The faint smell of petrichor greets CLASH when we arrive at Southwark Park for . It’s a rainy day, one that threatens to turn into the storms that besieged the first two editions of the festival; instead, the intermittent showers create a suitably moody backdrop for this year’s lineup. Since it debuted in 2023, Rally’s expert curation of cult underground acts has cemented itself as a hidden gem of the capital, and this year solidifies its lofty reputation. 

We kick off the day at the main stage with (real name Charmaine Ayoku), who’s surely poised to be London’s next breakout star. She dances on the knife edge between R&B and pop, offering summery guitar-strummed bops alongside glossier, groove-led ballads. There’s an endearing contrast between Ayoku’s melancholic lyricism and her stage banter, which involves a lot of successful crowd work and introductions to her Spanish guitar (her name’s Stephanie, for those out of the loop). 

The whole set is great, but the crowning moment is a beautiful coincidence when Ayoku performs ‘dexter’s phone call’, her collaboration on Jim Legxcy’s mixtape last year. “Life’s not been easy…”, she sings solemnly – “I try take it on my shoulder, it feels like a boulder’s coming at me”. The moment she opens her mouth and begins to pour her heart out, rain spills from the skies in a glorious, cathartic shower. It’s an awesome moment of pathetic fallacy, one that underscores Ayoku’s ability to engineer comfort through her sung suffering. 

Then, we see at the Agnes stage, the dream-pop project courtesy of (aka Salvador Navarrete) and . The musical and romantic couple teamed up to birth ‘KHAZNA’ earlier this year, and it’s a very impressive showing for both of them. Alkhateri’s vocals are utterly hypnotic, with Navarette’s guitar acting as a dreamy (and sometimes nightmarish) pillow for her voice to land against. Atmospheric and probing, it perfectly complements today’s moody weather – and makes a strong case for a performance with a full band in the future. 

Next, takes to the stage to perform cuts from her breakout album ‘Friend’. It’s a gorgeously textured and entrancing listen in headphones, but on stage, James K cranks up the bass, unveiling an entirely new layer to her music. Pulsing dub basses turn into acute struts, and the drums – normally awash in a sea of gauzy vocals and plump synths – hit ten times harder. James also treats us to some extra covers because she started early, and, surprisingly, finishes with a triumphant performance of the jungle-inflected ‘Ultra Facial!’. It’s so effortless to get lost in the world of James K, and her tranquil show remains unmatched for the rest of the day. 

If there was any show you had to see, though, it was certainly New York upstarts . They must have one of the most uniquely visceral shows right now; Saguiv Rosenstock and Jack Tobias create eerie flashes of sound with their synth and guitar, punctured by the kamikaze drumming of Sam Pickard and frontman Zack Borzone’s guttural wails. The crowd responds with a giant, frenzied mosh pit, where beer cans and caps go flying metres high and people crowdsurf with glee. The crowd is so rowdy that seven security guards are called in to reinforce the barricades; at one point, the veins in Borzone’s neck rival only that of the guards’ bulging arms. It’s a spectacle to witness, and the highlight of the night. 

Finally, (or Dev Hynes) arrives at the main stage for a mighty hometown show. Tomorrow, he says, will be 15 years to the day he released debut album ‘Coastline Grooves’, and today’s headline set feels like a righteous vindication of Hyne’s talent. There’s something for everyone here, whether it’s the sophisticated ambient meditations from 2025 album ‘Essex Honey’ to funkier fan favourites like ‘Champagne Coast’ or needle-drop ‘Uncle ACE’. Hynes flits between vocals, keys, guitar and cello, frequently ceding the floor to fellow touring vocalists Eva Tolkin, Ian Isiah, and Tariq Saleem Al-Sabir. 

But the most stunning moment of the night comes four songs in. Hynes performs a cover of ‘All Is Full of Love’ by , stripping away the song’s background buzzes and chirps. Instead, it’s just the sobering crow of his cello and his voice. Behind him, a montage of footage whizzes by: crumpled England flags, fiery riots, juxtaposed with clips of football games, Jude Bellingham, community. As Hynes closes out his cover, red text flashes on the screen: “LOVE, ENGLAND, YOUTH AND MUSIC”. RALLY couldn’t have picked a better headliner; someone who embraces the perilous unknown, and dives into the void with love and transcendence.