Outbreak has been the beating heart of the UK’s hardcore scene since 2011 at its home in Manchester, finally the festival made the bold step south to the capital of London on Friday 13th June. Nestling among the vast greenery of Victoria Park, hosting festival LIDO boasts an impressive set up that made for the perfect launchpad — merging the grit of its roots with the scale of a new era. What could have felt like a risky shift instead landed with force: an eclectic, genre-pushing lineup met by a crowd ready to embrace the chaos of Outbreak.
Outbreak London 2025
Upon arriving (and grabbing a Jubel Peach of course) we headed to the main stage to see Boston outfit Fleshwater rip into the park with their heavy-yet-dreamy alt-metal. They proved to be the perfect start to our day as they balanced their signature ferocity with atmospheric shoegaze elements that ring through the crowd with an almost palpable energy. Tracks Closet and their bruising cover of Björk’s Enjoy blurred the lines between cinematic shoegaze and full-bore aggression. Efforts from the band did not go under-appreciated despite a slightly underwhelming mix from the stage’s sound system which carried along throughout the day.
Next up we wandered to The Club stage, which had been heating up nicely, where Jane Remover bought a seismic shift to the course of the day. Their glitched vocals and melancholic textures through songs Angels In Camo and Dancing With Rour Eyes Closed demonstrated how alt, hyperpop and EDM sensibilities can truly coalesce. Mid-set, they surprised the crowd by bringing out Danny Brown to perform Psychoboost, from recent album Revengeseekerz, turning the moment into one of the day’s most electrifying highlights.
Heading back to the main stage, our next show was clad in washed-out tones and drenched in distortion. LA trio Julie channelled their signature blend of shoegaze, slowcore and noise with an understated intensity. The band offered a certain sense of effortlessness while unleashing songs kit and april’s-bloom through stripped-back fury. The whole thing felt very connected and sleek.
Julie @ Outbreak London 2025
Next up back in the sweat-box stage The Club came Model/Actriz, delivering pure, chaotic Brooklyn hypnosis. Their dance-punk intensity teetered between performance art and full-blown dancefloor exorcism. Cole Haden’s presence was utterly enamouring — camp, confrontational, and impossible to look away from and amid the sweat and staged whispers, they redefined what daring felt like in a festival field.
After cooling down (and another Jubel Peach) Danny Brown crashed onto the main stage with punkish bravado, transforming the space into somewhat of a chaotic hip hop party — a gear change from the noise drenched afternoon so far. Hits like Dip and Monopoly had fans shouting along with every lyric and gripped by his pinpoint delivery. A middle segment of the set featured three tracks from Brown’s collaboration with JPEGMAFIA really looped the whole performance back to the guitar heavy focus of Outbreak.
Veterans Glassjaw hit the second stage with poised nostalgia. Daryl Palumbo’s voice slashed through the hum of anticipation. Sure, the set wobbled early on, but once they dropped crowd-favourites like Pink Roses and Ape Dos Mil the tent roared its allegiance. To say the long standing love in the tent was palpable and fans beamed with joy. The second stage’s mix was considerably more put together and robust than that of the main stage, ensuring the evenings offerings were conveyed to a standard you’d expect from a London day fest.
In the lull before the storm and in a pleasantly confusing genre shift, Alex G and his band offered melodic reprieve as afternoon sun filtered through, dappling the main stage. His dreamy tracks Gretel and Talking felt like the festival’s emotional reset, a sonic balm that calmed bruised punks before the chaos kicked back in in other tents. Noticeably, the group omitted smash single Runner from most recent 2022 record God Save The Animals which left a few new-gen fans feeling a little short changed, despite the 17-song-long set.
Returning to the second stage, our penultimate show came in full force when Knocked Loose took to the stage with the kind of precision and weight that reminded everyone in the tent why they’ve become torchbearers of modern hardcore. Kicking off with Blinding Faith from their 2024 record You Won’t Go Before You’re Supposed To, Lead vocalist Bryan Garris stalked the stage with sharp intent, channeling fury into form. By the time Deadringer started, the crowd split into flailing limbs and dust clouds, mosh pits erupting like instinct. This set felt like a masterclass for every young head in the crowd looking to cut their teeth in hardcore, truly inspirational. Rounding out the beginning of the end of their set, tracks Billy No Mates and Counting Worms ripped through the crowd as clear favourites.
Over at the final set of the night and soaked in the rain, Baltimore’s own Turnstile hit the main stage. Starting out with a bit of a dodgy mix again on the sound front, the ethereal chants of NEVER ENOUGH from the crowd gave us tingles of anticipation for the rest of this historic set for the band. It was raw, communal, euphoric and felt like about bloody time these folk got a headline slot. Frontman Brendan Yates gave every fibre of his being to his performance and his fans alike, his love for his band and their craft shining with every song. Later in the set, Dev Hynes (aka Blood Orange) stepped onstage to join the band, a surprise appearance that leaned into Turnstile’s genre-agnostic ethos. His presence added a dreamy texture to an already transcendent atmosphere, folding in just the right amount of softness without slowing the momentum. Closing out their set with an encore featuring hits BLACKOUT, SEEIN’ STARS and BIRDS, the rain wasn’t stopping the energy from the crowd as they squeezed their final mosh opportunity to the end. Overall, once the sound sorted itself out, Turnstile were able to deliver one of the most compelling and impressive headline sets a London festival has seen in what felt like an age.
Outbreak London 2025
Outbreak’s London debut at Victoria Park felt like a statement of intent. The diversity of the bill showcased the festival’s new ambition without sacrificing its soul. We sure hope that this drive and buzz continues with more editions of the festival in the south in the future.
Live review & photography of Outbreak London @ Victoria Park, London by Ethan Jones on 13th June 2025.
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