After its first edition in Camden, London in 2012, the Desertfest brand has expanded into an international enterprise, with previous events in Germany, Belgium, the US, Greece and Norway. The 2026 event this May saw famous Camden venues like the Roundhouse, the Underworld and the Electric Ballroom host an eclectic mix of alternative acts like Green Lung, Clutch and The Sword.

Back in 2027 for its 15th edition, Desertfest London’s initial announcement had a massive first headliner in Melvins. Known for frontman Buzz Osbourne’s iconic look and their utter lack of respect for genre boundaries, Melvins have inspired countless rock, metal and punk movements since 1983. When they were announced in September, Desertfest’s promoters wrote “We are over the moon to finally have the Melvins headline Desertfest – a band that needs no introduction to followers of the heavy. As true pioneers in heavy music their status as one of modern music’s most influential bands is undeniable, and their live shows are truly unparalleled. Often imitated, never duplicated, we here at Desertfest London are honoured to have the Melvins take their rightful place as headliner next May 2027. It’s been a long time coming!”

Alongside them is a UK exclusive show for Swedish doom metal outfit Monolord, and a hotly-anticipated set by German sludge duo Mantar. There will also be two 20th anniversary parties: US crossover act Inter Arma look back on their 2006 formation, while Oxford progressive metal heavyweights Desert Storm celebrate their emergence in 2007.

The updated poster for Desertfest 2027

The new wave of acts announced this week kicks off with Oregon doom metal three-piece YOB, who last played Desertfest in 2022 at the Roundhouse. Desertfest’s promoters describe them as “modern day living legends and masters in megalithic music.” They’ll be bringing a set of heavy, dense and atmospheric tracks to London in 2027.

Next up is sludge metal legends Kylesa from Savannah, Georgia, who bounced back from a 10-year hiatus in 2024 and are back playing live shows as of 2025. The group are well-known for their brand of groovy, riff-laden metal packed with psychedelic vibes. They will be making their Desertfest debut next year, sure to make the festival one for the history books.

Another debutant is Richmond, Virginia stoner metal collective Windhand, who Desertfest promise will “will dose us into a deep hypnosis with the heaviest of eerie psychedelia.” A huge story for the festival will be the return of London duo Lowen, who fuse metal with Middle Eastern elements and themes. After sets at Download Festival and ArcTanGent in 2025, the pair are working on their third album.

Here’s all 18 bands announced in the second wave for Desertfest 2027:

YOB
KYLESA
WINDHAND
LOWEN
MARGARITA WITCH CULT
BONNACONS OF DOOM
GURT
RITUAL KING
CARDIEL
DRUIDESS
PINK FUZZ
BLUE HERON
GOYA
FRIENDSHIP COMMANDERS
STONUS
CONGULUS
OCCULT HAND ORDER
TELLEMEHOOKAH

Desertfest comes to various venues in Camden, London, May 21 to 23 2027. Weekend tickets are available now, with seating and standing options at the Roundhouse.

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The festival started at Fernhill Farm, just outside Bristol, in 2013, and has become one of the biggest alternative festivals in the summer calendar. Since then, ArcTanGent has gone on to play host to many of the biggest names in alternative and experimental music, including The Dillinger Escape Plan, Meshuggah, Coheed and Cambria, Glassjaw and Converge. This year’s sold-out iteration featured Watford tech-metal group SikTh, US singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe, American progressive rock oddballs Primus, and closed with Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas performing ‘Mariner’ in full.

Back at the start of August, after the owners at Fernhill Farm decided they didn’t want the event on their grounds any longer, ATG announced a move to a new home at Todenham Manor Farm, near Moreton-in-Marsh in Gloucestershire. The promoters are familiar with the area from work on sister event 2000Trees, which runs at Upcote Farm in nearby Cheltenham. It won’t be a big shift from the classic ArcTanGent, as Todenham Manor offers the same space and capacity, but the organisers promise prettier surroundings.

To celebrate the first year at the new venue, the first wave of acts announced today is massive. Oakland, California’s Neurosis are back after a 7-year hiatus, reinforced by vocalist Aaron Turner of Sumac and Isis fame. Since releasing surprise new album ‘An Undying Love for a Burning World’ this March, they remain one of the most adventurous and influential post-metal acts, and look set to make a big live return to the UK.

The second main-stage headliner is Denver, Colorado’s Blood Incantation, who are leading the vanguard of a new wave of American progressive death metal. Back in June, they released ‘All Gates Open’, the soundtrack to their studio movie of the same name. Expect things to get interesting when they take the stage next August.

Elsewhere on the bill are UK live scene royalty The Wildhearts, who never disappoint, playing a one-time only progressive set. Their prolific frontman Ginger Wildheart says “We are so excited to come up with a unique, one time only set showcasing just how musical The WiLDHEARTS are. Jaws will drop, minds will blow and joy will abound. This is going to be more fun than should be legal.” French rockers Slift and British sludge metallers Conjurer join the bill, while German post-metal collective The Ocean bring a different kind of sound. A big highlight is British crew Employed To Serve celebrating the 10th anniversary of their breakthrough second album ‘The Warmth of a Dying Sun’.

ArcTanGent organiser and booker James Scarlett wrote a statement about the new venue and line-up, which says “There’s no better way to kickstart the new chapter of ArcTanGent, for the first year at our new location in the Cotswolds, than with two of our most requested headliners. Both bands are absolutely solid gold headliners – anyone that listens to 2 Promoters, 1 Pod will likely be sick of hearing me wax lyrical about the new Neurosis album. To have them along with Blood Incantation – a band it’s frankly criminal they haven’t played before – is the dream way to kick off a new edition of ArcTanGent. We’re also unleashing the vast majority of our Wednesday line-up, bringing back some of the most exciting acts from previous years. There are a lot of bands here that stood out with huge crowds in 2026, so we’re stoked that they want to return and help us kick off the early entry day of ATG 2027. As always, this announcement is simply a list of artists I’m extremely excited about from top to bottom and can’t wait to watch live at our new Cotswolds home.”

ArcTanGent 2027 will be at Todenham Manor Farm, Gloucestershire from August 19 to 21, with limited early-bird tickets available for Wednesday August 18. Tickets are on sale now.

UPDATE – 05/11

ArcTanGent have announced a second wave of acts including their Wednesday night co-headliners of Russian Circles and Brutus, plus Elder. Read more below:

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Their new limited-access Wednesday opening bill on August 18 will be closed out by ATG favourites  – Chicago post metal stalwarts Russian Circles and Belgian post rock trio Brutus, both of whom return to the festival for the first time since 2023. They top off a strong Wednesday line-up including previously-announced acts MØL, Conjurer and Psychonaut.

The new additions to the roster also count Massachusetts heavy psych creatives Elder and Los Angeles doom metal three-piece Faetooth. Cardiff rockers Future of the Left will be performing a special 20th anniversary set for their 2007 debut album ‘Curses’, while Utah female-fronted doom metal collective SubRosa have reunited for the first time since 2016. Other new faces include Kong, who split in 2011 and will be back for ArcTanGent 2027, Hipportraktor and Cold Night for Alligators. Here’s every band announced in this round:

Elder 

Russian Circles* 

Brutus* 

Faetooth

Future of the Left (Curses 20th anniversary) 

SubRosa 

Hippotraktor 

Kong 

A-Tota-So 

Bloed 

Cold Night For Alligators 

Death Goals & Tunic 

Earth Moves 

Earthside 

hubris. 

Ihlo 

Lancing Hand 

paper hats 

Speedial
* denotes acts performing on the Wednesday opening line-up
ArcTanGent founder James Scarlett spoke on the new update – “To be sat here a few months after our first ever sold out ATG, with ticket sales for next years festival already miles ahead of where they’ve EVER been at this time of year, AND announcing two juggernauts co-headlining our early entry Wednesday, feels like an immense privilege. To also be announcing a range of other incredible bands that include Future Of The Left and Kong – who have both released some of my personal, genuine all-time favourite albums – reminds me what a huge honour it is to put on ArcTanGent Festival. We truly can’t wait to begin the next chapter at our new home with this amazing community.”

Russian Circles and Brutus have also both responded to the news. Russian Circles write “We’re always honoured to be asked to play at ArcTanGent. The festival’s organic growth over the years has really made such a cultural impact. The 2027 lineup is amazing and a true testament to the festival’s legacy of artistry and integrity. We are looking forward to returning and can’t wait to see the new site.” The statement from Brutus says “We’re extremely happy we can come back to ArcTanGent, exactly 10 years after our first show. This will be a UK exclusive festival show, we hope to see you all there!”

Tickets for ArcTanGent 2027 are selling fast, but you can still get them here.

Since its 2006 inception in Leeds, Slam Dunk Festival has expanded to a double event with a twin show in Hatfield, as well as occasional European sister shows. In May 2026 Slam Dunk North at Leeds’ Temple Newsam and South at Hatfield Park were headed up by pop punk rebels Good Charlotte, metalcore stars Knocked Loose and the return of ska punk legends Sublime.

With next year’s event booked in for May 29 and 30, Slam Dunk dropped a trailer and poster with the first set of performers. The neon arcade-themed trailer reveals the artist names displayed on arcade cabinets, an air hockey table, and beer taps among other easter eggs.

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The first category features the biggest names in North American pop punk and ska punk: Bowling For Soup bring their tongue-in-cheek hits like ‘Girl All The Bad Guys Want’ and ‘1985’, and Simple Plan promise to start a party with their TV theme tune ‘What’s New Scooby Doo?’. Slam Dunk staples Reel Big Fish and Less Than Jake are also back to bring the bouncy ska vibes packed with trumpets and saxophones.

The rather heavy metal contingent is topped by US metalcore forerunners Killswitch Engage, with current torchbearers Beartooth and Wage War just below them. Australian group The Amity Affliction return to the UK following line-up changes and the release of 2026 album ‘House of Cards’, while technical shredders Erra continue touring their stellar album from this March, ‘Silence Outlives the Earth’.

Next up are things of an emo nature, with The Used following up their long-awaited 2025 Slam Dunk appearance, and Sleeping With Sirens topping the bracket. The Maine, We The Kings, The Academy Is… and Cute Is What We Aim For round off a selection of nostalgic throwbacks. Lower down the bill are an assorted mix of gems like The Front Bottoms, Four Year Strong, Hot Milk and Mouth Culture.

Slam Dunk 2027 North is at Temple Newsam, Leeds on Saturday May 29. and you can catch South at Hatfield Park on Sunday May 30. The first run of tickets go on pre-sale through their official app at 10am on Friday October 2, before a general sale for remaining tickets at 10am Monday October 5, with monthly payment plans available. More information is available at the Slam Dunk website. With further waves with more great acts scheduled, you can find the first line-up reveal on the poster below:

Shadowlands was announced this July as an international festival for what Shadowlands’ promotion team calls the “adventurous listening category” of music. Former Head of Artistic Development at the Royal Festival Hall and South Bank Centre David Sefton, who founded London’s famous Meltdown Festival in 1993, is launching his first new event since then – he says “The idea is to bring something new to the festival landscape that is genuinely original.” Digging below the surface of the industry for the more untapped and enigmatic acts is at the heart of the project: “There are many great independent events in the UK, but all to an extent are tied into a ‘next big thing’ pattern. However, there are so many extraordinary artists out there who are as unique and exciting as the day they started, whether six months ago or forty years ago. Shadowlands is all about them.”

The major draw on next year’s bill looks to be the exclusive return of Foetus, brainchild of Australian avant-garde creative JG Thirlwell. After releasing his first album since 2013 with this year’s ‘Halt’, Thirlwell is playing his first UK date in over 25 years, and only his second-ever orchestral one at Shadowlands. He will be accompanied by what he has dubbed the “Foetus Orchestra”, which features strings, woodwind, and brass sections, as well as a harp, guitar, bass and drums.

Another exciting act is Welsh industrial pioneer Brian Williams, AKA Lustmord. Known for his collaborations with members of experimental US acts Tool and Melvins, as well as his unique video game scores, Lustmord will bring something unnervingly dark to proceedings. Other highlights from the first wave of acts include influential London industrial group Test Dept, plus the return of post-punk supergroup Githead after a 13-year hiatus.

The latest drop of 16 new acts to round out the bill came last week on September 10. Southend-on-Sea’s These New Puritans bring their genre-spanning sound, American duo Matmos will be there with their unpredictable electronic arsenal of samples as well as spin-off project The Soft Pink Truth, and Sheffield industrial funk band Hula are reforming for their first live show in nearly 40 years. JG Thirlwell has also confirmed another solo set across the festival, where he will revisit the score he wrote for Harry Smith’s 1962 cult classic film Heaven and Earth Magic.

So what else can you expect from Shadowlands? As co-founder David Sefton asks and answers, “Ultimately, it’s really about asking the question: “what is the most exciting line-up of the most adventurous music ever made?” And then booking it.” Alongside 35 huge acts, Shadowlands is set to hold talks, panel discussions, Q&As and a film programme across four days and 3 stages on the University of Kent campus and it’s Gulbenkian Arts Centre. Tickets are on sale now for £280 for all 4 days, with accommodation also available to book on-site at the university. The first ever Shadowlands festival arrives in Canterbury July 1-4 2027.

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Created from a partnership forged between Somerset County Cricket Club, who play their games at the ground, and award-winning live events company Full Fat 360, Somerset Sounds aims to develop a new annual live experience for the South West of England. The Cooper Associates County Ground has previously hosted shows from the likes of Elton John, Lionel Ritchie and Rod Stewart, but this will be a big rise in its profile as a music hotspot. In a statement published by local news site SomersetLive, Full Fat 360 founder Oli Bartlam says “The Cooper Associates County Ground already has an incredible legacy of hosting world-class live entertainment, and Somerset Sounds is the next ambitious step in that evolution.”

While the South West is seeing a resurgence in its live music scene through schemes like Powderham Castle’s summer events near Exeter and alternative music gathering Burn It Down in Torbay, both in Devon, this marks a new ambitious move forward for Taunton, where most of the largest cultural happenings tend to gravitate towards nearby Glastonbury or Bristol. Bartlam touches on this in the rest of his statement, saying “Taunton and the wider region have a massive appetite for major live music, and this partnership allows us to establish the region as a destination on the national touring circuit. We’re thrilled to be working with Somerset County Cricket Club to bring international acts to this iconic venue and build an event series the entire South West can be proud of. Summer 2027 is only the beginning.”

SomersetLive report that Somerset County Cricket Club is already a major part of Taunton’s economy, in 2025 providing over 200 jobs and bringing over £20 million to the city. Jamie Cox, CEO of the club said of the project “Somerset Sounds represents an important step in the evolution of the Club and the Cooper Associates County Ground. Cricket will always be at the heart of who we are, but we have a much wider ambition for the venue and for the role it can play within Somerset. We want to create experiences that bring new audiences to Taunton from across the South West and beyond, while generating meaningful economic and cultural benefits for the County.”

Somerset Sounds was first announced yesterday, September 10, with a set of brand new social media accounts. So far, the latest information is a post on Instagram which claims their “first artist reveal is just around the corner”. You can sign up here for the latest reveals as they break before the festival makes its debut in August 2027.

As his manager, Sharon first devised Ozzfest in 1996 when legendary English metal singer Ozzy was spurned by the US festival circuit, creating a vehicle for him to perform as well as a large multi-city heavy metal event programme. The inaugural year saw Ozzy head up a bill alongside legendary acts like Slayer, Danzig and Sepultura across two shows in Phoenix, Arizona and San Bernardino, California.

From there, Ozzfest expanded into an empire, hosting a travelling run across the US, as well as shows in the UK, Europe and Japan. Ozzfest England debuted in 1998 at the Milton Keynes Bowl with a monster line-up including both Ozzy Osbourne and his group Black Sabbath, as well as Foo Fighters and Pantera. After returning in 2001 and 2002, Ozzfest did not come back to the UK again before the US festival as we know it stopped operating in 2018.

Last July, Ozzy Osbourne celebrated his career with one big final show named Back to the Beginning before retiring due to ill health. The event was held in his home city of Birmingham at the Villa Park football stadium with an attendance of 45,000 and millions of viewers online, and featured an all-star support bill before Ozzy played both his last set with Black Sabbath and his last solo performance. Three weeks later, he sadly passed away aged 76 from a heart attack in his home, surrounded by his family.

Following Ozzy’s passing and the triumphant success of Back to the Beginning, earlier this year Sharon Osbourne announced plans to bring Ozzfest back with the late Ozzy’s blessing, 30 years after its inception. NME reported this March that Sharon was looking to bring the event back to the UK with a proposal to use Villa Park again, saying “We wanna do two days in Aston Villa and then come to America.” In a conversation with her son Jack, she also added “We’ve got to find a lot of young, new talent, because that’s what’s your dad would want.”

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In August, Sharon spoke to Metal Hammer about the concrete plans for Ozzfest, though there was uncertainty on the number of days it would cover – she said “It’s going to be at Villa Park again. Whether it’ll be two nights, that’s up for the fans to tell me.” This Monday, August 17, Ozzfest’s social media accounts broke the news that Ozzfest 2027 was booked in for Villa Park, with further information to come. The post shared an aerial shot taken of the football ground during Back to the Beginning, with the staging from the event clearly visible. Also speaking to Metal Hammer, Sharon was cautious when discussing potential acts for the event – “Of course we’re speaking to people. I can’t let that out yet, but it’ll be soon.”

While the wait for further developments on the return of Ozzfest to both the UK and US begins, the West Midlands continue to remember one of their most famous artists actively. Birmingham celebrated Ozzy Osbourne’s life and legacy this July with the first ever ‘Ozzy Day’, which saw events, activities and performances across the city in honour of the first anniversary of his passing.

The first iteration of Latitude was held at the Henham Park site near Southwold, Suffolk in 2006, with a billing that included Snow Patrol, The Zutons, Mogwai and Paolo Nutini. As it’s grown into a major festival, it’s hosted massive acts like Florence + The Machine, Pet Shop Boys, The 1975 and The Killers. The 20th anniversary event ran last weekend with around 40,000 attendees from July 23 to 26, and had  former Talking Heads’ maverick leader David Byrne, current US chart-topper Teddy Swims and loveable Scottish singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi as its main attractions.

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This past Sunday, Melvin Benn, the founder and organiser of Latitude and Managing Director of Festival Republic, made the announcement that the festival had extended its lease at Henham Park for a further 20 years. He broke the news during an on-stage discussion with Professor George McKay of the University of East Anglia. According to NME he said “I have signed a new 20-year lease with the Rous family. Latitude will call Henham Park home until 2046. I could not be prouder to make that commitment, or to announce it in front of our audience on the festival’s 20th anniversary. Henham Park is not just where Latitude happens. It is part of what Latitude is. The lake, the woods, the parkland. You cannot separate the festival from the place.”

Permission to extend the lease was granted to Festival Republic by Hektor Rous, whose family owns the Henham Park estate. In a statement published by the BBC, Rous wrote “Latitude Festival has been an incredible and pivotal event for Henham Park and we couldn’t be more pleased to have agreed another 20 years with the brilliantly creative and passionate team at Festival Republic led by Melvin Benn.” He also spoke of the unique benefits of holding a festival at the estate, saying “Latitude has very much enabled us to continue the restoration and care of Henham Park which is not only my life’s work, but the work of generations before and after. It has supported the restoration of several at risk buildings and aided us in the catching up on many years of forestry and landscape recovery and maintenance works critical to maintaining an estate like this.”

In preparation for Latitude 2027, the organisers have opened a loyalty scheme, which will reward returning attendees with money off their tickets for next year. Registration for the scheme is open now, before it closes on Sunday August 2 at 11:59pm. The loyalty tickets will then go on sale at 10am on Wednesday August 5, while early bird tickets hit the market at 10am on Thursday August 13.

2000Trees is one of the UK’s most exciting and diverse rock festivals, bringing a cohort of the rock world’s finest acts to a picturesque site among the trees in Upcote Farm, near Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. It’s set to start this Wednesday, July 8, and run 3 huge days of music until Saturday July 11. Coming into last week, 2000Trees had booked an outstanding line-up including Welsh emo legends Funeral For A Friend, US post-hardcore innovators Glassjaw, and Welsh pop punk fun from Neck Deep, with Chicago punk royalty Alkaline Trio headlining the opening Thursday night.

Alkaline Trio suddenly announced the full cancellation of their English headliner shows including 2000Trees on Friday July 3, the same day the tour was due to begin with a night at Birmingham’s O2 Institute. The tour would also have visited London, Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester before culminating in the 2000Trees set. In the post, they explained that the cancellation was due to medical issues that frontman Matt Skiba had been experiencing, following shows in Germany where he was pictured seated while on stage.

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In a video post from London Heathrow airport on his Instagram account, Skiba thanked British fans for their understanding and patience over the matter, saying “you guys deserve a better show than I can throw right now. I’ve got numbness in my feet, numbness in my hands, as you can tell I’m losing my voice. So I can’t really talk, walk, play or sing, but I’m okay.”

With a significant vacuum on the bill and less than a week to sort a replacement, 2000Trees’ organisers frantically worked to find a substitute. They broke the news the same day, confirming that they had booked Bedford alt-rock heavyweight’s Don Broco for the Thursday slot. In the post, they wrote “It’s been a whirlwind of a day but we’re buzzing to have these guys return to the Main Stage next week. This band are total heroes for stepping in at the 11th hour to help us out”, before adding “two years ago they put on one of the biggest headline sets Upcote has ever seen, and now they’re gonna one up it. This will be one helluva show.” The organisers also spoke of the drama of booking such a late replacement with some mirth, writing “Now please excuse us while we go and have a lay down and a stiff drink – we found out about Alkaline Trio literally a few hours ago, and we pulled out all the stops to sort out your Thursday headliner as soon as possible, from the middle of a field no less. Thanks for bearing with + let’s get the party started!!”  

 

 

 

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Since headlining the festival in 2024, Don Broco have enjoyed a wild ride in the last 12 months, shifting their ever-evolving sound into a blistering nu metal throwback style with their latest singles from album ‘Nightmare Tripping’, which released this March. The album features major collaborations with Nickelback on the title track, and a vocal feature from Architects frontman Sam Carter on the fierce single ‘True Believers’. Last Friday, when the news of the booking broke, they were supporting Biffy Clyro at their massive Finsbury Park bash to a crowd of over 45,000. The band have celebrated on Instagram, writing “Honoured to be returning to 2000 Trees to headline Thursday night! We’ll be filling in for Alkaline Trio, sending big love to Matt, we hope you feel better soon. Trees we love you. See you in a few days.”

2000Trees starts this week, running July 8 to 11 at Upcote Farm, Gloucestershire. Catch Don Broco, Funeral For A Friend and Neck Deep headlining, with limited tickets still available here. Don Broco are also on tour this Autumn supporting 2026 album ‘Nightmare Tripping’ at these dates:

SEPTEMBER

27 – Colosseum, Watford
28 – Engine Shed, Lincoln, 
29 – Octagon, Sheffield, 

OCTOBER

1 – Corn Exchange, Edinburgh, 
2 – Academy, Manchester,
3 – Guild of Students, Liverpool, 
4 – City Hall, Newcastle,
6 – Corn Exchange, Cambridge
7 – O2 Academy, Birmingham,
8 – Guildhall, Portsmouth
10 – University of East Anglia, Norwich, 
11 – Leas Cliff Hall, Folkstone
12 – Here At Outernet, London
14 – The Prospect Building, Bristol,

The festival has been running at the South Downs site since 2011, located just outside Winchester in Hampshire. It stands out from other festivals with its curated storylines and lore which tells of aliens and dystopian megacorporations, the unique design of its stages and festival grounds, and its culture of inclusiveness. They draw all manner of alternative acts, primarily electronic, ska and reggae, with past headlining alumni including Gorillaz, Wu Tang Clan and The Specials.

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The atmosphere can only exist within the beautiful scenery of the South Downs woodland, which was designated national park status in 2010 and has been an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty since the 1960s. As such, the environmental impacts of a large-scale annual music festival in the region has attracted widespread criticism from conservation groups, as well as local residents who suffer from the noise pollution and traffic congestion.

 
The BBC heard from local Alisson Mathews, who lives 2 miles from the festival grounds, about her experience every August. She said she could hear the pounding bass and drum beats from Boomtown “almost constantly in our house and garden” and added “by Sunday night we are exhausted from the lack of sleep. I find it particularly disappointing to see the park authority failing its residents by ignoring its first purpose and doing nothing to encourage Boomtown to find an alternative venue outside the protected landscape.” The BBC’s article also quotes complaints from Christopher Langford, who objects to the use of the national park for the purpose, saying “national parks should be havens for nature, not environments damaged by large-scale music festivals.”

 
In order to continue their activity, Boomtown’s organisers have had to pledge to several new rules to protect the environment. A new meadow spanning 4.2 acres must be created to foster biodiversity at the site by South Downs Way, with protection for bats, barn owls, and other bird species native to the area. Additionally, they will be subject to independent ecological surveys every year to monitor impacts on wildlife like badgers, butterflies, birds and reptiles. NME referenced Councillor Janet Duncton, who spoke positively of Boomtown’s footprint in the region, saying “I’ve visited the site before, during and after the festival, and in my view it has been well managed. A lot of people get a great deal of pleasure from this, and don’t we all need a bit of that? I think five years is a perfectly reasonable time to allow them to continue.” Boomtown’s Director Shula Rael says “The people behind the festival understand the purpose of this park. We take those responsibilities seriously, and we deliver against them.”  

 

 

 

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Permission to hold the festival in its current state until 2030 was granted by South Downs National Park Authority, the body responsible for the park. It allows one Boomtown Festival event a year at Matterley Estate, up to a maximum of 75,999 attendants, and a further 1,000 for their Sunday. Boomtown’s co-founder Luke Mitchell has described this year’s festival as one that will “encapsulate everything we love: intricate film-set worlds, twisting storylines, bouncing dancefloors, and diverse expressions of music and art”

Boomtown Festival: Chapter Five runs from the 12th to the 16th of August 2026 in the South Downs National Park, with top-billing acts Kneecap, Scissor Sisters, Madness and Skrillex. Tickets are sold out, but fear not – the festival will return in 2027.

Burn It Down is an annual three-day event in the South West, transforming the harbour of Devon seaside resort Torquay into a hub for alternative music fans. The west of England has suffered the loss of many of its live music venues and typically struggles to draw talent to the region, but through initiatives like Burn It Down more international acts than ever visit the so-called “English Riviera” of Torbay. The shows take place across The Foundry, The Attic, and The Apple and Parrot, three of the most important independent bars in Torquay’s nightlife centre. Previous iterations of the fest have welcomed prolific artists ranging from UK hardcore juggernauts Malevolence to breakthrough metalcore starlets Static Dress.

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  The initial lineup was announced in January, featuring the upbeat pop punk of As It Is, the weighty hardcore of TRC, and the rebellious punk of The Meffs. A second wave of bands came at the start of March, revealing the Friday night headliner as US post-hardcore outfit Drug Church, alongside St Albans’ Your Demise, who were trendsetters for British alternative music in the 2000s and 2010s. The organisers also broke the news that the entire set of Friday performances would have no barrier in front of the stage, a key feature in energetic hardcore punk shows that allows fans to be part of the action and stage dive to their heart’s content. Today’s update only brought one band, but that band’s presence has drawn significant attention from beyond the Westcountry. Australia’s Speed have grown to be one of the most talked-about hardcore collectives in the world – their aggressive beatdowns and the unique addition of frontman Jem Siow’s flute trills has forged an identity that sets them apart from the pack. Official debut EP ‘Gang Called Speed’ hit number 5 on the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA)’s Australian Album Chart, and debut LP ‘Only One Mode’ earned Speed the ARIA Award for Best Hard Rock or Heavy Metal Album in 2024.  

 

 

 

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After supporting Baltimore icons Turnstile on their 2024 European tour, the group last brought their frenetic live show to the UK in June last year, playing at Outbreak Festival in both Manchester and London, as well as shows in Dublin and Belfast. With their Saturday headline slot at Burn It Down also announced to be a no-barrier set, attendees can expect a ton of unbridled mayhem and a busy night for the venue’s security team.

Burn It Down 2026 takes place across Torquay from Friday the 3rd of September to Sunday the 5th, with day and weekend tickets available from promoter BYP’s store. Speed will also be on tour across the UK this April, with tickets available for select shows. The full list of dates for their tour with Whispers, Bodyweb and additional support looks like this:

• April 15 – Chalk, Brighton w/ No Relief
• April 16 – XOYO Birmingham w/ Killing Me Softly
• April 17 – Electric Bristol w/ Dambuster
• April 18 – Digital, Newcastle w/ Hellbound
• April 19 – Project House, Leeds w/ Hellbound
• April 20 – Slay, Glasgow w/ Nothin’ But Enemies & Hellbound
• April 22 – Electric Ballroom, London w/ Impunity & SOV