Outbreak 2026 – Saturday & Sunday
“The worst thing you can say is absolutely nothing.“
Words by Dobbin T, Jack Walker & Joe Edwards; photography by Dobbin T, Maisie Cooper and Autumn Sky on Ilford XP2 400.
SATURDAY
While Friday served as the starter, Saturday and Sunday were the main course and dessert. Having gotten one’s fill of sing-alongs through ‘emo’ Friday, it was time to go hard all day for the hardcore-laden weekend. Whether you’re a fan of the modern stylings of Febuary and I Promised The World, or a purist looking forward to Hatebreed and Trapped Under Ice, there was a plethora of bands to catch. Oh, and there was a secret set which got everybody talking…
Turn Of Phrase kicked off Saturday, packing out the third stage wall to wall. We arrived mid-set and couldn’t even get a look in, which, given that Knocked Loose had played until 4 AM that very morning, made the turnout all the more impressive. Because of that, Truck Violence were the real opener for us, and we were actually able to view the stage for this one. An entirely weird experience, Truck Violence’s eclectic blend of punk and noise rock was nothing short of captivating. Vocalist Karsyn Henderson left nothing in reserve, infusing all of his energy into twisted, cathartic screams whilst striding up and down the stage.
Following the chaos of Truck Violence, Reclus.É offered a moment to catch our breath. Playing the main stage with only two songs released is a strange position to be in, but they felt right at home, with vocalist Soren Bryce being the real star of the show, effortlessly flitting between dreamy cleans and chaotic screams. After a brief refresh, we found ourselves back inside, craving something heavy once more. Cue Still in Love, whose riff-led metallic hardcore stylings have captivated us many times already, setting the third stage alight with their intensity. Opening with “Tell The Truth”, the barks of “Undiagnosed, self-medicated, paralysed, riddled with self-hatred” crashed off the walls of the BEC, with “Preserve & Cherish” only further fuelling movement on the stage and in the crowd. A feature from Robyn of Timepeace showed the international appreciation that Still In Love has, also leaving us hopeful that perhaps Timepeace may appear at Outbreak next year. With a slot at Bring Me The Horizon‘s upcoming show at the BEC in less than two weeks and Nick Worthington‘s vocals sounding better than ever, Still In Love is set for one hell of a summer.
Then came the reveal. After weeks of speculation over who the mysterious “???” could be, it was surprising just how many people seemingly hadn’t worked it out. Whether they’d missed the teasers or ignored the whispers, much of the crowd appeared none the wiser. Then, the unmistakable opening riff of “Safe In Your Skin” rang out. Like moths to a flame, fans from all over the festival rushed towards the stage, convinced that Title Fight were finally making their long-awaited return. With a blurred visual of the band’s Floral Green artwork filling the screen, it all felt inevitable. Then came the gut-punch. The image faded to reveal the words “Static Dress“, before abruptly switching to a giant “SORRY” in block capitals. While the fake-out left some visibly deflated, there was little reason to be disappointed. Having only played Outbreak once before, Static Dress were more than worthy of the slot.
Leaning straight into the joke, vocalist Olli Appleyard greeted the crowd with, “Yo, what’s up, we’re Guilt Trip” before the band exploded into “Nostalgia Kills“. Charging through a set that balanced fan favourites with cuts from their recently released sophomore album, Injury Episode, Static Dress had little trouble whipping the already packed crowd into a frenzy. What truly made the performance special, though, was the band’s dedication of a song to their friends in Higher Power, who took them out on their very first tour. Rarely playing covers these days, the tribute made this feel like far more than just another festival set – it was a genuine full-circle moment and one of the weekend’s most memorable performances.
On a sobering note, it was time for Touché Amoré’s set, a highly anticipated playthrough of Stage Four, widely considered to be their greatest record with a heavy emotional core. Prior to the set, the band invited Rise Above Cancer’s Aimee Hill to speak about the charity and her journey through cancer. Please watch Hill’s speech in full, perhaps the most important words said on the stage of Outbreak. Her key message was the following: know your bodies, go to the doctor if something isn’t right, advocate for yourself and your friends, and talk about cancer – “the worst thing you can say is absolutely nothing”.
When it came to Stage Four, the seriousness of its message had now been underlined. The experience from the front was intense, for once not due to the physicality of the audience, but fully due to the themes of the album. It was easy to spot the tears from various attendees coming in across the record’s playthrough. Touché Amoré had time for a few more hits, including a swarming crowd for “Honest Sleep”, and a heartfelt recommendation to catch their tourmates’ set, Greet Death (Jeremy Bolm could later be seen watching the band from the side of their stage).
Another main stage band, High Vis, took over next, and the crowd woke back up from their short break, ready to get back to it. Steadily becoming a household name within the hardcore scene, most already know that High Vis puts on a great show. What set this performance apart was its rawness, with vocalist Graham Sayle opening up about previous suicide attempts and the importance of addressing one’s own mental health head-on. The bluntness of the delivery was impressively impactful, and the message stuck with us for the remainder of the day and is still on our minds now.
Back inside on the second stage, Texan MySpace metalcore revivalists in I Promised The World were putting on a debut set for the history books. This set was one we’d been looking forward to ever since the band was announced, and it did not disappoint. Going off almost flawlessly (please, do not go to the front if you aren’t gonna catch stage divers), I Promised The World’s set was movie-like, drawing in attendees from all over. Whether they knew the band or not, moshers and divers were out in force, lapping up every second. For us, it was the sing-along moments which truly stood out. Despite there being a packed-to-bursting lineup of talent, very few bands on the bill packed the same nostalgic sing-along quality that I Promised The World did, with “Don’t Just Stand There” being especially fun. Later announcing that they’ll be returning to the UK in October, I Promised The World undoubtedly won over swathes of new fans, and we can’t wait to catch them again.
Loathe may not need much introduction, and their significance for this audience was underlined by being one of the ‘big’ names on the event poster. This was one of the event’s most anticipated sets due to finally having new music in the midst; Loathe packed out the main stage well in advance of their appearance. “Gifted Every Strength” opened things up, with bass tones vibrating through the surrounding scenery. Right as things were getting good, the band had to stop due to a fairly serious injury in the crowd. Losing a good portion of their set, when the band finally resumed, they made the most of every second, progressing through a collection of hits and closing out with the ever-violent “Gored”. Making the most of an unfortunate situation, Loathe did as they always do – they absolutely blew us away.
One band we were especially amped to see was The Armed. They possess plenty of hardcore punk qualities, yet they’ve always felt more adjacent to the genre than anything else. It took all of about thirty seconds for any doubts that this would be one of the quieter sets of the weekend to disappear. As the frenzied “ALL FUTURES” burst into life, the stage quickly filled with divers, while Adam Vallely (the real one) commandeered the microphone to scream the track. The Armed tore through their set with barely a moment to breathe, pausing only for brief interludes, such as “this is the video game song…“, as the performance became utterly engulfing.
Meghan O’Neil proved to be a stalwart addition to the live lineup, with the back-to-back pairing of “Kingbreaker” and “Grace Obscure” delivering a devastating double-barreled assault. A cover of “Worth More Than Your Opinion” gave O’Neil the chance to take lead vocals, before Converge‘s “Homewrecker” summoned Jacob Bannon himself, further cementing his place in The Armed‘s lore following his appearance on “Clone“. Closing with the mathy hardcore one-two punch of “A More Perfect Design” and “BIG SHELL” firmly established The Armed as one of the most intense acts of the weekend – pure, unhinged chaos.
As the sun finally began to set, the real metalcore hours arrived. Anyone who caught Alexisonfire headlining Saturday at 2000trees last year already knew the Canadian outfit still had headliner quality in abundance. Returning to Outbreak to perform the legendary Crisis in full, or as some of the older heads jokingly call it, the “new” Alexisonfire album, they gave the record the performance it deserved. Twenty years on, Dallas Green remains one of metalcore’s finest clean vocalists, delivering a captivating performance throughout. As expected, the crowd erupted for “This Could Be Anywhere in the World“, although a handful peeled away afterwards, seemingly to catch England’s ultimately pointless group stage match on the nearby screen – an absolutely horrible decision if you ask us.
Albums like Crisis have a remarkable ability to transport you back to a specific moment in time, much like Touché Amoré earlier in the day and La Dispute the following afternoon. Many of us discovered these bands while trawling forums like /mu/ or falling down YouTube rabbit holes, and seeing them now command festival stages of this size is something our younger selves would never have imagined. The encore came to an abrupt end following a crowd injury, meaning the band never reached the wider selection of fan favourites many had hoped for. While crowd safety always comes first, missing out on songs like “Pulmonary Archery” or “Sans Soleil” was disappointing. Even so, witnessing Crisis performed in full was a genuinely special moment, and one that will stay with many long after Outbreak 2026.
Speaking of real metalcore, there was just one remaining band. Plugging in ten stressful minutes late, Converge played a timeless set on the second stage. Having dropped not one but two albums this year, they could not be on a higher high. This set list would be fair to describe as ‘banger’-oriented, plucking essentials from the wider discography and several key songs from the new records. There was no way to behave except feral, with Bannon regularly wading into the carnage to teach all the new heads how it’s done, putting himself in harm’s way to offer mic grabs. For the stage divers, this was a key set, in fact, the only opportunity to get up close and personal with Converge, as this was a UK exclusive set. More extensive touring is currently happening in the EU with Boneflower and Heriot. Mercifully, the set was breezed through and the oncoming night was much cooler than Friday, but there wouldn’t be much time to rest as the stage would be set for more chaotic hardcore in twelve hours time.
SUNDAY
Sunday was off to a rough start, with a bin lorry breaking down in the festival entrance and delaying entry until mere moments before Crowquill were due to kick start the day. Despite this, spirits were high, and, following the lorry’s removal, festival goers rushed over to the stage, packing it out before many in line had even entered the venue. Rap-metal icons Gridiron next, bringing NYHC stylings to the second stage and being one of the few acts to capture this sound for the weekend. Rattling through a mix of new material and hits, there’s little more to say about this set than “wow, that was fun”. A more laid-back yet involved hardcore set, it was a great way to keep the buzz up without draining the crowd.
Dynamite have been making waves in the UK scene for some time now, and Outbreak was no exception, with the second stage being absolutely swamped for them. Fans ran over to get a glimpse of the London HC icons, and they did not disappoint. The Youth Crew-inspired lads flew onto the stage and whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Anticipation was high, and they delivered on all fronts, putting on one of the most direct and to-the-point hardcore sets of the event. There’s a reason Dynamite is being mentioned so much, but you’ve got to see them to get why.
A real gem on the line-up was Californian outfit Initiate. Making their Outbreak debut and returning to the UK for the first time in a couple of years, they felt like an absolute must-see given the strength of their songwriting and how rare an appearance from them on this side of the Atlantic is. Their set was packed with tracks from the stunning Cerebral Circus and, despite the record being over three years old, the response was immense. Crystal Pak‘s energy as a vocalist was infectious, while stories of their own personal struggles added another layer of authenticity to a set built around vulnerability and resilience. The inclusion of new material from their upcoming EP, including a track due to be released in the coming weeks, only heightened the excitement. Hopefully, this is the moment Initiate begin to receive the wider recognition their music deserves.
The main stage played host to the lighter side of the Outbreak line-up, which, while a point of contention we’ll come back to later, still delivered plenty to enjoy. Familiar faces Nothing brought their trademark shoegaze to the skies of Manchester, playing favourites such as “Famine Asylum” and “July the Fourth” alongside material from their new album A Short History Of Decay. The most visceral moment of their set came through UAV drone footage from the front lines of the war in Ukraine, showing the final moments of countless lives. Alongside tributes to the Filton 25 and reminders of the genocide in Gaza, it served as a stark reminder of the horrors unfolding around the world.
The energy was soon cranked up as Fiddlehead took to the stage, with stage invasions and mic grabs returning in abundance. For those unfamiliar with Fiddlehead, who can appear fairly unassuming on the surface, it quickly became apparent just how devoted their fanbase is. Cries of “I’m a working man“, following Patrick Flynn‘s story about comments on his trousers, only encouraged the crowd to throw themselves into the set even more. It was the sort of performance that leaves anyone unfamiliar with Fiddlehead‘s catalogue wanting to dive straight into it afterwards.
Two of the sets hardcore die-hards would have had marked on their clashfinders were Haywire and Hatebreed, both taking place on the second stage inside the BEC. Haywire packed the room to the rafters and delivered exactly the sort of set people wanted to witness for the crowd response alone. Opening with “Sweet Caroline” was the perfect way to get an English crowd singing, as chants of “So good, so good” echoed around the venue. Austin Sparkman possesses a natural, authentic charisma, speaking candidly about their sobriety, asking the crowd to take it easy because of a recent injury before “they start swinging”, and, most importantly, taking an extended moment to highlight the Filton 25. Dedicating “Poser Disposer” to them and to direct action only strengthened the connection between band and audience. As expected, Haywire received a ferocious response, proving that on both sides of the Atlantic, people bloody love Haywire.
La Dispute drew an almighty crowd ahead of their set, and maintained it for the duration. Jordan Dreyer’s distinctive vocal style caught the ear of plenty, whether it was his panicked, anguished screams or more sombre, delicate cleans; he delivered every line filled with emotion. Playing through a mixture of their greatest hits and newer material, the band knew they had to pace things out, choosing to scatter “King Park” only a few songs in and seeing an almighty pop for it. Dreyer was remarkably candid, thanking the fans and festival routinely, talking on important political topics (as always), and just generally being genuinely thankful. Closing out with smash hit “Such Small Hands”, the band knew exactly what they were up to. The front stage was immediately invaded, with fans clambering to sing along and get their main character moment. The band played into it, though, and all around it made for a fantastic set from a band who wouldn’t typically grace an Outbreak lineup.
It was difficult to pick a lane during La Dispute’s set, with Trash Talk playing the second stage; quite honestly, this was a miss in terms of aligning bands. This led to a modest audience at the third stage for Glixen, but the road less followed was worth it, as their set ended up being one of the day’s most special. Next to the immediacy of much of the hardcore, shoegaze acts can feel like little more than palette cleansers at Outbreak. Once you truly dedicate your attention and energy into these sets, the value is immense. Glixen’s frontwoman Aislinn Ritchie is a stunning performer with wispy vocals that draw you in, offering a presence like nothing else on Outbreak’s lineup. She knelt and held hands with fans at the front for a tender moment, whilst picking up the guitar and rocking out hard for their closer “shut me down”. Ritchie was pulling a double shift today, playing guitars for tourmates Glare. The rest of the band was also sublime – in a lovely moment, Esteban Santana could be seen chuckling to himself after getting the drone loop for the tuning break just right. This was the ultimate demonstration that a niche audience is well worth catering for.
That’s as long as it doesn’t create compromise elsewhere. This is the part where we’d tell you how incredible Hatebreed were. Unfortunately, like many others, we found ourselves locked out after the BEC reached capacity and was closed off for a period. Instead, we ended up watching the other side of the Outbreak coin on the main stage with Snail Mail. As has already been widely discussed, it’s difficult not to see scheduling Snail Mail against Hatebreed as a baffling decision. The indie artist drew the sparsest crowd we saw all weekend, and a slot on the third stage, or even on Friday, would have felt like a much better fit. That inevitably left Snail Mail‘s performance under even greater scrutiny. Whether it was the constant guitar changes with little discernible difference in sound, vocals that struggled to fill the cavernous space, or the overall lack of energy, the set never really found its footing. It was undoubtedly a difficult position to be put in, but there was ultimately little to redeem from the performance, despite drawing from a strong discography. The greater issue was the clash with Hatebreed and the foreseeable capacity issues as a result.
We then caught Las Vegas screamo newcomers, Febuary, on the third stage. One of our most anticipated sets of the weekend, we’d been obsessed with their EP Run Like A Girl for some time now, and the chance to finally catch tracks from it live felt like a no-brainer. Thankfully, our expectations were met, with the band immediately exploding into a flurry, with dancers, divers, and moshers coming out in full force. Whilst screamo may not be for everybody, Febuary’s ability to imbue such passion and emotion into their sound is enough to win any passerby over. A set for the history books, we can’t wait to catch Febuary on UK soil again soon.
Main stage. Trapped Under Ice. Need we say more? If you were at Outbreak and weren’t at this set, then where the hell were you? For many, Trapped Under Ice’s set a few years back was a generational performance, and it seems that alone was enough to turn out the majority of attendees to the main stage on this sunny Sunday afternoon. Not ones to disappoint, the band started hard and ended even harder, breaking out a plethora of fan favourites, and encouraging the most egregious moshing you’ve ever set your eyes upon.
Watching from above was a spectacle, seeing limbs flying, bodies thrown about, and fans surfing from front to back. With features from members of Turnstile and Dynamite, Trapped Under Ice pulled out all of the stops. “Gemini” and “Soul Vice” saw particularly raucous behaviour, with fans flying across the stage, diving, then doing it all over again. A truly incredible set, it’s no wonder that Trapped Under Ice have such an incredible pull. A band who has to be seen to be believed, they embody everything that Outbreak is about, and we’re glad to have been there to witness it.
Basement was a perfect closer to an incredible weekend. What’s better than closing the book on this year’s instalment than singing along to the likes of “Covet” and “Are You The One?” with some of your closest friends? A particularly well-thought-out setlist, Basement kept fans on their toes, jumping between their latest album, Wired’s material, and a selection of their greatest hits. One particularly smart trick was to throw “Covet” in early on, getting fans to buy in early, before keeping them there for the remainder of their set. Despite being “cursed” so to speak by having an iconic back catalogue, fans were still all over their newer material, singing along to every second.
For us, this was a near-perfect set, though Jack admits that he’d have personally loved to hear more from I Wish I Could Stay Here, which we’re certain that others would agree with. Despite this, there was a fantastic balance of material throughout, and we can’t grumble at that – the band ought to put Wired through its paces in the year of its release. Of course, alongside the performance, vocalist Andrew Fisher was nothing short of charming, lamenting on the band’s history with Outbreak festival, shouting out the UK scene, and generally oozing thankfulness that Basement have grown to the behemoth we know them as today. A fun and wholesome way to tail off a ridiculously energetic weekend, Basement were absolutely handed their roses here, and they gave back in every way possible to the crowd. A deserving act who have been all about the scene since their inception, Basement led us out with excitement for what Outbreak 2027 may hold.
Before closing out, we’d like to touch on some of the “issues” that have been controversial online regarding this year’s iteration of the fest. First and foremost, overbooking. This is something which seems to come up for almost every festival nowadays, and it came as no surprise to us seeing it mentioned here. Due to the nature of Outbreak, being the UK’s premier festival for hardcore music, and that it’s in the middle of the summer, it was always going to be busy. Despite the occasional odd stage positioning, we personally never felt that it was “oversold”, but more so felt that the bands booked simply had much more of a pull. Stages were busy, and yes, some busier than we’ve seen before, but there’s a capacity limit on these events for a reason. Outbreak finds themselves in a tough spot – sell fewer tickets, and people will say it’s quiet; move location and everybody complains. It’s a lose-lose, and given the goal of any festival is to keep expanding, there’s no easy solution here.
Then there’s the crowds. This year saw what seemed to be an awful lot of “new blood” in attendance. To those, we ask that you please don’t make Outbreak your first experience with hardcore. Go to local shows, learn how they run, and get involved properly. Too many times were surfers/divers dropped, and there was (sadly) a handful of set stoppages due to injuries. Though major injuries were few and far between, socials lit up about this, and for right or wrong, there’s still a point to be made. Outbreak makes it as clear as possible that there’s a risk – remember that the ‘mosh license’ is optional. Please, think about yourself and others, learn how these things run, and remember that everybody is just there to have a good time.
However, it’s well worth saying that despite these complaints, Outbreak 2026 was ultimately a success. A huge part of the fun is the way that the various disparate DIY scenes make their way to Manchester and converge at the festival. Whether it’s as simple as finally saying hello to someone you’ve seen at serveral shows, or building connections that get your own project going, the friendly attitude of Outbreak is a fertile ground for genuine connection. The abounding enthusiasm for music of all kinds comes through, and the selective taste creativity that goes far beyond the music (from photography, videography, artwork, merch, and more) also becomes clear. There’s always an encouragement that rings through the scene to not make Outbreak one’s only hardcore event of the year, to try and keep the ‘grassroots’ end of it alive, something Boolin Tunes tries to play its part in year round. If you get involved, in any small way, you can come to an event like this and realise that the scene is smaller than you realise, in the best way possible.
