TAKEDOWN FESTIVAL 2026
Portsmouth Guildhall – Easter Weekend
Takedown Festival has quietly been carving out its place as one of the UK’s most exciting early-season heavy music gatherings. Landing over the Easter weekend, it neatly sidesteps the unpredictable British weather by keeping everything indoors at Portsmouth Guildhall — a move that feels less like a compromise and more like a masterstroke. Three stages, all under one roof, minimal trudging between arenas, and a line-up that consistently punches above its weight — Takedown is fast becoming a serious contender on the UK festival circuit.
This year’s edition carried an emotional undercurrent too. The main stage — renamed the Phil Campbell Stage — paid tribute to the late Motörhead guitarist, who had originally been set to headline before illness sadly took him from us. It’s a fitting nod to a man whose influence still echoes through so much of the music on this bill.
With Irish alt-rock legends Therapy? stepping in to close Friday, and one of the most talked-about new acts in the UK, PRESIDENT, set to headline Saturday, Takedown 2026 felt like a festival balancing heritage and the future in equal measure.
FRIDAY
Things ease in gently, with the first bands kicking off around 4:30pm across the Total Rock and Metal For Good stages. It’s not an early start by festival standards, but there’s already a healthy crowd filtering in.
Blacklight Vice get things moving on MFG with no-frills, straight-down-the-line hard rock. It’s not reinventing the wheel, but it doesn’t need to — solid riffs, steady grooves, and a crowd already nodding along. Job done.
Over on the main stage, Kill The Lights — featuring former Bullet For My Valentine drummer Michael “Moose” Thomas — pull a surprisingly big crowd for this early slot. There’s a clear fanbase here, and they reward it with a tight, riff-heavy set packed with punch. It’s loud, it’s confident, and it sets the tone nicely.
Manchester’s The Fear pack out MFG, though timings mean only a fleeting visit. What’s caught sounds ferocious — one to catch properly next time.
Back on the main stage, Asomvel deliver a full-throttle tribute to the spirit of Motörhead — less imitation, more continuation. Tracks like Louder And Louder and If It’s Too Loud, You’re Too Old land hard, and their cover of Born To Raise Hell in honour of Phil Campbell hits the right note — respectful, loud, and heartfelt.
DeVere bring a splash of glam rock excess next. Big hair, bigger riffs, and a healthy dose of swagger — it’s pure 80s nostalgia, but done with enough charm to win over even the sceptics.
Running a little late, South Of Salem more than make up for it. Their horror-tinged hard rock is theatrical without tipping into parody, complete with cheerleaders brandishing black pom-poms — equal parts seductive and sinister. It’s a proper spectacle.
Then comes The Wildhearts, and everything steps up a level.
Opening with Everlone from Earth vs The Wildhearts, they hit like a freight train. Ginger and co. are on blistering form, delivering hook after hook with that unmistakable mix of melody and grit. Given Ginger’s ongoing health battle, there’s an added emotional weight to the set — but if anything, it fuels the performance. A singalong to their cover of the Cheers theme turns the room into one big pub, before they tear into Chuputza to close. The only complaint? 45 minutes feels criminally short.
One thing that did strike me across Friday’s line-up, though, was the sheer lack of female representation. Across all the bands I managed to catch, there was just a single female performer on stage. In 2026, that feels a little behind the curve — especially when you look at how strong and diverse the UK scene is right now. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it is noticeable.
Stage clashes and delays mean missing Gnome, but InMe absolutely deliver in a packed room. Frontman Dave McPherson marks 1000 days sober — a moment that clearly means something — and the performance is raw, passionate, and completely locked in. A genuine highlight.
Closing duties fall to Therapy?, stepping in under difficult circumstances but more than worthy of the slot. Formed in Northern Ireland in 1989, the trio of Andy Cairns (vocals/guitar), Michael McKeegan (bass) and Neil Cooper (drums) have long been one of the UK’s most consistent alternative rock forces.
Even with the crowd thinning, they play like the room’s still full. Trigger Inside, Die Laughing and Diane all land hard, before Screamager closes the night in emphatic fashion — a reminder that some bands don’t just endure, they evolve.
SATURDAY
An earlier start today — kicking off at 1pm — and it’s immediately clear this is the heavier, busier, and far more chaotic day of the two. The schedule is absolutely stacked, and with both side stages running simultaneously, clashes are unavoidable. It’s one of those days where you’re constantly making snap decisions and legging it between rooms.
If Friday felt a little lacking in terms of representation, Saturday swings firmly the other way. Across the stages there’s a strong presence of female artists — whether front and centre or woven into the line-ups — and it makes a noticeable difference to both the sound and the energy of the day.
Takedown has form when it comes to booking bands right before they explode — Sleep Token in 2023 being the standout example — and they’ve pulled the same trick again this year. PRESIDENT closing the festival, with just one EP (KING OF TERRORS) behind them and a completely sold-out UK tour, tells you everything. The buzz is real, and the Guildhall is packed to capacity because of it.
Kicking things off on the Total Rock stage, Slackrr bring a shot of melodic pop-punk energy to get things moving early. It’s upbeat, hooky, and exactly what’s needed to shake off the cobwebs. Meanwhile over on MFG, Waterlines go in the opposite direction entirely — delivering a crushing metalcore set to a beyond-capacity room. It’s rammed, it’s loud, and it doesn’t take long before the first proper pit of the day erupts.
That’s the system for today — light versus heavy, melody versus chaos — pick your poison.
Zetra take to the main stage with their minimalist two-piece electro-rock setup. Guitar, synths, atmosphere — it sounds decent and there’s something interesting bubbling away, but it never quite grabs hold.
A quick dash back to TR catches the tail end of PAVÉ, and it immediately feels like something’s been missed. Strong, commanding vocals and a confident presence — definitely one that deserved more time.
Back into the furnace of MFG for Vexed, and this is where things properly kick off. Megan Targett is relentless — pure intensity from the first note — front and centre, commanding the chaos as the band drop absolute slabs of deathcore. The room turns into a sweatbox.
Switching gears slightly, Lastelle on the main stage bring a more atmospheric take on post-hardcore. There’s a real sense of space and texture in their sound — melodic but still weighty — and it lands well with a growing crowd.
I stick around for Vower, a band I’ve seen a fair bit over the last couple of years, and as always, they put absolutely everything into it. There’s heart in every note, and that connection with the crowd is undeniable.
An attempt to get into Tropic Gold proves futile — the room is at full capacity — so it’s time for a rare breather. Credit where it’s due, the setup outside is decent: plenty of seating, good food options, and a chance to reset before diving back into the chaos.
I’d planned to stay put for Mouth Culture — who blew me away at The Great Escape last year — but timing forces a move back to MFG for Saint Agnes, a band I’ve followed closely for years.
There’s a bit of a delay, but it works in my favour, bagging a spot down the front.
And when they hit the stage, it’s worth every second.
Opening with Get Them Out from the upcoming album Your God Fearing Days Are About To Begin, they sound absolutely colossal. Kitty A. Austen, dressed in an oversized black suit, owns the stage — commanding, sharp, and completely locked in.
The set leans heavily on new material, bar a ferocious Bloodsuckers, but it doesn’t matter — the new tracks are that strong. Good Boy is a standout — dark, pulsing, with an almost Nine Inch Nails-style groove layered over Jon Tufnell’s huge guitar work. Easily one of the best sets of the day.
Over on the main stage, As It Is pull in a great crowd. There’s clearly a lot of love for this reunited line-up, and it shows. The sing-alongs are relentless, with The Fire, The Dark and The Stigma (Boys Don’t Cry) hitting hard, plus the debut of Marilyn hinting at what’s next.
BEX has a fantastic turnout and delivers a cracking set of punk tunes. She’s quirky, full of energy, and completely at home on stage — Filthy and Crybaby landing perfectly.
WARGASM are absolute chaos from the moment they step on stage — and it’s exactly what this slot demands. Positioned as one of the weekend’s heavier hitters, they deliver like a band fully aware of their pulling power.
Milkie Way and Sam Matlock are relentless throughout, bouncing off each other with that trademark dual-vocal attack — part sneer, part snarl, part outright confrontation. There’s no let-up, no breathing room — just a constant barrage of industrial-tinged electro-punk noise designed to hit you square in the chest.
Tracks like Bad Seed, Fukstar and D.R.I.L.D.O land with serious weight live — far dirtier and more aggressive than on record — while the visuals, lighting and sheer movement on stage give the whole set a properly immersive, almost claustrophobic feel.
By the time they hit Do It So Good, the room is on the brink. Matlock launching himself into the crowd feels inevitable rather than surprising, disappearing into a sea of bodies as everything peaks at once.
It’s loud, it’s messy, it’s confrontational — and it absolutely works.
One of the most complete “event” sets of the weekend.
Time is tight, but I manage to catch a few tracks from The HARA, and as always, they deliver. Heavier live, full of energy, and clearly loving every second. Easier To Die absolutely goes off, while Animals closes things with a mix of madness and fun — panda head included.
Then it’s a sprint next door.
PRESIDENT
The room is heaving. Easily the busiest it’s been all weekend.
PRESIDENT have built something genuinely intriguing in a very short space of time. Emerging in 2025 as an anonymous, masked collective, they’ve stripped away identity and focused everything on atmosphere, sound and spectacle. With just the KING OF TERRORS EP and a handful of singles, the hype is huge — and tonight, it feels justified.
I walk in just as Fearless erupts — and so does the crowd.
It’s wall-to-wall bodies, every word being sung back. The atmosphere instantly lifts.
Visually, it’s stunning. A glowing neon cross hangs over the stage, framed by dry ice and LED strips, while the band — dressed in black, faces hidden — create something closer to a performance piece than a standard gig.
I’ll admit — on record, I wasn’t fully sold.
Live? Completely different.
Dionysus hits harder, Mercy sounds massive on its live debut, and everything builds towards In The Name Of The Father, a huge, theatrical closer that lands perfectly.
Nine tracks. No filler. A crowd completely locked in.
What I expected to be overhyped turns out to be one of the most convincing sets of the weekend.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Takedown 2026 feels like a turning point.
The line-up is sharper, the booking instincts are spot-on, and the atmosphere — helped massively by the indoor setting — feels intense, immersive, and properly alive. From established heavyweights to rising names like PRESIDENT, this is a festival that knows exactly what it’s doing — and where it’s going.
If it keeps moving in this direction, Takedown won’t just be a great early-season option – It’ll be essential. See you next year.
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