Outbreak Manchester 2025 - SATURDAY

By Anya Baxter.

On June 14th, one of our most anticipated festivals of the year arrived in Manchester, with a stellar lineup and hordes of hardcore fans. It was a weekend of two-stepping, flailing limbs, jorts and a whole lot of good music.

TIGER'S JAW

Outbreak is a great place to discover new hardcore acts. In a ever growing genre, more and more bands and artists are joining the scene all time time. Early on Saturday, we discovered Tiger's Jaw. With keyboards and acoustic guitars dotted throughout, they are an unconventional hardcore act, and the crowd ate in up. A perfect way to kick off our 2025 Outbreak experience.

Photos by Eddy Maynard.

KUMO 99

During a quick stop at Stage 3 we managed to catch Kumo 99 causing rave hardcore madness. With influences such as The Prodigy and Ministry, the duo were a huge hit and we will be keeping an eye on them from now on.

Photos by Eddy Maynard.

JULIE

Photos by Elliot Ingham.

HAVE A NICE LIFE

Photos by Elliot Ingham

MILITARIE GUN

Militarie Gun were high on our ones to watch for the weekend, and they did not disappoint. Taking over the main stage, they sent the crowd into a frenzy with their noise-pop hardcore brilliance. They were one of many bands joining the festival from America, bringing so many amazing hardcore acts to Manchester. Outbreak truly is the hub for hardcore music.

Photos by Nat Wood.

MARUJA

Known for their phenomenal live performances, we were dying to catch Maruja. With the addition of saxophone, the Manchester natives were one of the most unique bands of the entire weekend, and completely lived up to the hype.

Photos by Eddy Maynard.

DANNY BROWN

Photos by Jamie Carmichael.

SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE

Sunny Day Real Estate brought positive vibes to the gloriously sunny evening in Manchester. The crowd knew every word, and the band were a great segway into the shoegaze acts to follow. Everyone had the chance to emo out, as the Americans created a soundtrack to a perfect evening.

Photos by Nat Wood.

SLOWDIVE

The legendary Slowdive took the stage to huge applause. After walking around the site all day, seeing many people in Slowdive merch, I knew they were going to have a huge turnout. One of the most famous shoegaze bands of all time, Slowdive were a huge name to have at the festival, and some amazing shoegaze representation. The set began with "Avalyn" from the 1991 EP. The fans loved that the set started with such a classic, and the joy continued as they went into "shanty" and "Star Roving". From the quality of the performance and musicians, its clear this band has been around for a long time, and has perfected their craft. It would be difficult to be a part of the shoegaze scene and not listen to Slowdive. Vocalists Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell lead the band and the crowd through their most loved hits, including "Sugar for the Pill", "Alison" and "When the Sun Hits." A fantastic performance from the penultimate act of the night, much worthy of their spot as co-headliner.

Photos by Nat Wood.

ALEX G

For the perfect end to day one of Outbreak Manchester, as the sun set over Manchester Alex G took to the stage and provided blissfully chill vibes. His lo-fi indie sound was a serene backdrop to a sea of festival goers swept away by the music. Crowd surfers floated through the crowd, as the set began with "Headroom Piano" from his most recent album God Save The Animals. Alex G is a multi-talented musician through and through, playing multiple instruments and building out incredibly vast soundscapes. He even played some tracks from my personal favourite album House of Sugar. As day one drew to a close, Alex G delivered a brilliant 18 track performance, his musical talent endlessly impressive. He has since announced a UK tour and I definitely recommend booking tickets if you wish to see his genius in the flesh.

Photos by Eddy Maynard.

After such an amazing first day was complete, I couldn't wait to return for day two, where there would be a heavy hardcore focus and some of my all time favourite bands. Although the music can be heavy, Outbreak is an endlessly wholesome festival, and it seemed everyone was thinking the same as the site cleared, and the excitement bustled for the following day.