Top 10 bands you must watch at RADAR Festival 2026
With only a few days left before RADAR Festival, it’s time run down some of the must-see bands from one of the most exciting festivals for alternative music in the UK. Brimming with prog titans, metalcore and nu-metal brutality and coming new finds in a vast array of genres, RADAR Festival always stacks the highest calibre of bands you won’t find anywhere else.
GRAPHIC NATURE – Obscure Clothing Stage, Friday – July 31st
The utter vehemence of GRAPHIC NATURE being unleashed on the Obscure Clothing Stage on Friday is exactly what makes RADAR special. The nu-metal five piece from Kent tackle the very real issue of mental health within their music, in a way that feels raw and committed and results in a ferocity that’s hard to hold down. It’s going to be explosive, energetic and honest, in a way that’s unlike anything else.
VOLUMES – Obscure Clothing Stage, Friday – July 31st
VOLUMES – from soft and grooving Bad Habit to the ferocious Siderwinder from last year’s Mirror Touch, to fan favourites Bend and Pixelate, the LA progressive metalcore constantly reimagine themselves and reshape their sound. The four piece are no stranger to putting on a wild good show with over fifteen years of work behind them. Seemingly effortless shifting between djent and synth, beautiful harmony and sick gutturals, there’s so much to explore and look forward to late Friday on the Obscure Clothing Stage.
CAGE FIGHT – Shure Stage, Friday – July 31st
One of the most ferociously brutal acts of the festival, CAGE FIGHT isn’t for the faint of heart on Saturday, and you’ll be very sorry if you miss them. From the initial beginnings as James Monteith’s (TESSERACT) home project, the band has raged into the is an absolute storm. With new album Exuvia dropping in May, the band have a seething aggression that isn’t to be missed. Rachel Aspe’s hair-raisingly vicious vocals pushing against the brutality of Will Chai and Nicholas Plews on bass and drums respectively, it’s going to hit hard on the Shure Stage.
DACARA – Shure Stage, Saturday – August 1st
Early doors does not mean things are going to start slow. Local four piece DACARA take the huge energy of anime intros, 2000’s alt pop-rock and emo, all wrapped up in the a glitchy metalcore adjacent package that defies genre conventions. It’s fun, it’s brutal, it’s sing-along with huge anthems like DeGEN and RØT, you’re looking at cyberpunk meets high octane gothic, alt-metal goodness that’s going to wake you up better than your morning coffee.
UNPEOPLE – Shure Stage, Saturday – August 1st
A huge hit with they played RADAR in 2024, UNPEOPLE have risen within the scene from hidden gem to high rising ones to watch as some of the freshest, weirdest alt rock you could dream of. Bouncing and thoroughly irregular, they flit from old school post grunge and pop punk, to dirty screams and bombastic breakdowns. All this pushed by a backbone of unbridled animosity and unrest, UNPEOPLE are set to absolutely blow the roof off the Shure Stage.
NORTHLANE – Obscure Clothing Stage, Saturday – August 1st
Titans from Australia NORTHLANE have a huge backlog of athematic bangers that fans and newcomers alike will fall for. From classics Bloodline and Quantum Flux to heavily EDM influenced latest single Evian, NORTHLANE balance industrial, dance and progressive metalcore to build a phenomenal live show that’s sure to impress. With more than fifteen years of high energy music that constantly sees the band reshape expectations, there’s not a soul in the building that is likely to be still while these boys dominate the Obscure Clothing Stage.
MAEBE – Shure Stage, Sunday – August 2nd
Bristol based MAEBE showcase the joy and fun of math/prog rock at the start of the final day. Vivacious, expansive and uplifting, their instrumental music has spades of feeling and groove, the perfect summer vibe to pick up the Sunday mood. With third album Brain Paint out back in May, they’ve a whole plethora of incredible tunes to get you in the mood for the final festivities.
IHLO – Obscure Clothing Stage, Sunday – August 2nd
Sunday is set to expose us to some of the best up established and coming progressive bands. One such gem is IHLO, one of the most exciting new bands on the progressive scene. With their album Legacy gaining huge acclaim last year, they push into huge, technical playing and balance it with dramatic melodic finesse. For sure, IHLO is going to some pretty special places, so it’s going to be pretty awe-inspiring to see them live.
VOYAGER – Obscure Clothing Stage, Sunday – August 2nd
One of the most invigorating progressive acts on the bill VOYAGER are a must see on Sunday. Australia’s own, who’ve made it all the way to EUROVISION a couple of years back, have charisma in spades and know exactly how to get a room bouncing. It’s keytars, glorious vocals, epic breakdowns and everything in between with tracks like Seen Better days, Promise and Prince of Fire, culminating in a fully feel-good time.
ANIMALS AS LEADERS – Obscure Clothing Stage, Sunday – August 2nd
Finishing this stacked weekend is a band that is quintessentially RADAR as it gets. ANIMALS AS LEADERS, unquestionably one of the biggest instrumental progressive bands in the world, were one of the first headliners on the very first year RADAR Festival took place back in Guilford in 2019. It’s been nothing but an upward trajectory for both the band and the festival ever since, so it’s very exciting getting to experience the powerhouse of Tosin Abasi, Javier Reyes, and Matt Garstka. The Obscure Clothing Stage is truly about to witness something incredible with Monomyth, Tooth & Claw and Physical Education to name but a few of their technical wizardry; it’s going to be a phenomenal high to end on.
RADAR Festival will take place from July 31st – August 2nd 2026 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.