Knocked Loose lead Outbreak Manchester's scene-uniting celebration

With Turnstile headlining that one-off southern show and skipping Manchester altogether, it felt like a sharp sting for the festival’s loyal northern fanbase. Coupled with the decision to go head-to-head with Download Festival, it sparked concern: was Outbreak overreaching?

Happily, no.

Manchester greets festival-goers with welcomingly mild and, for once, mostly dry weather as it opens its arms to a mixed bill of scene veterans, boundary-pushers, and the UK’s rising hardcore elite. It’s a bill that proves the hardcore community thrives right now and remains deeply connected to its regional roots.

Despite that, much of Saturday’s line-up leans into the unconventional. The Main Stage opens with Momma, whose indie-rock sound takes on a grunge tinge and draws passers-by closer with each swelling chorus. Militarie Gun, who launch their last album at Outbreak 2023, return with new material and all the scrappy shout-along energy that first wins fans over.

Fleshwater let noise do the talking, cutting a tight and cohesive set without saying much at all. Over on the Third Stage, Gleemer whisper while others scream - their restraint acts as an emotional counterpunch to Witch Fever, who follow with a set ablaze with promise for their incoming second album.

Then come the legends: Sunny Day Real Estate, in a rare UK appearance, mark a step up on the line-up as the evening begins to sharpen. Their career-spanning set hits special heights when they dip into numbers from their landmark album 'Diary' - it feels like sacred ground being revisited.

On the Indoor Stage, Glassjaw tear through 'Worship & Tribute' in full; a no-skips album delivered with all the urgency it deserves. They double down with a return the next day for a run through Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Silence. Less impactful, same swagger - from a band that remains razor sharp.

As the sunshine slips away, Slowdive bathe the Main Stage in expansive textures that sprawl to meet the vast blue sky above. In truth, they deserve darkness to reach full transcendence. A magic only half-captured.

Meanwhile, Gouge Away are undermined by an overlit Third Stage - a stark bulb sapping some menace from their otherwise punishing set.

Then comes Alex G. Wholesome, quirky and, let’s be honest, utterly misplaced. It’s charming and fun, but feels like a miscast lead role in a play about chaos. Few stage dives, many sways. A curious note to close on.

But the day doesn’t end there. At 11pm, while knees ache and energy wanes, Tigers Jaw light up the Third Stage. Chopping between early tunes and new material, they offer an exhausted but euphoric sing-along to cap off the first day.

Sunday arrives with renewed focus. The tone is set early by Chamber, the returning West Midlands bruisers who shake the Third Stage awake. They open the pit and the floodgates for God’s Hate over on the Indoor Stage. Making their long-awaited UK debut, their set feels historic. Shirtless fury. Hair flying. Crowd whipped into a frenzy.

On the Main Stage, Drug Church bring sweat and the search for redemption. After being dropped by the crowd in London, frontman Patrick Kindlon jokes about it and the Manchester crowd answers by keeping him—and every stage diver—aloft. Trust, restored.

The stacked Main Stage continues delivering, with a seismic special guest appearance from Loathe. Almost back on home turf, the Liverpudlians return to Outbreak like prodigal sons. With a new era dawning, their set cements their status as UK heavyweights ready for global domination.

Then, Speed. The Sydney hardcore trailblazers arrive like a shot of adrenaline. Heartfelt and urgent, they are scintillating - one of the weekend’s standout sets.

They raise the bar, and performances from Sunami and Terror keep the spin kicks and stage dives coming. Two massive sets that again show just how healthy the scene is right now.

With evening fast approaching, the choice becomes one between two heavens. Superheaven on the Main Stage offers a moment of clarity with spaced-out soundscapes. Deafheaven, meanwhile, keep the momentum going with similarly broad landscapes but offer more jagged, unforgiving edges as they celebrate the best of their new album Lonely People With Power.

For those still in search of reprieve, the Main Stage undergoes some delays ahead of Denzel Curry’s set - it’s been well and truly battered. Eventually, the rapper makes his return to the festival and proves that while the approach is different, the outcome remains the same: carnage. Finishing with a Rage Against The Machine cover, it feels like both a nod of respect and a middle finger to genre boundaries.

In the time waiting for stage repairs, Impunity fly the Yorkshire flag laid down earlier by Pest Control, with a loud and raw set that packs the room to the walls.

All too soon, it’s time to sign off in style.

The journey to Knocked Loose’s headline set feels like a summit. What follows is a pummelling, feral, masterful display of why they sit at the forefront of the genre right now. But it’s not just power - it’s community. Guest spots from Henry Cox (Boston Manor), Speed, Pest Control, Kadeem France (Loathe), Ollie Appleyard (Static Dress) and George Clarke (Deafheaven) make it a full-circle celebration. A scene united. The peak of everything Outbreak stands for.

There’s no denying it: a double headliner of Turnstile and Knocked Loose would be iconic. Turnstile’s absence casts a shadow. And while Outbreak flirts with more shoegaze and alternative edges on Saturday, the gamble of tasking Alex G with headlining is a tall order.

But that tension - the experimental versus the essential - is also part of what makes Outbreak feel real. It’s a festival in evolution, trying to grow without forgetting where it came from. That balance isn’t always easy. This year isn’t flawless. But it is fearless.