no qualification or right to be playing the slot.

We remember it rather differently.

Yes, the band arrived at short notice. Yes, almost everything that could go wrong seemed to do so before they reached the stage. But once they got there, Lottery Winners delivered exactly what a festival set should be: funny, uplifting, slightly chaotic and completely committed to bringing the crowd with them.

It was a perfect festival feast.

Their stature has unquestionably grown since then. Two UK number-one albums, bigger headline shows and huge dates alongside Robbie Williams have pushed the Leigh band into a very different place. Their return to Belladrum in 2026 is no longer a last-minute opportunity. This time, their name is properly on the poster.

What has not changed is the thing that made them stand out in the first place: the humour, the honesty, the size of the choruses and the feeling that the audience are part of the show rather than simply watching it.

Ahead of their return to the Highlands, Thom Rylance spoke to IGigs about that chaotic first Belladrum weekend, his need for affirmation, disappearing into the songwriting process and why the stage remains the only place where he never feels like an alien.

Last time you were up at Belladrum it sounded like a bit of a nightmare before you even got on stage, I remember Thom saying his guitar didn’t make it in one piece. Once you got going though, did the weekend make up for it?

Yeah, everything went wrong before we even got there, and the head came clean off my Martin acoustic guitar. But once we got on stage, none of that stuff mattered. It ended up being one of those weekends you don’t forget. We went on the telly as well and I remember saying loads of ridiculous things to the man because my brain was so fried. (And because I say ridiculous things all the time).

Your social media never feels like filler, it’s got its own personality. Do you actually enjoy that side of it, or is it just something that’s grown naturally alongside the band?

That’s very sweet of you, thank you. We do work hard on it, I think you have to these days. It’s a lot, but I don’t mind it. I like showing off, I get dopamine from likes and comments, and I feel really privileged to have a platform, and people who are interested in what we have to say.

Your songs feel like they’re made for a crowd straight away. When you’re writing, are you already picturing how they’ll land live, or does that only really come once you start playing them out?

I think I’m always picturing a crowd, all the time. Imagining them clapping at me even when I’m doing the washing up. I need that. I crave affirmation.

Songwriting though, especially with the recent songs I’ve been writing, I don’t really consider the audience at all. I actually sometimes feel like a passenger in the whole process, even when I’m doing it alone. I go into a zone and when I snap out of it, there’s a song there. Usually, that absolutely encompasses the way I’ve been feeling or something that’s been on my mind, and I get to hear it all for the first time.

Festivals can go either way depending on the slot and who’s in front of you. Do you approach something like a daytime Belladrum set any differently, or is it just about winning people over no matter what?

We approach every single gig, no matter the size or place, like it’s the most important one we’ll ever do and just hope people like it.

You’ve talked about that version of you that steps on stage and just takes over. Does being up there still feel like a bit of an escape, or has that changed as things have got bigger?

It’s the only place on earth I don’t feel like an alien, and this better, cooler, wittier version of me appears. I like him and I’m so glad he’s there. I have never experienced a better feeling than being on stage. It means everything to me.

KOKO comes from a pretty personal place, but it never feels heavy when you listen to it. Was it important for you to keep that sense of lift in there?

Again, very kind of you to say. I love that album. I just let the songs take me wherever they wanted to. It’s important to keep them genuine. There’s nothing more transparent than a disingenuous song.

You’ve come a long way from those early packed-out small gigs to where you are now, but your shows still feel really close and personal. Has that been important for you to hold onto as things have got bigger?

That’s probably the most important thing. No matter how big it gets, I still want it to feel like we’re all in it together. I never want it to feel distant or untouchable. Those early gigs were special because of that connection, so if we can keep even a bit of that as things grow, then we’re doing something right. I just want it to feel like you’re having a party at your mates house.

Lottery Winners return to Belladrum as a far bigger band than the one that arrived in 2022, but the appeal remains much the same.

The chart positions and arena crowds are part of the story, but they are not the whole of it. Thom’s answers still move between humour, insecurity and complete devotion to performing, without any of it feeling rehearsed into a neat success narrative.

There is ambition in this band, clearly, but there is also something more important: the determination to make every room feel connected, whether it holds eight people or 80,000.

Their first Belladrum appearance showed they belonged. The return should feel less like a correction and more like unfinished business.

Lottery Winners play Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival 2026.

Lottery Winners return to Belladrum with nothing left to prove

Four years after a chaotic but unforgettable festival debut, the Leigh band return with two number-one albums, bigger stages and the same determination to bring everyone into the party.

In a recent BBC interview, Thom Rylance recalled arriving at Belladrum in 2022 feeling as though Lottery Winners had no qualification or right to be playing the slot.

We would strongly disagree.

Despite broken guitars, last-minute chaos and a band still introducing themselves to much of the crowd, their set was a perfect festival feast: funny, uplifting, gloriously unguarded and built around songs that immediately made the audience feel part of it.

Their stature has undoubtedly grown since then. Two UK number-one albums, increasingly ambitious headline shows and huge dates alongside Robbie Williams have taken the Leigh band to another level. This time, their name is firmly printed on the Belladrum poster, but the qualities that made that first appearance so memorable remain the same: honesty, humour, huge choruses and a determination to make every show feel like the most important one they have ever played.

Ahead of their return to the Highlands, Thom Rylance spoke to IGigs about surviving that chaotic first Belladrum weekend, craving affirmation, disappearing into the songwriting process and why the stage remains the only place where he never feels like an alien.

Last time you were up at Belladrum it sounded like a bit of a nightmare before you even got on stage, I remember Thom saying his guitar didn’t make it in one piece. Once you got going though, did the weekend make up for it?

Yeah, everything went wrong before we even got there, and the head came clean off my Martin acoustic guitar. But once we got on stage, none of that stuff mattered. It ended up being one of those weekends you don’t forget. We went on the telly as well and I remember saying loads of ridiculous things to the man because my brain was so fried. (And because I say ridiculous things all the time).

Your social media never feels like filler, it’s got its own personality. Do you actually enjoy that side of it, or is it just something that’s grown naturally alongside the band?

That’s very sweet of you, thank you. We do work hard on it, I think you have to these days. It’s a lot, but I don’t mind it. I like showing off, I get dopamine from likes and comments, and I feel really privileged to have a platform, and people who are interested in what we have to say.

Your songs feel like they’re made for a crowd straight away. When you’re writing, are you already picturing how they’ll land live, or does that only really come once you start playing them out?

I think I’m always picturing a crowd, all the time. Imagining them clapping at me even when I’m doing the washing up. I need that. I crave affirmation.

Songwriting though, especially with the recent songs I’ve been writing, I don’t really consider the audience at all. I actually sometimes feel like a passenger in the whole process, even when I’m doing it alone. I go into a zone and when I snap out of it, there’s a song there. Usually, that absolutely encompasses the way I’ve been feeling or something that’s been on my mind, and I get to hear it all for the first time.

Festivals can go either way depending on the slot and who’s in front of you. Do you approach something like a daytime Belladrum set any differently, or is it just about winning people over no matter what?

We approach every single gig, no matter the size or place, like it’s the most important one we’ll ever do and just hope people like it.

You’ve talked about that version of you that steps on stage and just takes over. Does being up there still feel like a bit of an escape, or has that changed as things have got bigger?

It’s the only place on earth I don’t feel like an alien, and this better, cooler, wittier version of me appears. I like him and I’m so glad he’s there. I have never experienced a better feeling than being on stage. It means everything to me.

KOKO comes from a pretty personal place, but it never feels heavy when you listen to it. Was it important for you to keep that sense of lift in there?

Again, very kind of you to say. I love that album. I just let the songs take me wherever they wanted to. It’s important to keep them genuine. There’s nothing more transparent than a disingenuous song.

You’ve come a long way from those early packed-out small gigs to where you are now, but your shows still feel really close and personal. Has that been important for you to hold onto as things have got bigger?

That’s probably the most important thing. No matter how big it gets, I still want it to feel like we’re all in it together. I never want it to feel distant or untouchable. Those early gigs were special because of that connection, so if we can keep even a bit of that as things grow, then we’re doing something right. I just want it to feel like you’re having a party at your mates house.

Lottery Winners return to Belladrum with far more people knowing their name than they did four years ago, but their appeal has never rested on status alone.

The number-one albums and arena-sized crowds may tell part of the story, yet it is the sense of connection that continues to define them. Thom’s answers move easily between humour, insecurity and complete devotion to performing, with none of it feeling polished into a convenient success story.

Their 2022 appearance proved they already belonged at Belladrum. This time, the poster simply confirms it.

Lottery Winners play Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival 2026.