Initial 2026 Outbreak Fest lineup includes Alexisonfire and Hatebreed.

2 days ago7 min read2 comments

The hallowed grounds of Manchester’s BEC Arena are set to tremble once more, as the initial lineup for the 2026 Outbreak Fest has been unveiled, and it’s a veritable symphony of controlled chaos that reads like a greatest hits playlist for the hardcore faithful. Leading the charge are post-hardcore titans Alexisonfire and metallic hardcore legends Hatebreed, both slated to deliver special, full-album sets that promise to be more than mere performances; they are pilgrimages back to the seminal records that defined a generation's angst and resilience.For Alexisonfire, this likely means a cathartic, note-for-note journey through the blistering, melodic despair of their 2004 classic ‘Watch Out!’, a record that perfectly captured the beautiful contradiction of screaming your lungs out over soaring, intricate guitar work. Meanwhile, Hatebreed’s presence guarantees a masterclass in pure, unadulterated sonic force, a set that will undoubtedly draw from anthems like ‘Perseverance’ or ‘Destroy Everything’, transforming the pit into a unified, sweat-drenched testament to sheer willpower.But the depth of this bill is what truly sings; it’s a curated history lesson. Trapped Under Ice, the band that reignited hardcore’s flame in the late 2000s, brings their raw, Baltimore-bred intensity, while Touché Amoré’s emotionally devastating and lyrically profound post-hardcore offers a poignant counterpoint.Then you have the architects, Converge, whose album ‘Jane Doe’ remains the genre’s unassailable artistic peak, a benchmark of complexity and fury that every band on this bill has, in some way, absorbed. And the melody cuts through the dissonance with the raucous, heart-on-sleeve punk anthems of PUP, the urgent street-punk of High Vis, the introspective indie-punk of Glitterer, and the chaotic energy of Haywire. This isn't just a festival; it's a narrative, a carefully sequenced album of a weekend that traces the evolution of heavy, emotional music from its most aggressive roots to its most melodic branches, all under one roof, waiting for the needle to drop.

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