A Loud, Wet and Unforgettable Outbreak 2025

By Arlo McCarthy

​Outbreak Festival is renowned for showcasing acts from a wide range of genres, and this year was no exception. In 2025, the line-up highlighted everything from hyper-pop and shoegaze to hardcore punk and more. Regardless of the genre, Outbreak Festival had one of the best crowds I’ve ever seen — with mosh pits, stage dives, and an energy that never wavered. As a magazine centred on the experiences of disabled attendees, it’s important to highlight just how inclusive the atmosphere was, particularly for those in wheelchairs. Throughout the weekend, the crowd welcomed wheelchair users to ‘crowd-surf’ — an undeniable act of kindness that showed Outbreak Festival truly is for everyone.

Day 1: Opening Acts and Unexpected Delays

My day began with Militarie Gun’s performance which, as if by magic, stopped the rain. During the show, many fans 'slipped and slid’ across the stage, soaked from the earlier downpour. The band was an excellent start to the day — they announced new records, drew a large crowd, and created an atmosphere that carried through the entire weekend.

Next, Jane Remover delivered a powerful set. Her distinctive mix of hyper-pop and thrash-rap made her stand out from the rest of the weekend’s artists. Although I hadn’t listened to Jane Remover before, it’s safe to say she definitely gained a new fan!

At this point, I was due to interview Ben Walsh from Tigers Jaw. However, one downside of Outbreak Festival this year was the lack of clear directions, which made it difficult to find my way around. Hopefully next year there will be better signage and a printed map to help everyone navigate more easily.

Militarie Gun also had an insane crowd to start the day, should definitely be on anyone’s radar.

After the interview, I managed to catch the end of Julie’s performance on the outdoor stage. There wasn’t too much excitement from the crowd, but the band played almost identically to their recorded songs. They’re definitely one to look out for and hopefully follow in the footsteps of other shoegaze bands like Slowdive.

Two of the most anticipated acts of the day were up next: Have A Nice Life and Sunny Day Real Estate. Both bands rarely play shows in the UK -like many American acts at the festival - so no one wanted to miss their sets. The first's crowd was relatively more tamed in comparison to many of the earlier performances, as the band played through most of their discography. Nonetheless, despite the slightly diluted ‘heaviness’ of their music in a live setting, their set was an honour to witness, whether you were a fan or not. The latter, on the other hand, played a mix of popular and more underground tracks, and at times the fans’ singing even overpowered the band’s.

I ended my day with Slowdive, whom are more mainstream than a lot of other artists performing. The audience was swaying and singing along to all their hits, with many ambushing the stage for ‘When The Sun Hits’.  Undeniably, the band was a great booking for this year and was a great close to my first day at Outbreak 2025. 

Day 2: The Heaviest Day at Outbreak

​The highly anticipated, ‘heavier' day of Outbreak had arrived. Bands such as Deafheaven, Sunami and Pest Control filled Sunday's line-up, many of whom had previously delivered amazing sets in London on Friday, building up the festival-goers' excitement. 

The talk of the festival the whole weekend — and in the run-up — was who the special guests would be. Rumours spread rapidly online and onsite, many of which were squashed when Liverpudlian heavy metal band Loathe took to the stage. Mosh pits erupted left, right and centre, and circle pits left fans bruised and battered. During the set, the band also brought out Static Dress, a hardcore rock band from Leeds, to perform one of their songs. 

Sunami had a similar crowd later on, with crazed fans and numerous pits; the crowd's energy was unbelievable.  The band also spoke about political issues such as police power, highlighting that Outbreak is not just about music but also the messages behind it.
  
One of the day's highlights, however, came during Speed’s set. Stage dives happened by the second, and circle pits stretched all the way to the back of the arena’s front section. It was now especially clear why I'd had to sign a waiver to access this area!

My final two acts — Superheaven and Deafheaven — offered similar experiences, as their names suggest. Despite being later in the festival, the fans remained as energetic as ever. Plenty of pits formed, and the crowd supported anyone who fell or got hurt -- a true testament to the spirit of metalheads. As I was leaving, I overhead meny attendees praising Deafheaven’s set as "the best they’d seen all weekend".

Outbreak Festival 2025 proved to be one of its best years yet. The festival’s move further north clearly paid off, giving the festival more space and a wider audience. While there were still some tweaks to be made in accordance to organisation and set-up, the acts and the crowd alike made the weekend unforgettable — especially for me, who left with a long list of new artists to explore.