RADAR Festival 2026 – A Preview
Situated within the O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, RADAR Festival takes place from July 31st to August 2nd, and boasts an incredible, and eclectic line-up of bands. Which, if you know anything about this festival, shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. RADAR proudly champions all parts of the alternative scene and relishes pushing musical boundaries.
It’s not hyperbole to say that you often don’t know what you’re going to get when RADAR Festival comes around.
Yet, that’s just one part of what makes Radar Festival special.
The festival proudly calls itself a diverse, inclusive, sustainable, and safe environment. A lot of festivals like to say they do all of this, and many do, but few prove it quite like RADAR does. Its reputation is unblemished, and you can read their charter right here to understand more.
Over the years, the festival hasn’t just built up a great reputation, RADAR has also built a community. A likeminded community that doesn’t just champion the festival but champions the alternative and contemporary scene as a whole. It’s the kind of community you just want to be part of, and you can, as RADAR is ready to welcome you with open arms (they even have a Discord).
Headlined by Thy Art is Murder, Skindred, and Animal as Leaders (three very different bands), each day, there’s a lot of to enjoy. Friday features Volumes, Sikth, Vianova, Graphic Nature, Pintglass Ghost, Iris, Hacktivist, Cage Fight, Clt Drp, Sixth Wonder and Rozemary. A day that guarantees a lot of running around to make sure nothing is missed.
Friday is strong, but Saturday is nothing to turn the nose up to. Not when the likes of Northlane, Protest the Hero, Heart of a Coward, Unpeople, The Hara, Blackgold, Seething Akira, Royal Sorrow, Glass Bridges, Eville, and Dacara will be performing.
Finally, there’s Sunday and the final day of the festival features even more immense bands. Namely The Pineapple Thief Voyager, Einar Solberg, ten56., Employed to Serve, Elwood Stray, Ihlo Dali, Luna Kills, Benthos, and Maebe.
It’s an incredible lineup overall, and easily one of RADAR’s strongest to date. Not just with variety, but the sheer quality on offer, and I’d be shocked if anyone was to try and say otherwise.
Of course, tastes are different and not everyone wants to be listening to music all day long. RADAR Festival knows this, so boasts some very cool extra stuff that you can enjoy over the weekend.
First, we have The Music and Gaming Market, a carefully curated expo of the finest musical instruments. Alongside custom high-spec gaming PCs showcasing the latest hardware and games to put players through their paces. How amazing is that!? Yet, there’s more. RADAR also features a tabletop gaming café, competitions, jam sessions, screaming booths, racing simulators, PVP Games, and you can even get your nails done!
If, by some miracle, none of that takes your fancy, there will be musician masterclasses, with the details to be announced nearer the festival. Although you can check out previous years to get an idea of what you can expect here.
Putting it simply, I think it will be impossible to be bored at RADAR Festival 2026. It’s considered one of the finest independent festivals for a reason, and this year really is shaping up to be one to remember.
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