Radar Festival is fast becoming a hotspot for the UK progressive scene, achieving a reputation for delivering unconventional and boundary pushing bands from the heavyweights to the up-and-coming and everything in between. The three-day indoor event within the walls of Manchester’s 02 Victoria Warehouse as well as a plethora of incredible artists, there’s music and entertainment stalls, and pre and after parties each night. If you’re unsure where to start, here’s a breakdown on what Radar Festival is all about this year.
Friday – July 26th
Friday hits the ground running, starting with GIANT WALKER, with their infectious progressive rock, followed by the multi-genre spanning sounds of CESTRA. Meanwhile, over on the main stage THE INTERSPHERE insert their high alt rock energy, and EARTHSIDE add some cinematics to the day. Instrumental genius is the name of the game on Friday, with the likes both of PLINI and ICHIKA NITO gracing the stage with their awe-inspiring guitar playing. The day just keeps on giving, with the likes of VOLA blurring between the all ends of the progressive spectrum, from deep djent sounds to synth laden bops. Off the back of their self title EP, UNPEOPLE are set to keep the groove and energy high with their punk attitude and sing along animosity.
Filled with legends throughout the alterative scene, VOWER elevate the day with bold post-rock prog, while Swedish rising stars THROWN promise dirty metalcore breakdowns and a roaring good time with bangers fresh off their nights EP and anticipated debut record Excessive Guilt. CASKETS headline the second stage, which will undoubtedly have the room quaking with their post-hardcore anthems, while over on the mainstage, synthwave legends THE MIDNIGHT headlining the day with their monumental, feel-good sound; You best get your Hawaiian shirts and aviators ready to dance the night away!
Saturday – July 27th
There’s no letting up on Saturday either, as KYROS keep everyone into the festival headspace of the day with their boundary pushing synth pop. There’s TRIBE OF GHOSTS adding a lick of industrial post rock, not to mention HAIL THE SUN are set to play their first UK show in six years, meaning we’re in for a treat with their mathy post hardcore. For more insanity and chaotic ecstasy, look no further than THE FALL OF TROY and the dizzying mathcore of CAR BOMB.
While there’s plenty of choice throughout Radar Festival, for the more brutally inclined, there’s beautifully ferocious ITHACA with mind melting tracks from 2022’s highly acclaimed They Fear Us, and brazenly heavy CONJURER will decimate on stage with their doomy post-metal. Likewise, GRAPHIC NATURE and SEETHING AKIRA will whip up a storm with their distinct takes on a distillation of electronica, nu-metal and metalcore that cements them as some of the UK’s best. At the top end of Saturday’s billing, it’s none stop with HEART OF A COWARD and DIRTY LOOPS both guaranteeing an incredible show. All this will be topped off with one of the progressive scenes best loved bands, TESSERACT, with a stacked back catalogue of tune after tune, the room is guaranteed to be a delight.
Sunday – July 28th
Going three for three, Sunday’s lineup at Radar Festival is a choc full of insane talent as the previous days. Manchester’s own ATHEANA bring in the day, in good company with ADHARMA who’re bridging the gap between haunting vocals and a symphonic heaviness. Bass wizards THE OMNIFIC will dazzle and enthral with their sonorous progressive tunes from latest record The Law Of Augmented Returns. ASHEN push the limits with their roof raising death metal while elsewhere HUMANITY’S LAST BREATH will unleash a malicious set of crushing deathcore upon the crowd, in complete contrast to jazz adjacent SUNGAZER, who are no less evocative but in a whole other camp.
As ever, Radar Festival have delivered a huge array of examples of what it means to push musical boundaries, with HOLDING ABSENCE dropping feel good anthems and BLOOD COMAND whipping up their deathpop delights.
Undoubtedly the room will be bouncing for the likes of SIAMESE with their infectious breakdowns and bouncing synth, while FUTURE STATIC’s melodic numbers are set to have you bopping. If you’re expecting anything less that exceptional for the final headliner on the mainstage, LEPROUS’ real time song request set will be a thing to bear witness to for a one-of-a-kind performance that shouldn’t be missed.
Radar Festival will take place from July 26th-28th at O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester. Tickets are available now and can be purchased here.
For more information on Radar Festival like their official page on Facebook.