LIVE FROM THE PIT: Radar Festival 2026

RADAR Festival tore back into Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse for its 2026 edition. Now firmly established as one of the UK’s most exciting heavy music weekenders, this year’s line-up was headlined by THY ART IS MURDER, SKINDRED and ANIMALS AS LEADERS. Three very different flavours of heavy, all delivered at full throttle.

Spread across two stages with a strict no-clash policy, alongside artist masterclasses, a music and gaming market and retro arcades, RADAR continues to champion the artists shaping the future rather than resting on the past. Whether you were there sweating it out in the pit or are wondering what all the fuss was about, here’s our round-up of the acts that stood out across the weekend.

Words: Adrian Chapman (AC) and Will Tott (WT)

Photos: Loztogs, Charlie Bluck, claire.alaxandra

ROZEMARY

Merseyside’s finest opened up the entire weekend on a high. The Shure Stage was already packed before a note had even been played, proof of RADAR’s knack for championing the right names early. ROZEMARY traded in techy, blistering metalcore for Izabel Lavin’s shrieking screams collapsing into surprisingly tender sung melodies, guitars lunging between jagged riffs and cinematic swells. Fresh off their new EP The Lies They Made Me Believe, the set drew heavily from it, landing with real force in the room and igniting movement instantly. Watching a crowd of teenagers scream every word back was a reminder that young people are still very much the heart of this scene. (AC)

CLT DRP

Brighton trio CLT DRP brought a healthy dose of chaotic fun to the Shure Stage. Frontwoman Annie Dorrett prowls the stage screaming feminist-charged lyrics, the band forgoing a bassist entirely and running guitars through a barrage of effects until they howl like a synth, drums frenetic and unrelenting behind it all. It’s a futuristic strain of electro-punk – part rave, part riot – that embodies the quirkiness RADAR has built its identity on and the direction the festival is heading. Newer cuts sat comfortably alongside older favourites, the crowd fully locked in from the first note. (AC)

GRAPHIC NATURE

Beloved by many, the barrier was full long before GRAPHIC NATURE took the Main Stage. The Kent nu-metalcore crew fuse 90's riffs with chugging electronics and hardcore's brute force, and the pit responded in kind: two-stepping, flying spin kicks, even the Cookie Monster throwing down. Tracks like their latest single Faceless and the classic Killing Floor landed with equal ferocity, the room screaming every word. Frontman Harvey Freeman paused mid-set for a moving speech about men allowing themselves to be vulnerable and the scene being a safe space for all, a staple of any GRAPHIC NATURE set. Equally tender and brutal, they're proof the community can be lovely (even with moshers flailing elbows into jaws). (AC)

SIKTH

SIKTH brought their mathy, genre-warping chaos to RADAR’s Main Stage, all lurching time signatures and dual-vocal barks colliding with soaring melodies. With their usual bassist unable to make the show, Periphery’s Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood filled in, having grown up idolising the band, locking into their notoriously knotty grooves like he’d been there for years. The crowd, clearly full of devotees, met every jarring rhythm shift and sudden collapse into breakdown with total commitment. It’s a rare opportunity to watch a band this technically unhinged still feel this human and joyful. (AC)

VOLUMES

The air was thick with anticipation as LA prog metalcore legends VOLUMES took to the stage, returning to RADAR for the first time since their beloved 2023 set. Despite being a fill in for CHELSEA GRIN, the band performed as if they’d been preparing for this set their entire lives. Dual frontmen Myke Terry and Michael Barr were running, jumping and dancing across the stage, not giving the audience the slightest opportunity to lose interest, with a standout moment from the 15-song set being during Edge of the Earth, a heavy anthemic cut from their 2016 debut Via, when Myke Terry descended from the stage to sing the massive chorus with adoring fans at the barrier. It was a true shining example of stagecraft, giving the crowd some of the best onstage presence and energy of the entire weekend. Overall, if the band’s set proved one thing, it’s that VOLUMES are hurtling towards that future headline slot, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop them. (WT)

THY ART IS MURDER

Closing out RADAR’s heaviest day, THY ART IS MURDER arrived with a brand new frontman in tow. Jerry Grimefeld, only days into the role after replacing Tyler Miller, tore into opener Blood Throne like he’d fronted the band for years, guttural and commanding from the first breakdown. Blast beats and double kicks came thick and fast, the pit never once letting up. Holy War landed as a clear highlight, every word screamed straight back at the stage by a crowd seemingly unfazed by the change at the mic. Closer Reign of Darkness felt like an apocalyptic send-off, and proof this new era is already firing on all cylinders. (AC)

PROTEST THE HERO

Making their return to the UK festival scene after ten years, it was immediately clear that PROTEST THE HERO had been sorely missed across the pond from their home country of Canada, with frontman Rody Walker’s triumphant belted vocals being matched by the voices of a horde of enthralled superfans screaming along at the front of the crowd, especially during fan-favourites such as Bloodmeat and Clarity. 

Unlike many bands on the RADAR bill that seemed to take a heavier and more melancholy approach to songwriting, PROTEST THE HERO brought a distinctly uplifting vibe to their set while never once sacrificing on the technicality of the music, with a sound that lies somewhere between that of Periphery and Dragonforce. This was reinforced by the comedic between-song banter, and set them firmly apart from the rest of the lineup, leaving a memorable and lasting impression once their incredible set concluded. (WT)

NORTHLANE

A cyberpunk metalcore fever dream took over the main stage during NORTHLANE’s set, complete with festival-goers dressed as spacemen crowdsurfing over the barrier. Marcus Bridge’s vocals swung from soaring cleans to guttural screams while the band’s electronics-laced riffs made the whole set feel less like a gig and more like stepping onto the set of The Matrix, all neon menace and mechanical precision. The pits were insane, the energy more insane still, bodies colliding from the first breakdown onward. Pure main stage chaos ‐ arguably a masterclass in how heavy music can look and sound genuinely futuristic. (AC)

UNPEOPLE

Headlining the Shure Stage, unpeople once again proved they're unbeatable amongst UK live acts. The London quartet boast a sound that refuses to sit still, careening from massive singalong choruses into thunderous, unpredictable riffing that never goes where you expect. Unreleased tracks from their upcoming debut album We Are Unpeople were a hit, whilst crowdsurfers came over in hordes for fan favourites like overthinking – the energy infectious from their first song to the last. As is now a given in any unpeople set, guitarist Luke Caley rode shoulder-high through the crowd during the final circle pit of the garden. A first RADAR appearance that won't be forgotten in a hurry; if you're not in the know by now, you're undeniably missing out. (AC)

SKINDRED

Saturday's headliners tore the roof off O2 Victoria Warehouse. Benji Webbe prowled around and, rapping through opener This Is the Sound like a preacher donning his now-signature flamboyant stage wear, set the tone instantly. The genre-hopping chaos hit full force throughout, a reminder that no two SKINDRED songs ever sound the same. It was a delight to see the room bouncing as one to the reggae-tinged basslines and sudden lurches into full-throttle riffing, whilst the energy climbed higher and higher within the set. Spookz from BLACKGOLD joined for closer Warning, the whole crowd whipping their shirts overhead for the ritualistic Newport Helicopter. Unfiltered mayhem from start to finish. (AC)

MAEBE

Waking us up at the start of Sunday was Bristol-based instrumental triple-guitar prog/mathrock band MAEBE, who owned the Shure Stage with the confidence and swagger of a band that would be on much later in the day, really outdoing themselves and proving the high caliber of the bands that get booked for RADAR. Despite not having vocals in their music, the songs were undeniably catchy due to the incredibly tasteful lead guitar work from frontman Mike Astley-Brown that created toplines and ‘vocal’ style melodies that were easy to latch onto and provided some good ‘ear candy’ for those in the crowd who were perhaps more used to more conventional band setups that include vocals. (WT)

GLASS BRIDGES

After seeing quite a few fans sporting their T-Shirts around the site for much of the previous day, it was finally time to see what GLASS BRIDGES were made of. Safe to say they did not disappoint. Their upbeat, catchy guitar riffs and the emotional vocal performance from frontwoman Simona Cutifani blended together into one to create their powerful brand of infectiously fun emo-tinged alternative rock that proved that, despite the festival’s usual crop of progressive, metal-focused acts, the band’s style easily deserved its place on the RADAR bill and thrived. The slower emotional moments were all the more poignant when paired with Cutifani’s mid-set commentary on some of the personal struggles that come from being in a band pursuing music as a career, becoming a source of inspiration to the musicians or anyone who was struggling in the audience to keep pushing through, which was very endearing and left the crowd with a hopeful, optimistic sentiment. (WT)

EMPLOYED TO SERVE

Bringing their heavy style of groove-laden metalcore to the Shure stage, Woking-based EMPLOYED TO SERVE, certainly brought the heat with their set. From the opening song Atonement, a track which usually features the mighty Will Ramos, they set the tone and energy for the remainder of their time onstage: Heavy, chuggy guitars; feral screams from singer Justine Jones; and melodic clean-sung and guitar solo passages that offer somewhat of a break from the unrelenting heaviness that the rest of their sound carries. This sound clearly resonated with the audience, as there was rarely a moment where the moshing in the middle of the room slowed or stopped, a sign of a really great heavy set which EMLOYED TO SERVE most definitely delivered. (WT)

TEN56

Closing the second stage on the Sunday were French nu-deathcore giants TEN56, bringing their signature blend of thunderous heaviness and dark electronic elements to RADAR for the third time, being a bit of a staple for the festival at this point. However, this time felt somewhat special as rather than just being another band on the undercard, they have now passed the milestone of headlining a stage. 

The set opened with Doormat, the whole room instantly buzzing with energy as moshpits erupted across the crowd, and didn’t slow down until they had time to breathe during the more chilled-out rap cut IO, before the band plunged headfirst into the ultra-heavy Boy, proving to any doubters why TEN56 more than deserve their spot at the top of the second stage bill. (WT)

ANIMALS AS LEADERS

Playing RADAR for the first time since they headlined the festival’s debut, to call prog royalty ANIMALS AS LEADERS’ set a triumphant return would be an understatement, with the group offering up a true masterclass in musicianship and stage production that was truly a sight to behold. 

Despite being an instrumental band without a traditional frontperson to lead the charge onstage and musically, it never felt like there was any ‘missing piece’ within the band’s expansive sound. Opening with Tooth and Claw, it was immediately clear that this would become one of the best sets of the weekend, and the band didn’t let up from there, ripping through a selection of incredible songs including long-unplayed deep cut An Infinite Regression and their most popular track, Physical Education, which was by far the loudest singalong of the festival. Quite the impressive feat for a band with no lyrics in their entire discography. Aiding the set’s incredible musicality was the otherworldly lighting production, which felt chaotic yet controlled, always matching the feeling of the music, whether that be crushingly heavy or rich and ethereal.

The band closed the book on the festival with an encore of their iconic fan-favourite masterpiece Cafo, with founding guitarist Tosin Abasi instantly humbling the guitarists in the audience with its blistering sweep-picking intro and intense technicality throughout that proved(as if it needed proving) that ANIMALS AS LEADERS truly embody progressive metal of the highest pedigree, setting the bar immensely high for future RADAR headliners. (WT)