This event differs itself from the typical outdoor, sweaty music festival. Instead, Rebellion is located indoors. The action-packed event is hosted in Winter Gardens Blackpool, home to some of the most diverse events in the UK, and not only festivals but West End Musicals, Operas and Orchestra. Active since 1996, Rebellion festival has accumulated a dedicated audience of new and old fans looking to hear some legitimate punk rock music each summer. Alongside the punk acts there is a mix of garage-rock, ska, acoustic sets, post-punk and more.

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The highly sought-after lineup has at long last been shared online, participants and fans alike sure are ecstatic. Rebellion’s 2026 lineup includes, The Stranglers, Cockney Rejects, Stiff Little Fingers, Sham 69, Split Dogs, Ferocious Dog and almost 300 more names to get excited for.

Spanning 300 artists over 4 days, it is going to be weekend to remember. Not only can attendees expect some insane, electrifying setlists, but Rebellion also provides a fresh variety of additional activities for festival fans to sink their teeth into.

The huge indoor venue houses 6 stages for crowds to flock to. This exciting number of stages includes an ‘introducing’ stage. Small artists solidifying themselves in the scene are provided with the opportunity to perform to a supportive audience for what may be the very first time. Rebellion is a diamond amongst the rubble, especially for small artists to build a dedicated audience.

Away from the music, Rebellion also holds its very own market where attendees can buy clothing, band merch, records/CD’s handmade goods, artwork and countless other trinkets. The festival also offers an astounding variety of workshops for attendees to get involved with between sets, a pleasant opposite end to the crazy mosh pit spectrum.

A family-run festival, Rebellion is also also marketed as an all-ages event, with children under 12 attending for free. Making the festival an apparent no brainer for families, particularly those with young children who wish to attend alternative concerts, however struggle with finding something family friendly. With its wide range of activities and musical genres there’s undoubtedly something for everybody to enjoy. Parents can still have an enjoyable time, jumping around a mosh pit whilst keeping their children entertained, making lifelong memories.

Not only is the primary musical genre on display punk, but Rebellion simultaneously shines a spotlight on a wide variety of other musical genres including a minority of Glam Rock artists and seminal bands from the 1960’s and 1970s.

Rebellion has been recognised within mainstream press coverage from sources such as Kerrang, The Independent and The Daily Telegraph.

Maintaining a positive relationship with both Blackpool Council and its dedicated attendees, Rebellion is an all round positive event with something there for everyone. Make sure to grab either your weekend or day tickets now to experience the punk rock event of the year.

The Irish singer was a pivotal member of The Nolans, the all-sister pop group that gave the world the irresistible 1979 hit, ‘I’m in the Mood for Dancing.’ She performed alongside her sisters—Anne, Denise, Maureen, Bernie, and Coleen. She passed away on January 15, 2025 in Blackpool, surrounded by friends and family.

Over the years, the Nolan sisters pursued their own paths. Coleen became a well-known television personality as a panelist on Loose Women, Maureen built a career in musical theatre, Denise continued performing as a singer, Bernie died of Breast Cancer, and Anne stepped away from the spotlight. Linda’s career extended beyond her time with The Nolans. She made her mark in musical theatre, starring in productions such as Blood Brothers, Pump Boys and Dinettes, and Prisoner Cell Block H – The Musical, where she performed alongside the late Paul O’Grady. In 2014, she introduced herself to a new generation of audiences as a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother, where her sharp wit and candid personality shone.

The funeral service was intimate, yet carried elements of spectacle fitting for a woman who spent her life in entertainment. Linda was laid to rest in a pink, glittery coffin—an unmistakable nod to her vibrant personality. Among the mourners was comedian Paul Elliott, better known as Paul Chuckle, reflecting Linda’s deep ties to British show business. Actor Shane Richie was also present, paying his respects.

Linda Nolan’s funeral features pink sparkly coffin as sisters lead mourners https://t.co/0BIRL5LAGX

— Irish Independent (@Independent_ie) February 1, 2025

Denise Nolan-Anderson delivered an emotional eulogy, recalling Linda’s love for the spotlight. “She really loved going to premieres and opening nights, having her beautiful picture taken,” she said, capturing Linda’s lifelong embrace of show business. But behind the glamour was a woman of immense strength, who spent two decades battling breast cancer before ultimately succumbing to double pneumonia. “It’s time to rest now, Linda,” Denise concluded. “The battle is over, you are free.” At the funeral all of Nolan’s sisters wore black but accessorised with pink handbags – a nod to both their sister’s love for the colour and her battle against breast cancer. She dedicated much of the last 20 years of her life to raising money for Breast Cancer related charities.

Even in farewell, Linda’s humour shone through. She chose Frank Sinatra’s ‘Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone’—a nod to The Nolans’ time supporting him on tour—leaving mourners laughing as the service concluded. As the final goodbyes were said, it was clear that Linda Nolan’s legacy was one of resilience, talent, and an enduring love for the stage.

Although the nightclub is not there in its physical form, it lives on, through the people and it’s music.

Northern Soul emerged in the economically disadvantaged regions of Northern England during the late 1960s. From Manchester and Sheffield, including Newcastle, Blackpool, and various parts of Southern Scotland, such as Glasgow and Edinburgh. Previously renowned for its significant contributions to the Industrial Revolution during the 19th century, these areas had transformed into a hub of widespread joblessness, menial labor in factories and mines; however, Northern soul music dramatically changed the culture in these areas, bringing a music that was outspoken about racism, ecology, war, and drug abuse, among other topics. Motown mixed with R&B, and dance vibes was introduced in nightclubs by DJ’s, it saw songs from Marvin Gaye “This love starved Heart“, Frankie Valli “You’re Ready Now” and the renowned song “Out on the Floor” by Dobie Gray. The music genre become popular among the younger generation and gave a voice to the working class.

The weekend kicked off with Craig’s special edition of his regular Saturday night Funk and Soul show, dedicated to Northern Soul, his introduction to the all-nighter began at 6pm and concluded at 9pm. The show showcased a ten-piece soul house band known as The Signatures, alongside esteemed guests such as Richard Searling, a renowned figure from the iconic Wigan Casino, and the talented all-female R&B group, The Flirtations.

Additionally, Craig was set to embark on a quest to locate the most elusive Northern Soul record, which was recently sold for an astounding £100k. Then from 9pm, Stuart Maconie joined the festivities and collaborated with Craig to present a broadcast of the Northern Soul Prom.

This extraordinary event was conceived by Stuart and featured a captivating performance by the BBC Concert Orchestra.

Richard Searling recalls, “As soon as those doors opened, there’d be a flood of people. Once inside, they went upstairs, paid the entry fee, passed through a set of double doors and entered the dance hall. There, the wall of sound would hit you. The club’s cocktail of aromas would also hit you. “That smell of condensation, of Brut, of sweat… It was absolutely amazing.”

The all-nighter playlists continued with Golden Torch, Wigan Casino, Twisted Wheel and The 100 Club. The Northern Soul’s morning after mix, saw a Northern Soul Special from 4am unitl 7am and Lights On With Stuart Maconie 7am until 8am.

The amazing weekend was recorded by BBC Radio 6 and is available on BBC iplayer, click here.

The annual festival returns to the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, running from Thursday the 3rd of August until Sunday the 6th, and will welcome Rollins to Blackpool for the first time on the Friday.

In a press release, Rollins expressed his joy at the invitation, stating, “I’m looking forward to being part of Rebellion Festival this year. I will be on my own, no band, just me speaking. Perhaps the lowest volume performance of the entire event!”

The festival is a celebration of all things punk, having been around around since 1996 (under the previous name Holidays in the Sun, a reference to a Sex Pistols track of the same name), hosting a multitude of punk acts in doing so.

This year’s edition features another frontman of a prominent 80s punk outfit, H.R from Bad Brains, and will see Neville Staples, formerly of two-tone ska band the Specials, and Brix Smith, former member of the post-punk band the Fall, perform solo too.

Other classic punk bands include English band the Damned, American groups M.D.C, TSOL and the Dickies, while English contemporary punk duo Bob Vylan are also set to perform at the renowned punk event.

As well as all the punk rock on offer there are groups whose music goes beyond the traditional punk realm, thereby exemplifying the festival’s ideals: bands like rock group the Only Ones and ska band Bad Manners aren’t specifically punk bands but they carry a certain punk attitude, an attitude that doesn’t particularly care what others may think of them, an attitude on which the festival is built on.

Rollins certainly embodies such a punk attitude. Starting off as a roadie for local Washington D.C punk bands, he formed and fronted State of Alert in 1980, and released an EP with this group before they disbanded later that year.

Rollins soon after became a fan of Black Flag, seeing as many shows as possible and even singing for the group on one occasion. Coincidentally the band was then on the lookout for a new vocalist after former singer Dez Cadena switched to playing guitar, and Rollins was thus invited to join.

Rollins’ stage presence helped Black Flag’s prominence and, after releasing six albums in as many years, the band became synonymous with the American punk scene. In 1986 the band disbanded, however, and Rollins formed another band, the Rollins Band, and also started his spoken word career, and has released seventeen spoken word albums to date.

Listen to “Rise Above” by Black Flag below:

Tickets for Rebellion Festival are available to purchase here.

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Speaking recently with The Guardian’s Rachel Aroesti, Morris described the new album as a “Rose tinted” view of the north as a friendly “Mary Poppins-esque” universe. It springs from a yearning for the transparency of her childhood origins in the busy and often confounding London life she’s now grown into. Living in Primrose Hill with her partner Benjamin Garret (popularly known by his artist/producer name “Fryars”) in an impossibly cool house they designed together, her new life is at quite an odds with her humble Blackpool beginnings. The sense of longing is most keenly felt on “Running Shoes” where “the blueberries grow, And the internet’s slow“, where “the animals graze on the hillside for days“. It’s a touching serenade to the colloquial Britain she misses and sometimes romanticises about returning to, especially at the thought her newly born daughter might end up with a posh southern accent “I think she’ll sound like she’s from Primrose Hill, and I’ll just have to deal with it“.

Her new album is also inspired by difficulty. Signing to a major label at just 19, Rae has been in the game far longer than her 29 years suggest. Competing with the likes of label buddies Ed Sheeran and Clean Bandit was naturally a tall order and likely a toxic environment to be dropped in so young. 2 albums later, like so many signed to huge and unobtainable standards, she was dropped, with Rachel@Fairyland her first new record since the split. It’s a time she reflects on critically now, evaluating the bizarre and inappropriate ways older male label execs would try and guide her career, she tells Rachel Aroesti “Not in any other area of your life would someone say: ‘You’ve got a really great smile, you should put that out there more. I wonder if you wear a crop top whether that would help?“.

Out the other side of it now, with a brilliant and empowering new album on the way, Rae seems to have channelled this adversity into the best work she’s made so far. You can catch her at any of the UK shows below and grab your tickets here.

The event will occur at the exact same time as Rebellion Fest, taking place in the Tower Headland, whilst the latter will take place in Winter Gardens, as normal. The Headland has a capacity of around 15,000 people, and has previously played host to Livewire Festival and Blackpool Festival.

According to The Blackpool Gazette, R-Fest was born of the idea to make Rebellion Festival more accessible with the addition of some more mainstream groups. Jennie Russell Smith, the organiser of the festival, is quoted as saying: “We are all incredibly excited for our first ever R-FEST line up; four days of bands in the incredible headland arena with the tower and the Winter Gardens on one side and the Irish Sea on the other. It’s going to be amazing!”

Blackpool Council member Coun Lynne Williams also weighed in on the exciting new addition to the Rebellion Festival event, saying: “The festival organisers have had the ambition to grow the event for some time, but have been obviously prevented from doing so because of restrictions on large-scale events over the past two years… it is great news that this popular event enjoyed by so many people is going to return in a new expanded format next summer. It is an event that along with others held in our town that really brings Blackpool alive and is a firm favourite festival in music lovers’ calendars.”

Rebellion Festival is currently the biggest punk festival in the world and features a myriad of punk and hardcore groups from the UK and beyond. Among the line-up this year includes English punk legends Sham 69, Scottish band The Exploited, as well as Texas punk rockers M.D.C. and New York City hardcore frontrunners Cro Mags.

More information about the event can be found here, on Rebellion Festival’s website. It has been stated that for anyone purchasing tickets only for R-Fest, the event is a standalone, however anyone who has purchased tickets for Rebellion Festival will be admitted to R-Fest free of charge. You can find tickets for R-Fest here, and for Rebellion Festival here.

Ticket prices are as follows:

R-Fest Day Ticket- £55.00
Rebellion Festival Day Ticket- £95.00
Rebellion Festival Weekend Ticket- £195.00

With nods towards 90s house and a glimpse into future electronica, Satellite is a feel good pop hit determined to keep spirits warm and dry following the recent drizzle that has hit the UK. The video features a dazzling ballet performance from rising star Annalise Gray, and was shot in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom, a place very close to home for Little Boots, real name Victoria Hesketh, having been born and raised in Blackpool. The video was also co-directed by Hesketh herself, showing that she is much more than a pretty face with an astounding voice.

Satellite is the fifth single to be taken from Nocturnes, which was released in May earlier this year to positive reviews. She will embark on a string of shows in the US before returning to the UK for a headline show at Heavens in London on the 28th of November. It’s sure to be an electric night, with a constant buzz circling the club, so grab your tickets early to avoid disappointment. You can check out the video for Satellite below.