LIVE FROM THE PIT: Manchester Punk Festival 2026

The stages were set, the amps were turned up, and the crowd were literally doing lunge stretches in preparation for 3-days of two-stepping and moshing. Manchester Punk Festival has made its deafening return for its glorious 10^th anniversary; 3 days, 8 venues, a jaw-dropping 150+ acts, and the city is full of punk/rock-adjacent fans to support the musicians leading the charge on the anti-establishment scene. 

In the current climate of fascism, anti-LGBTQ+, racism, and misogyny, it’s never been more important to stand up and say “no more”. Out of Rage are incredibly proud to be working with MPF and to support the sheer number of punk bands who spent the weekend calling out those who try to breed hate amongst the public. The anger and frustration was palpable everywhere, but the love and gratitude was felt more by all the acts, honoured to see the swaying crowds chanting back “fuck you fascist scum”. So let’s give back the love to some of our top picks of MPF.

BE N!CE

We truly were blessed on the holiest of punk weekends, with BE N!CE’s vocalist and bassist gliding through the crowd dressed as Jesus and a nun to heavenly choral music, before joining two easter bunnies (a.k.a. the guitarist and drummer) on stage. The illusion is shattered as BE N!CE launch into punk-rock tracks that are heavy on the crispy snare and cymbals, riffs with distortion so high it delightfully pierces your brain, and the bass lines are running almost as fast as a two-stepping bassist nun. Vocalist Pol Mills delivers guttural screams while owning the stage. This weekend belonged to BE N!CE, hallelujah!

GAFFA TAPE SANDY

“We’re from Brighton, but we fuck with this town.” GAFFA TAPE SANDY need no other introduction as they bring a genre weaving punk-rock sound, their dual vocals and strings blending into a raw harmony, while the drummer worked overtime on their kit. With the kick drum amping up the crowd and their memorable lyrics, it’s no surprise the crowd had the floor shaking with their danceable indie-punk rhythm. GAFFA TAPE SANDY bring the energy of a band destined for bigger stages to fit their incredible energy and connection to the crowd.

PENGSHUI

Immediately ripping into their punk/nu-metal instrumentals whilst taunting the tired but wired crowd with “wakey wakey”, PENGSHUI are here to wake us the fuck up. Their sound isn’t over the top, their key changes and volumes enhancing the punk aspect of it, while vocalist Illaman spits out rapid-fire bars and heavy screams, over Fatty’s bone-shaking bass and John Boy’s blistering drum beats. Illaman admits he’s not at his usual energy due to a broken foot, but the crowd more than make up for it jolting from moshing to dancing to two-stepping in quick succession. From someone actually taking off their shoes for Shoes Off, DEADWAX’s vocalist Jake hurling himself into a riotous crowdsurf, and a sprawling circle pit for Nobody Cares, the crowd directed by Illaman’s “round and round we go”, PENGSHUI smashed out the first night of MPF and kept the energy to a feverish pitch.

BUREAU DE CHANGE

Starting easy with a general rock vibe, BUREAU DE CHANGE quickly change pace to blazing punk, blowing out the hangover cobwebs and kicking off MPF’s Saturday lineup with raging style. Vocalist Flora maintains eye contact and gestures wildly while delivering husky, emotional vocals, holding command over the building crowd. The bass and guitar could rival KORN with their pitch and intensity, while the drummer locks in and attacks his kit, the guitarists building screams together on fan favourite Dumb Men, before Flora takes the reins to bellow “why don’t you just get fucked?” BUREAU DE CHANGE is here to deliver a message about the small things that actually suck and the hardships of society that can get in the bin. 

CURRLS

The soundcheck alone tells us we’re in for a wild ride with Brighton-based CURRLS, with an impressively prolonged “Manchesteeeer!” war cry as their introduction, before the 3-piece band slam into distorted but cohesive riffs, with a shattering drumbeat. Reminiscent of 80/90s punk bands, there are steady beats throughout the set without going overboard, clean punk singing and floating harmonies, and the dual guitarists/vocalists are clearly having the time of their lives dancing to their own music and playing back to back. CURRLS performs like they own the stage and know they’re on the upward trajectory, with high energy and rhythms that slow to a dangerous pace before building in rage and volume.

THE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS

THE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS aren’t just here for their passion and your entertainment, they’re here to get the message out that you can’t just be punk for one weekend – you’d better live that shit, stay informed, and fight back against oppression and occupation. Holding the crowd in full engagement, THE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS lead the charge with visceral, electrified screams, the band leaping around each other on stage decked out in vibrant red accessories, their battle cries inciting mosh pits as wide as the stage itself. Vocalist Emilia introduces the bandmates and demands a warm welcome or “you’ll have me to deal with”, including celebrating their new guitarist’s first festival appearance at MPF. Pacing around the stage like they’re on the hunt, THE MENSTRUAL CRAMPS delivered their thunderous, demanding sound and assertions of what makes you a political cunt to a rapt audience. Their sound is what it feels like to get your first nose bleed in a mosh pit and carry on – a fucking badge of honour.

SLASH FICTION

Starting out slow with trio vocal harmonies and an emotive punk melody, SLASH FICTION quickly ramped up the pace into a rapid and heated pace reminiscent of early 2000’s punk bands – there was no gentle easing into the final day of MPF. Well synchronised as a band with a fresh, poignant sound, every member got their moment to shine. With a sickening bass solo, prevalent guitar riffs and licks, soft vocals complemented by the heavy strings and fast-paced drums, SLASH FICTION have an emo-punk quality we’ve not seen in a while. Bouts of indie and funk inspirations pepper through the tracks as they perform heartbreaking yet hopeful lyrics. They have the makings of being an anthem band in the near future.

LYNSKEY

Feeling deceptively understated as a two-piece band, LYNSKEY soon demonstrated why they belong in the big leagues, with a raw, stripped-back presence and charged instrumentals. With beats that changed intermittently through several of their songs, it’s jarring in a satisfactory way, leaving you never quite prepared for what LYNSKEY will bring, but knowing it’ll be genre-blending fun and two-step inducing chaos. Funky bird noises offer a brief moment of calm before the drummer slams into the cymbals and snares and breaks the serenity, while the singer/guitarist weaves between pop-punk notes and falsetto highs. Rough and vulnerable, LYNSKEY are a band that already know their potential and they’re just beginning.  

MERYL STREEK

In the dark, a frenzy of news reporters voices ring out speaking of adversities for the Irish, the government’s disregard for them, and the emotional weight the people carry to hear of this, before descending into a primal scream. MERYL STREEK refuses to shy away from political and societal callouts, especially where it concerns his home country, and delivered a one-man-band, spoken word punk take, with a venue-shuddering bass and curated techno beats and sound effects. Calls for the crowd to “get the fuck up” are met with surging mosh pits and people being bodily lifted into the air, diving into the mosh pit himself and being lost in a wall of punks who refuse to be disillusioned. Stalking back and forth the stage like a predator on the hunt, MERYL STREEK has a bold harshness to his lyrics and scathing observations of the political landscape, overlaying a heated, furious rhythm. 

AERIAL SALAD

If you thought things would start to wind down for the finale of MPF you’d be sorely mistaken, as AERIAL SALAD barrel in with off the charts energy and launch themselves across the stage, screaming off mic before the first song’s even started. With wide smiles and appreciative headbanging at the crowd, AERIAL SALAD showed their talent and vivacity with grunge-punk rhythms and melting guitar solos. The bass is already audible, but clearly they’re intent on the crowd feeling it in their bones as they ask for it to be turned up to intense levels. Drummer Mike Marshall alters from “calmer” beats to frantic rolls and crashing cymbals, while the guitarist and bassist salute their instruments to the sky and shred at their strings. Co-vocalist and guitarist Jamie Munro proclaims “if you’re not here to have a dance, I’m not arsed”, whipping up a defiant mosh pit in response. Not content to conquer the stage alone, bassist Mike Wimbleton hurls himself (dare we say he went “aerial”?) onto the crowd and continues plucking the bass line while they surf him about. The vibe and energy are consistent throughout their set but the songs feel individual and electric from each other, perfectly closing out another hugely successful, absolutely raucous, hard-hitting Manchester Punk Festival.

Words: Julia Stark

Photos: Ace Cheng