Top 10 bands you must watch at RADAR Festival 2025

July 3, 2025 Laura McCarthy

With RADAR Festival firmly cementing itself as one of the best independent festivals for eclectic acts and experimental sounds spanning across so many genres, this year is set to be yet another giant weekend of music. While unfortunately losing their second headliner just days before the event, the festival has fostered a community of supportive vendors, staff and attendees that will see the rest of the three day event uphold its postitive atmosphere. Boasting synthwave, emo, hardcore and progressive music and everything in between, here’s a must see list of this year’s lineup.

CARPENTER BRUT – Stage One

Starting with the heavy hitter, there’s naturally one act that you’re either very eager to see, or will undoubtedly be in love with by the end of Friday. CARPENTER BRUT revels in a love of horror in synthwave; an enormous show is always a delivered, from the psycho-thriller-feel-good tracks like Turbo Killer and Le Perv. The light show is set to stun, a true dark disco. An undeniable heavyweight in the synthwave scene since 2018, with three records stacked with massive electronic bangers and plenty of features across the alternative plane, CARPENTER BRUT’s set will raise the roof.

ZEAL & ARDOR – Stage One

Another massive name in the alternative scene, ZEAL & ARDOR are moving from strength to strength with their genre defying songs. Ranging from blues inflected neo-soul, to avant-garde black metal, there’s no one like them. From huge fans favourites and big hits Götterdämmerung, Death to the Holy and Fend You Off their effortlessly groovy, ZEAL & ARDOR are never ones to disappoint, and with an ever-evolving sound, there’s no question the Swiss titan’s set will be a stand out.

FUTURE PALACE – Stage Two

Berlin base FUTURE PALACE have a passion and a ferocity that isn’t to be missed. Their new album Distortion is their boldest work yet, with powerful vocals both clean and screamed, and riffs that will grab you hook, line and sinker. With tracks like The Echoes of Disparity, Uncontrolled and Malphas they’ve harnessed an anger against injustice with a battering sound that ignites a crowd from first song to last.

ARCH ECHO – Stage Two

With the release of the first instalment of their mammoth, year-spanning new project 3X3 just dropping barely a week ago, now is a prime time to be enveloped in ARCH ECHO’s transcendent sound. The Nashville instrumentalist boast immersive tracks like Colour Wheel, Aluminosity and Spark, ARCH ECHO that are equal parts beautiful and richly technical. With the beauty of RADAR Festival being how intimate the performances are, this will have all your mid- festival proggy needs covered. With their only UK date this summer, it’s going to be an experience you won’t want to miss.

WATERLINES – Stage Two

Touted at ‘Dirtbags from the North’, WATERLINES bring an absolute storm of high energy EDM, metalcore and nu-metal. Founded in 2022 out of the ashes of SERTRALINE, the band have been blasting to crowds with their huge sound, growing more impressive with each performance. For the first act on Sunday, they’re sure to give the audience a proper wake up call and have the mob bouncing straight from the first song.

TIBERIUS – Stage One

One of the best progressive bands coming out of Scotland, TIBERIUS have been a must-see live act for years. If you caught them at RADAR Festival 2023, you’ll know the command they had over the audience, getting in the centre of the crowd mid song, bringing massive riffs to their awesome stage performance. With the release of their incredible second album Singing For Company earlier this year, they’ve proven once more that their uplifting progressive sound is a must for this festival. You’ll never be short changed on a feel-good show that will have you bouncing and beaming in equal measure.

AIR DRAWN DAGGER – Stage Two

For all your anguish driven singalong needs, AIR DRAWN DAGGER have you covered. The self-proclaimed angst-pop/electro-emo three piece have a sound sprawls from bouncy pop goodness to earnest, bittersweet emo anthems. With the release of their second record, A Guide For Apparitions, bolstering their already thundering momentum from their debut The Séance Season Mixtape, bound to be a storming good time.

UNDERØATH – Stage One

Another exclusive for RADAR Festival is UNDERØATH, with their only UK festival slot this year. The Floridian titans have just released their tenth album, The Place After This One, their signature metalcore newly infused with influence from many a British band, from THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS to THE PRODIGY. More snarling and battering than ever, if anyone is going to keep the masses bouncing until the bitter end of the Sunday, it’s UNDERØATH. From their classic hits Reinventing Your Exit and Writing On the Walls to new tracks Generation No Surrender the set is undoubtedly set to be back to back stacked. With no other UK festival shows this year, this is a must for fans of metalcore royalty.

THE SCRATCH – Stage Two

If you’re looking for a band that are really doing something totally unique then you have to catch THE SCRATCH. Blending traditional Irish melodies with a punk punch, this is a totally immeasurable experience. With plenty of grit and a slathering of cheeky humour with songs like Blaggard, Another Round and Dollar Bill, it’s recommended you get your ears around a few songs so you can belt along with them. Jumping from folk style acoustic guitar to riotous classic metal inspired riffs, this is bound to be a hidden gem of the weekend.

ARTIO – Stage Two

If you’re looking for the best of young UK alternative artists, then ARTIO will be a must see on Sunday. The self-produced four piece from Leeds are an unstoppable force of nature. Their debut album Babyface turned heads last year with lead singer Rae Brazil’s huge vocal range on songs such as Head In The Sand, Finger On the Trigger. Their sound pulls them up in parallel to bands like PVRIS, BAD OMENS and TWENTY ONE PILOTS, with a massive riffs across synth and guitar, soaring vocals and catchy hooks. With biting new track Split Soul, ARTIO have been ones to watch for a while now, and this is the perfect opportunity to catch one of the finest new bands in the country.