Punktastic

Day two of Outbreak 2026 sees the opening of a larger outdoor stage, which subsequently becomes the festival’s main stage. It’s a mixed blessing given the blistering sun which reflects off the surrounding concrete into the melting eyes of an audience of punks. Nonetheless, with three stages and a full day of programming, today has an altogether grander feel.

Some bands thrive on having “That Song”. You know, the one mega-hit with the intro that pops into your head the second someone says their name. The problem is, “That Song” is often the one that doesn’t represent a band’s sound as a whole – think The Stranglers ‘Golden Brown’ – and that was exactly where Rise Against sat in 2005.

Outbreak Festival 2026 is filled with nostalgia. There is of course the usual array of hardcore and metal bands – some of which are at the genres’ vanguard – but the occasion has an altogether retrospective feel. A staggering number of the weekend’s performances revolve around album(s) shows, with The Front Bottoms, Balance & Composure, Alexisonfire, Touché Amoré and Hatebreed all billed as such.

Shows from older punks are a risky prospect. Will it be a nostalgia-fest, re-living the days when they could lace their boots without lower back pain, or will it be a chance to light the flame of rebellion once again? Our experience at the leafy, historic Crystal Palace Park is neither.

Punktastic's current Editor-In-Chief. Photographer, nerd, I watch far too many horror movies and get way too attached to fictional characters...

It’s a hot day…wait, scratch that. It’s the hottest June day since records began. Where better to go to cool off than packing ourselves into a pit for The Only Band Ever? We’d get the Tube twice as far to catch Alexisonfire and Billy Talent’s UK album-in-full team up show, with the co-headliners each showcasing their biggest record.

Yorkshire lass, rainbow hair, 26. Usually found behind the bar or a camera.

All good things must come to an end, but we’re not done yet. Who can even think about saying goodbye when Spencer Charnas is running around in a Joker costume, RØRY’s baring her soul and Linkin Park are making history in front of our eyes? Don’t forget your sunscreen – it’s Download Day Three. Words: Kate Allvey // Photos: Emma Stone and Download Festival Unpeople A reward for the early risers, Unpeople are here to show off the harsher side of their sound.

Yorkshire lass, rainbow hair, 26. Usually found behind the bar or a camera.

Clouds threaten, but the only inclement weather on Saturday is ‘November Rain’. Download Day Two sees us fighting for the Fox God with Babymetal, taking in the local Lvndmvrks and an evening with one of the most iconic rock acts of all time.