Outbreak 2026

[losing43]

Who do we think is likely then? 
 

They have said no Autumn 2025 event, and that in 2026 the London event is happening!

[Dales]

43 minutes ago, losing43 said:

Who do we think is likely then? 
 

They have said no Autumn 2025 event, and that in 2026 the London event is happening!

 

Struggling to guess who they might have as London headliner. I thought Turnstile was a perfect headliner and fairly accessable to a lot of people. Even with them, I am not sure how well it sold as I know many "won tickets" or bought cheap ones. Even with Turnstile, I was confident I would get cheap tickets and so waited and ended up "winning tickets".

 

Will probably go to the London event but no way am I buying tickets at full price. I think they need a huge name to do well, so looking forward to seeing peoples suggestions.

[CRxece_]

London is a real surprise to me, understand the want/need to branch outside Manchester/Leeds/Sheffield but as mentioned if you can't sell enough tickets with a current pull like Turnstile with KL who do you get?

 

In the scene of hardcore/emo there's only one option you could honestly get and it's a complete pipe dream is Title Fight that would sell enough tickets but agreed they need a huge name to warrent a London and Manchester weekend again

 

Personally i'd love Alexisonfire to headline one of the dates!

[losing43]

Big headliners in the hardcore world is always a tricky one to get right. I can see Hatebreed doing it, but would that be big enough to sell out that London venue, I’m not sure. Personally would love Suicideboys getting booked, with Trash Talk, Ghostemane etc under them. I don’t think they can get anyone bigger from the rap world, so SB would work well imo. I just can’t see any hardcore bands big enough to headline. Unless they get Misfits, but apparently their fee is astronomical so who knows 

[losing43]

Reckon they’ll go anywhere near Brand New?

[BlackFoxx]

Just now, losing43 said:

Reckon they’ll go anywhere near Brand New?

Surely not worth the inevitably backlash from fans?

[mahoneypepe]

There was talk last year that Outbreak tried to book Brand New

 

Outbreak can just run the London show as an alternative festival - use the main stage for more indie rock stuff and the tent for hardcore. Someone like Pavement or My Bloody Valentine would help shift tickets and still be seen as cool enough bands to entertain HC fans, while also bringing in their own audience.

 

Fugazi would be the ultimate booking, but highly unlikely

 

Misfits could do it

[mahoneypepe]

6 minutes ago, mahoneypepe said:

There was talk last year that Outbreak tried to book Brand New

 

Outbreak can just run the London show as an alternative festival - use the main stage for more indie rock stuff and the tent for hardcore. Someone like Pavement or My Bloody Valentine would help shift tickets and still be seen as cool enough bands to entertain HC fans, while also bringing in their own audience.

 

Fugazi would be the ultimate booking, but highly unlikely

 

Misfits could do it

maybe Idles?

[onemoresolo]

Wrong thread

Edited July 19, 2025 by onemoresolo

[Andre91]

21 hours ago, mahoneypepe said:

 

 

Misfits could do it

Unless they’re giving them over €1,000,000m, they couldn’t. 

[losing43]

On 19/07/2025 at 17:03, mahoneypepe said:

There was talk last year that Outbreak tried to book Brand New

 

Outbreak can just run the London show as an alternative festival - use the main stage for more indie rock stuff and the tent for hardcore. Someone like Pavement or My Bloody Valentine would help shift tickets and still be seen as cool enough bands to entertain HC fans, while also bringing in their own audience.

 

Fugazi would be the ultimate booking, but highly unlikely

 

Misfits could do it

I suppose it all depends on the venue for the London event - if it’s the same as this year, then yeah someone like My Bloody Valentine would be great - I can’t see anyone in the hardcore world that would sell enough tickets for that. But if it’s a smaller site, similar level to Manc, then I guess it can be anyone!

 

I can’t see them getting Turnover playing Peripheral Vision, I can see Scowl and Speed getting high spots, I would love to see Foundation or a Gulch reunion set, Gorilla Biscuits would be cool too!

 

It’s just the headliners, I am struggling for inspiration on that front! 

[losing43]

Could Amyl & the Sniffers do it? Not sure if they’re too far from our world, but they are touring with Turnstile and Speed so I think they could be in with a shout

[Guest]

On 20/07/2025 at 21:29, losing43 said:

I suppose it all depends on the venue for the London event - if it’s the same as this year, then yeah someone like My Bloody Valentine would be great - I can’t see anyone in the hardcore world that would sell enough tickets for that. But if it’s a smaller site, similar level to Manc, then I guess it can be anyone!

 

I can’t see them getting Turnover playing Peripheral Vision, I can see Scowl and Speed getting high spots, I would love to see Foundation or a Gulch reunion set, Gorilla Biscuits would be cool too!

 

It’s just the headliners, I am struggling for inspiration on that front! 

99 percent certain it's victory park because it mentioned sharing information with AEG on the presale sign up, who currently hold the licence for Victoria park, lido, APE events

Edited July 29, 2025 by scatteredscreens

[some dude]

Brand New could absolutely do it and it would likely sell well (interestingly AEG just did their recent US tour). The issue would be whether anyone would want to play with them, however I would imagine another year of them playing shows and being back may soften the fire somewhat. They could of course quite comfortably just play a one off show under the outbreak banner à la Slamdunk (although not sure those events went ahead as they may have been cancelled by covid?).

[Jerman72]

I think with Brockwell Park likely to be off the calender next year due to the NIMBis, some of their days like Wideawake and possibly Mighty Hoopla, (and Field Day back?) could transfer seeminglessly over to Victoria Park, it's on almost same time as Lido was this year. I suppose it also depends on how many complaints Lido got and how much APE will get this August on how many dates to fill next year in 2026. 

 

You wonder if you could have both Wideawake and Outbreak on same schedule, merge the two? or maybe both over a weekend? 

Edited July 29, 2025 by Jerman72
spelling mistake

[BlackFoxx]

3 minutes ago, some dude said:

Brand New could absolutely do it and it would likely sell well (interestingly AEG just did their recent US tour). The issue would be whether anyone would want to play with them, however I would imagine another year of them playing shows and being back may soften the fire somewhat. They could of course quite comfortably just play a one off show under the outbreak banner à la Slamdunk (although not sure those events went ahead as they may have been cancelled by covid?).

I think if Brand New ever come back to the UK it probably makes more sense to do their own separate show(s) and start small with testing the waters rather than a festival. 

 

The backlash for a festival like Slam Dunk, Outbreak or Trees booking them doesn't seem worth it. This is both from fans and other artists too. I think it'd be difficult trying to construct a lineup of willing acts around them. The hardcore scene in particularly is pretty outspoken with progressive politics and I think a lot of acts wouldn't play with them on the bill.

 

For Outbreak in particular, they're already facing some criticism for "selling out" especially around the London show - e.g. not being no barrier, change in food vendors, difficulties in seeing acts like Sunny Day in the tent, poor communication, etc. Booking Brand New on top I feel may be the straw that breaks this particular camel's back. 

 

For context on this, Brand New used to be my favourite band, I've seen them live half a dozen times and they've always been a great live act, but I don't have any interest in seeing them again. Personal anecdote obviously, but that view is also shared by my most my gig/festival going friendship group who are Outbreak / Slam Dunk / Trees regulars. Most won't even listen to their music at all anymore. 

 

I don't really want to get into the art Vs artist debate here, as it's a personal thing and I'm not claiming to have any answers. However I did find this article to be relevant and so I'll share it again here -

 

https://aiyanaa.medium.com/a-call-for-accountability-why-jesse-lacey-and-brand-new-should-not-be-touring-right-now-496fd9e7100e

 

[Guest]

Yeah I think booking Brand New would absolutely tank the Outbreak brand. Would be completely stupid to book them to headline and face all that controversy.

[CRxece_]

3 hours ago, scatteredscreens said:

Yeah I think booking Brand New would absolutely tank the Outbreak brand. Would be completely stupid to book them to headline and face all that controversy.

Heavily agree, I'm surprised they even went for non-vegan food this year let alone booking a band with such controversy

 

On the headliner topic, think they would get Counterparts back to headline the second stage? That set in 2022 was unreal especially after getting bumped up to the headline slot 

[Andre91]

Booking Brand New would piss a lot of OB people off, fans and other bands alike. I can’t see it happening. Own shows for them and then see how it goes from there in terms of festivals picking them up. 
 

I’m really struggling to think of headliners for a big London show again. 

[losing43]

30 minutes ago, Andre91 said:

I’m really struggling to think of headliners for a big London show again. 

Same, really don’t know the direction they will go. They could get a rap headliner, but I just can’t see anyone from hardcore selling out that big of a Venue, especially if Turnstile struggled. Could Amyl & the Sniffers do it? With them touring with Turnstile and Speed, I think they could crossover enough 

[Andre91]

43 minutes ago, losing43 said:

Same, really don’t know the direction they will go. They could get a rap headliner, but I just can’t see anyone from hardcore selling out that big of a Venue, especially if Turnstile struggled. Could Amyl & the Sniffers do it? With them touring with Turnstile and Speed, I think they could crossover enough 

Amyl an OB band at all. I can’t see it being them. 

[BlackFoxx]

1 hour ago, Andre91 said:

Booking Brand New would piss a lot of OB people off, fans and other bands alike. I can’t see it happening. Own shows for them and then see how it goes from there in terms of festivals picking them up. 
 

I’m really struggling to think of headliners for a big London show again. 

Maybe something a bit more left field from the shoegaze / emo / indie space. They've had Slowdive and Alex G at Manchester this year. Perhaps My Bloody Valentine I think as suggested before? 

[losing43]

Will be surprised if Haywire aren’t at Outbreak next year - theyre doing raffle prizes for their toy fundraising show later this year 

[JoeT]

The fact that Outbreak haven't announced what dates the festival will be on next year suggests they are still scrambling around for headliners.

[Guest]

5 hours ago, JoeT said:

The fact that Outbreak haven't announced what dates the festival will be on next year suggests they are still scrambling around for headliners.

They never have the dates announced this early. This year's dates were announced at Outbreak Autumn 2024.