LIVE FROM THE PIT: Burn It Down 2026

The last hardcore function of the summer is finally upon us — Burn It Down is more back than it has arguably ever been; bigger, stronger, absolutely erratic and unmatched. Over the three days spent down in the coastal South West, we travel all around the country and even the world, which somehow only takes us a one minute walk at most. Packed up neatly in one single street in Torquay, the festival offers four uniquely set up (no barrier!) stages, a variety of creative merchandise, wrestling, skating, and a brand new addition in the form of a fully vegan market just down the road. Is there anything else a modern hardcore gathering even needs?

The Burn It Down lineup this year deserves its own special praises sung. From the headliners VUKOVI, DRUG CHURCH and SPEED to the booming acts like UNPEOPLE, LOCKED SHUT and PEST CONTROL, there really is something to satisfy every taste bud and craving. Another mention has to go to the sheer amount of emerging bands that are either female-fronted, or include queer and POC members. From the attendees to the team itself, the warm welcome is felt throughout, and hardcore is slowly but truly going back to what it always stood for. This festival is all about diversity, in both platforming the artists that go beyond the binds of one genre and sound, as well as accepting everyone who does not fit in. Just for three days, nothing matters, as we’re fully immersed in the dream world of Torbaydos.

LOVE RARELY

The math rock icons seem to have had a fantastic year, jumping in between releasing their debut album Pain Travels and supporting STATIC DRESS on their UK tour later in October. Although the Fireball stage experiences some technical difficulties throughout the whole day, LOVE RARELY do not let the anxiety get to them. Including both the newly born babies and old hits into the set, CJ hits the nail on the head with her vocals on each one of them. The lighting is beautiful, the fans are headbanging, the riffs are flowing — quite a perfect start to the day ahead.

SUNDAY BEST

From LOVE RARELY in Leeds, we’re sprinting right into the capital to meet its post-emo heathens, SUNDAY BEST. All dressed in coordinated black and yellow outfits, the band explores themes such as the past, present, and future of living in a colonial empire, topping it off with some thick breakdowns — be careful or you might as well gain your first bruises of the festival. The whole set SUNDAY BEST keeps us on our toes, going from more melodic Ghost and Dig Deep to their latest single Knife on the Fight Tracks, at which point Alex asks every single person in the room to sit low for about two minutes — works every time, talk about crowd control — right before the last and wildest car crash.

PENGSHUI

Speaking of car crashes, the next set feels like being surrounded by the stereo sound of the ambulance and airplane taking off at the same time. PENGSHUI immediately justify their right to take on the Fireball stage, as the whole room is buzzing like at a rave, only it is still 5pm. "Round and round we go, round and round we go", they repeat while they also don’t forget to turn their bangers into a statement, with songs like Eat the Rich that ultimately speak for themselves.

UNPEOPLE

The sound issues at the Fireball stage need to be studied — fortunately, this is the only significant letdown we’ve had. On the flipside, it is the cost of playing the biggest venue of the festival, and everyone coming to see their band, cheering them on and filling the room with even more anticipation. It all pays off as UNPEOPLE come out of the darkness, everyone clapping at the first song. By now we all know these four are destined for success, Burn It Down being the last festival of 2026 after their insane run of Slam Dunk, Download, Reading, Leeds… and the list could go on for another paragraph. Still, UNPEOPLE give us their all no matter what size the audience, and it is so well-reflected. After playing the newest friends and clouds, they finish off on the garden, with Luke getting on someone’s shoulders for the obligatory circle pit of all time.

VUKOVI

The lights dim again, until it is time for VUKOVI’s grand appearance. With the absolutely crushing opening riff going right into GUNGHO, Janine does not hesitate to pop the legendary champagne bottle, letting everyone taste who they’re dealing with. Although the lights do stay dim to immerse the listeners more into the fantasy, it doesn’t stop the crowdsurfers flying in one after another. VUKOVI join us all the way from Killwinning in Scotland, which is about a 700km drive down here to Devon, though they seem to love performing so much it must all be worth it. Jake Crawford from UNPEOPLE — long time, no see — gets back up on stage to sing MY GOT HAS GOT A GUN in a beautiful duet. Too soon, VUKOVI must leave us, but not before playing La Di Da and going out on a bang. Thursday has been truly incredible all around, and could you believe it is only the first day?!

MISHIKUI

The Midwest London emos have been the talk of the town recently, after getting signed to Devil Dog and touring the country, picking up new loyal fans one by one. And boy do they show up already, piling up on the singer Harry with the same energy you would expect for a big festival headliner. They’re full with the kind of vivid rage and outburst of raw emotion that is hard to replicate, and we know that MISHIKUI feel their lyrics with every bone. This tiny room sees people doing crowdsurfing, two-stepping, climbing on bars and crawling on the ceiling — doing anything and everything. As the band rounds it off with Sam’s Son, we overhear someone else’s truest words: “That MISHIKUI set was like seeing Jesus”.

MONOCHROME

A quick pop down to Bristol, MONOCHROME represent the Southwest in the best way possible. With the thickest SPIRITBOX-infused riffs and thunderous growls interrupted by the mellisonant vocal melodies, they begin to redefine metalcore in their own way. The Redstripe stage in the Apple & Parrot is typically reserved for less heavy acts, so it was not particularly ready for the havoc that was about to ensue, to say the least. MONOCHROME keep us in an absolute chokehold the whole set, and it is so hauntingly beautiful that it would be almost impossible not to walk away their biggest fan.

PEST CONTROL

Forget all said before, this is where the true berserk action actually starts. Burn It Down went all in with their decision to do all-day no-barrier, Outbreak platform-style, after successfully testing it out for one set last year. Say less, as PEST CONTROL take full advantage of it, encouraging everyone (especially the girlies!) to stagedive and grab the mic fully at their disposal. We even get moshers suddenly breakdancing and doing cartwheels, and the singer Leah is enjoying every second of it. You cannot really go wrong with PEST CONTROL, it will always be a blast no matter where in the crowd you are. Leeds truly breeds the best.

STICK TO YOUR GUNS

After we are blessed with a little bit of sun at last, we go back into the darkest pits to catch the Californian legends STICK TO YOUR GUNS. Everyone is already waiting inside patiently, packing out the venue to the brim. Right from the first track Nobody, the whole crowd starts to lose it, screaming the words and moshing like it is their last day alive. It is not only the strong bass and raw energy that they’ve got to show though, as their message also speaks to many, encouraging us to always “Keep Planting Flowers”.

FALSE REALITY

The Verdant Stage is another unique location, where the artists play right in the middle of an indoor skatepark. Although it could get quite busy, as it definitely does for FALSE REALITY — show up late, stay by the smoking area and jump up to see a glimpse of the band. As long as we hear it we are in good hands, the sound and energy is bouncing off the concrete walls and right into our eardrums. It is not the first time that the London hardcore stars grace the streets or Torquay: “Every time we are shocked that we are asked to come back, and it’s always an honour”. FALSE REALITY erupt with the nastiest riffs one after the other, and even though they are still on the rise, we know they are destined for world domination.

DRUG CHURCH

Still have energy left? Odd, but be prepared to spend the last bits of it at our Friday headliner. It is always special to see a band from overseas, and we can feel just how long some fans were waiting for them. DRUG CHURCH are well-suited for the task, as Patrick brings out the most welcoming, almost wholesome dad energy trying to teach the kids the moshing etiquette. The Fireball stage at the Foundry is an awesome, compact venue because it gives you a chance to either be in the centre of action, or take a step back and look at all your friends flying side to side from the balcony. After playing the iconic Grubby and Unlicensed Guidance Counselor, DRUG CHURCH invite the newcomers to try out the crowdsurfing and micgrabbing for the first time, even letting even the photographers join in on the action. The crowd at this show acts as one big living organism, and this fantastic set goes straight into our core memory. As the New Yorkers called it, “a lovely cultural exchange”.

INCASEYOULEAVE

If there is anything we haven’t heard over the weekend yet, it’s some good old miserable screamo. Thank god for INCASEYOULEAVE, as they hit the nail on the head with the irregular time signatures and strong build-up throughout the song. The vocalist and the rest of the band give us their all, and it clearly pays off. This set is a breath of fresh air for any weird kids out there, as well as anyone who is tired of only seeing all white cis man lineups everywhere.

HAD SANDY

A representation of the ever-growing Brighton scene, HAD SANDY had almost not made it to the festival. Originally scheduled for Friday, they were kindly sorted out by the Burn It Down team after a transport breakdown — and we could not be more glad to catch them after all. The band fit right into the sunny coastal picture, with a shoegaze and emo blend that could only be described as “TIGERS JAW but nasty”. 

SPLIT CHAIN

Secret set at Burn It Down?! Perhaps not so secret as most visitors could figure it out from the teaser posted a couple days before, but still not less exciting. SPLIT CHAIN, coming back to the festival for the third year in a row, have practically earned a certified status by now. The band is set to play on the Verdant stage at the skatepark, which is overflowing to the point that they stop letting people in. For the lucky ones who are there from the beginning, there are special privileges in the form of a compulsory lift up in the air. The Bristol nu-gaze is receiving its rightful flowers, as SPLIT CHAIN play both their new and old material, to round off what ends up being one of the most active sets of the entire weekend.

HERIOT

Back to the basics, and to our first no-barrier set on the Fireball stage today, which HERIOT made the absolute most of. The band has recently been on a long run of opening up big stages, such as supporting TRIVIUM and playing Slam Dunk and Outbreak, which is why this set feels particularly refreshing. Debbie Gough is the definition of a woman who can do both, with her stunning hairdo that is ready to be demolished after a lot of headbanging and soulcrushing screams. The instrumentals are creeping in like a tidal wave, the whole room is shaking front to back; we are truly burning this place down.

LOCKED SHUT

A relatively newer band from Missouri, LOCKED SHUT have already established themselves a steady spot in the hardcore scene. Pure chaos ensues as they start with Steel Spine, before moving onto insane renditions of BLUR’s Song 2 and Paranoid by BLACK SABBATH. The band has such invasive, at times even ridiculously fun energy that it doesn’t even matter what they play, the crowd will go breaking each other’s necks regardless. “Short and sweet”, LOCKED SHUT go out with an iconic cover of I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, which must remain one of the most memorable moments of the day.

SPEED

Too early, but we have to do this one last time. Everyone and their mother has heard of what SPEED is like — and some are, rightfully so, scared. We can see it clearly by how high the demand for the balcony view is rising, as visitors are already waiting upstairs an hour before the set. But no matter how far away you retreat, SPEED’s enormous sweep of force is going to get you. REAL LIFE LOVE and SHUT IT DOWN bring out exactly the energy we were all expecting for our Saturday’s headliner, and all the hardcore kids and adults alike show up for it. Jem Siow takes a second to talk about their recent performances at Reading & Leeds, bringing hardcore to the masses and teaching the new generation of teenagers how to do it. He also reminisces on growing up as an Asian Australian kid, and how it was exactly events and places like this that always included everyone and raised him. 

That is precisely why Burn It Down this year felt so important and at times cathartic — we could not understate the importance of a festival that was built out of practically nothing, for the people, by the people. Seeing so many queer, femme, and marginalised artists from so close as next door, and from so far as across the globe, is just as crucial to its integrity as the moshing and the good times. In the words of the greatest: “Test two: live the style that you choose. My life, my attitude!”. An iconic flute piece and many broken bones later, SPEED wave their final goodbyes, and we are left to wait for an even more frantic and fantastic Burn It Down 2027.

Words: Mariia Bulkina

Photos: Ollie Hayman and Mariia Bulkina