Emotional lyricism and a cathartic downpour close the final day of End of the Road 2022

Thankfully, bleary eyed early risers are greeted with myriad ways to pass the morning and clear their heads in preparation for the festival’s last day.

The Talking Heads stage is packed out from 10am with audience members perched on hay bales enjoying coffees and cake while listening to Q&As with the likes of author Jay Griffiths, The Times’ music critic Will Hodgkinson and tarot readers Litwitchure. Sunday morning at the festival feels much like a pleasant weekend spent mooching around town. It’s a chance to browse books, records and the vast array of vintage stalls. Products are curated to align with the taste of festival goers in mind and there are many gems to be found.

Midday arrives and singer-songwriter Cassandra Jenkins is up first on the Best Fit secret sessions stage for a serene performance that fills the crowd with tranquil wonder. She’s joined by her saxophonist to create a jazz-infused folk sound that captures the spirit of the surroundings. Later on the Garden Stage her cinematic set is underlined with comedic moments and pre-recorded voice overs that make for a truly entertaining show.

Meanwhile, for those who fancy a spot of art, the New Pavilion is showing an exhibition billed as “Quite Good Art”, featuring prints from Porridge Radio’s Dana Margolin and comedic Insta artist Times New Roadman. Shoes have to be taken off at the door — once you get past the idea of day four sweaty festival feet, this creates a cosy, bohemian atmosphere that enriches the experience.

Kurt Vile takes to the Piano Stage next, pulling one of the biggest crowds the stage has seen this weekend. The guitar virtuoso plays some new album songs, giving a taste of his much-hyped main stage set later that evening. Soon it’s time for the last Best Fit set of the weekend, but what a great set it is. Lucy Dacus uses the intimate setting to play some older songs, giving the audience a one-of-a-kind set filled with tracks that she won’t be playing during her main set on the Garden Stage.

While folk and indie are usually the order of the day at End of the Road, the diverse line up allows for a taste of other genres too. The laidback hip hop tunes of South London duo Bad With Phones filter from the Boat Stage as the chill crowd sway beneath the mirror ball to songs about psychedelics and spirituality. It’s a special moment tucked away from the main stages, a satisfying start to the final night.

Back at the Garden Stage, Lucy Dacus blends rock-driven guitars with thoughtful lyrics, commanding the stage with elegance and ease fits right in, a powerful counterbalance to the quiet intimacy of her afternoon set. Having performanced at the festival twice before, she described coming back as like “walking into my own apartment.” The crowd goes wild when she covers “another Taurus legend”, delivering a slow and glimmering version of Cher’s "Believe" that she recently released as a Spotify single.

The rain that has been expected and feared all weekend finally starts falling as the crowd gathers for the last headliner of the festival. It’s fitting for Bright Eyes’ moody set which, while delivered with the stumbling and mumbling that has typified the rest of their tour, offers a large dose of heart rending catharsis. It’s a career-spanning diverse performance with quiet piano and acoustic moments matched with thunderous electric guitars as Conor Oberst throws himself across the stage wearing a t-shirt that says ‘Conor Oberst ruined my life.’

As the crowd trails back to their tents or into the woods for the last time, the heavens truly open and people huddle beneath shelters or head into the Big Top tent for Yard Act’s energetic set. The after parties will still go on into the morning for anyone who wants to brave the rain, but most head to bed, musing over the past four magical days as summer ends and autumn rolls around.