FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Radar Festival 2023

July 26, 2023 James Weaver

Since its formation, Radar Festival have strived to cater to the niches of progressive loving fans within heavy music. Establishing their name in Guildford with successful events, now, 2023 marks a brave new world for Radar, a new venue. A new city. And their biggest lineup to date. Radar Festival 2023 is a progressive music fan’s dream with a heavily stacked bill across three action-packed days at the O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester. If you’re struggling to work out who might want to watch, fear not, this is our lowdown on who you need to watch at Radar Festival 2023!

If you’re anticipating a light-hearted affair to ease you into Radar Festival, then you’ll be mistaken as day one of this year’s festival kicks off with a bang! Hampshire’s own SHATTERED SKIES kick off the Second Stage in what will be their swansong as they bow out in fine fashion whilst the likes of FORAGER, THE FIVE HUNDRED and PLAYGROUNDED will dazzle with their technical riffage.

Elsewhere, the likes of EXPLORING BIRDSONG and A.A. WILLIAMS will lull crows in with their sombre progressive lore, FLOYA will inject slashes of EDM and metalcore sensibilities and UNPROCESSED will bring the djent to the a very progressive leaning festival. As we cast our eyes to the top of Friday’s billing, it becomes immediately clear just how much the organisers have gone for broke in their move to Manchester. The enigmatic SLEEP TOKEN headline Friday’s Main Stage, and on the back of their stunning third album Take Me Back To Eden, we anticipate a performance that will match their already infectious reputation. Elsewhere, Ireland’s GOD IS AN ASTRONAUT will dazzle and MONUMENTS will steal the show on the Second Stage as they continue to support their sublime fourth record In Stasis.

Saturday of Radar Festival is equally stacked and if anything, it showcases the sheer diversity on offer at a festival that champions the whole range of progressive and forward thinking heavy music. None captures this better than IGORRR. Refusing to be pigeon-holed, the band are an anomaly in heavy music circles, and their headlining set for Saturday will prove to be one of the most unique experiences of the entire festival. Akin to this, synthwave artist PERTURBATOR will cast blastbeats and raves in equal measure and ensure the party is roaring into the night.

Elsewhere, HEART OF A COWARD will continue to surge momentum to their upcoming album, This Place Only Brings Death, as they look set to unleash a cacophony of heft riffs and mosh calls, DREAM STATE will surely cement their status as one of our island’s most beloved acts and PUPIL SLICER will incite sheer bedlam with their unique blend of aural heaviness. Throw in Finland’s WHEEL, UK mainstays HARBINGER, Aussie crew THORNHILL, DS favourites TIBERIUS or post-hardcore reliables MODERN ERROR, and you’ve got one hell of a Saturday billing!

Last day of the festival. We anticipate hangover and fatigue. But fear not, because Radar Festival have pulled out the stops to ensure that day three is just as stacked as the two that proceeded it. Prog metal behemoths PERIPHERY headline the Main Stage in what will be their first appearance since the pandemic and with a new album under their belts, Periphery V: Djent Is Not A Genre, the band will close the curtain on this special festival in their new home in Manchester.

Prior to this, VOLUMES and TEN.56 will get the crowd moving, LOATHE will continue to cement their status as one of the UK’s most vital bands in heavy music, THE CALLOUS DAOBOYS will arguably be one of THE bands to watch at the festival as they blow minds aplenty, and CALIGULA’S HORSE will dazzle with their spell-binding prog rock. Throw in sets from emerging talent like FORLORN, LAKE MALICE, and WHERE OCEANS BURN, and you can rest assured that Radar are going for broke in their big gamble.