Outbreak Festival is an English hardcore punk festival and concert promotion company founded by Jordan Coupland and Lee Follows in 2011. Beginning at the Broomhall Centre in Sheffield, the festival has moved between a number of different venues and cities throughout its existence: being held in Leeds from 2012 to 2019, at the Well (2012), the Vox (2013–2014) and Canal Mills (2015–2019); and in Manchester from 2022, at Bowlers Exhibition Centre (2022, 2024) and Depot Mayfield (2023). Over its 13 date runtime, the festival has become one of the most prominent events in hardcore punk in the United Kingdom, hosting the genre's biggest native acts like Higher Power, Malevolence and the Flex, as well as fundamental international groups including the Cro-Mags, Gorilla Biscuits, Terror, Turnstile, Trapped Under Ice and Code Orange.
History 2011 Outbreak Festival began in 2011, founded by fourteen year old Jordan Coupland and Lee Fellows. This first iteration took place on Saturday 10 September 2011, and was held in Sheffield at the Broomhall Centre. Saturday 10 September 2011Brutality Will Prevail Deal With It Fastpoint Hang the Bastard Broken Teeth By My Hands Bays Cornered Crossbreakers Wayfarer Ironclad Wardogs Final Rage Think Twice Iron x Curtain
2012
January The festival moved to the Well in Leeds for its second iteration, which took place on 8 January 2012. This move took place because the Broomhall Centre was not a registered music venue, meaning the event was risking being shut down by authorities. Sunday 8 January 2012Harm's Way Brutality Will Prevail Dead End Path New Morality Broken Teeth Breaking Point Wayfarer Guilty Final Rage Iron X Curtain Survival Splitcase Speak Up
September Leeds The third edition of Outbreak Festival was held between 22 and 23 September 2012 at the Well in Leeds. On Friday 21 September, a pre-show was held headlined by Grazes with support from xCurraheex, Trial & Error, Rough Justice and the Pact. The pre-show served as the final show for Grazes and xCurraheex before their disbandment. When the show was originally announced in August 2012, it was also meant to be the final show for Speak Up with support from Bleak Reality and Outrage CC.
Saturday 22 September 2012Knuckledust Hang the Bastard By My Hands Prowler Survival New Lows Full of Hell New Morality AYS Inherit Think Twice Forsaken Nibiru The Flex
Sunday 23 September 2012Frustration Breaking Point xAbolitionx Ark of the Covenant Natural Order Landscapes Splitcase Final Rage Blindside Speak Up Burnt Earth Bleak Reality Your Move
Jülich On 29 September 2012, a "European Edition" of Outbreak Festival took place at Külturbahnof in Jülich, Germany. Saturday 29 September 2012Brutality Will Prevail Broken Teeth Desolated Survival xEisbergx New Lows Blindside In Circles Full of Hell Demonwomb Done Hieroglyphs Trapjaw
2013 Outbreak Festival 2013 moved venues to the Vox in Leeds, following the Well's 2012 closure. This date was the UK live debut from festival regulars Turnstile, and at the time, the furthest they had played from their home in Baltimore. The Saturday featured Final Rage's final performance before their disbandment.
Saturday 14 September 2013Incendiary Mindset Broken Teeth xAbolitionx Breaking Point Inherit Risk It! Final Rage Ego Trip The Flex Obstruct Violent Reaction Fade Natural Order Cement
Sunday 15 September 2013Turnstile Frustration Forsaken Malevolence Prowler Blindside Cornered Bang Bro's Nai Harvest Moose Blood Bleak Reality War Charge Below Mind X Control Insist
2014 Sunday 13 April 2014Cold World Backtrack Stick Together No Turning Back Take Offense Survival Wardogs Wolf Down Eisberg Nai Harvest Mind x Control Headroom World Eater Strange Places
2015
The Vox announced its closure at the beginning of 2015, leading to Outbreak Festival needing to relocate. The promoters originally intended to move to Canal Mills in the Armley area of Leeds, although the date at the time was not available, so it began to be organised at Control in Burley, Leeds. However, the date at Canal Mills soon became available, leading to Outbreak Festival 2015 taking place there instead. Between Angel Dust and Broken Teeth's sets, a brief, impromptu set by Higher Power took place. Sunday 3 May 2015Title Fight Basement Cold World Turnstile Justice Survival Broken Teeth Higher Power Angel Dust Headroom Milk Teeth Drug Church Not Afraid Insist Shrapnel
2016 Outbreak 2016's Saturday took place on 30 April, while its Sunday was eight days later on 8 May. The Saturday featured a one-off reunion set by Dead Swans, while its Sunday had the same for Dirty Money. Sunday was also one of only four dates which Trapped Under Played in 2016, and was the only one not in continental Europe.
Saturday 30 April 2016Terror Dead Swans Incendiary Malevolence xRepetencex Reflect Rough Justice Splitknuckle
Sunday 8 May 2016Trapped Under Ice Dirty Money Survival xReptenencex Higher Power Renounced Blind Authority Insist Revulsion Bitter Youth Mercy Adjust Frame of Mind Riot Conduct
2017 Outbreak Festival 2017 took place between 29 and 30 April, at Canal Mills. It was originally announced that one of the headliners would be a reunited Turning Point featuring Tim Mcmahon of Mouthpiece on vocals, in tribute to the band's vocalist Frank 'Skip' Candelori who died in 2002, however Turning Point did not play the final event.
Saturday 29 April 2017Gorilla Biscuits Title Fight Breakdown Fury Freedom The Flex Higher Power Insist Bitter Youth Bent Life Blind Authority Frame of Mind Rapture
Sunday 30 April 2017Cro-Mags Knuckledust Broken Teeth Mizery Renounced Revulsion Splitknuckle Guilt Trip Chamber Firm Standing Law Stranded Pledge Outreach
2018 On 15 June 2018, a pre-show took place at the Temple of Boom featuring Payday, Rough Justice, Last Wishes, Insist, Revulsion and Blind Authority. The festival took place at Canal Mills on 16 and 17 June.
Saturday 16 June 2018Turnstile Floorpunch Fury Angel Dust Higher Power The Flex Jesus Piece Year of the Knife Protestor Line of Sight Big Cheese Odd Man Out Cheap Surgery
Sunday 17 June 2018Code Orange Cro-Mags Broken Teeth Twitching Tongues Vein Renounced Chamber Existence xServitudex Slope All Fear Death
2019 Sunday 28 April 2019Comeback Kid Citizen One King Down Defeater Backtrack Such Gold Jesus Piece King Nine Revulsion Candy Splitknuckle Sharptooth Last Wishes
Outbreak Festival also organised Have Heart's two 2019 reunion shows in Leeds, both taking place on 21 July. The first one announced had support from Abuse of Power, Big Cheese, Payday and Stages in Faith. After that show sold out, a matinee show was announced with support from the Flex, Mil-Spec and World of Difference. Furthermore, they organised Backtrack's final UK show before their disbandment. Taking place at the Brudenell Social Club, the event took place on 9 November 2019, with support from Higher Power, Hangman, Last Wishes and Greed.
2020–2021 On 9 February 2020, it was announced that for Outbreak Festival 2020, the festival would relocate to the Leadmill in Sheffield, and would be headlined by Knocked Loose. Additional bands announced for the year included Trapped Under Ice, Terror, Incendiary All Out War, Broken Teeth, Fury, Fiddlehead, Renounced, SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Ecostrike, Magnitude, Antagonize, Young Guv, One Step Closer and Anxious. However, this year did not take place due to the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in the United Kingdom. On 1 September 2020, the festival announced Knocked Loose as the headliners of Outbreak Festival 2021, alongside Madball, Youth of Today, Vein.fm, All Out War, Higher Power, Fiddlehead, Incendiary, Xibalba, Sanction, Renounced, Broken Teeth, Drain, Narrow Head, Young Guv and High Vis. The announcement stated the festival would take place between 25 and 27 June 2021 and would be held at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester. This date also never took place due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
2022 On 8 December 2021, Every Time I Die were announced as a headliner, however the band disbanded before the festival took place. At the same time Chubby and the Gang were announced to play, however they too dropped out before the event took place. Venom Prison, Rotting Out, Modern Life Is War, Madball, God's Hate and Youth of Today also dropped out before the festival took place.
This iteration was the first year the festival took place at the Bowlers Exhibition Centre in Manchester, selling out the venue's 5,000 person capacity. The year's pre-show took place on Thursday 23 June, and featured last-minute headliners Counterparts, with support from SeeYouSpaceCowboy, Static Dress, Modern Error and Guilt Trip. Stick to Your Guns were originally booked to headline this pre-show, however were dropped from the bill on 7 June following comments made by Jesse Barnett about the Russo-Ukrainian War. Over the weekend the premises was also home to an art exhibit and a skate ramp. Friday was the final date of Your Demise's ten year anniversary reunion, as well as featuring a secret set by Malevolence. On the Saturday, Basement performed a tenth anniversary set for their albums I Wish I Could Stay Here (2011) Colourmeinkindness (2012). Additionally, in a tent stage, Ray Harkins, host of the 1000 Words or Less podcast, interviewed Nate Rebolledo of Xibalba, Bryan Garris of Knocked Loose, Olli Appleyard of Static Dress and Brendan Garrone of Incendiary on the Friday; Mat Kerekes of Citizen, Isa Holliday of Slowcrush, Jimmy Wizard of Higher Power, Walter Schreifels of bands including Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits and Quicksand, and producer Will Yip on Saturday; and Kat Moss of Scowl, Anaiah Lei and Dez Yusuf of Zulu, Daniel Tracy of Deafheaven, Anthony Alzando of Ceremony, Kadeem France of Loathe and Nicky "Money" Palmero of Nothing on Sunday.
Friday 24 June 2022Main StageSecond StageKnocked Loose Terror Malevolence Your Demise Last Witness Static Dress Incendiary Xibalba Renounced Year of the KnifePuppy The Flex Pest Control Last Wishes Despize Oversize
Saturday 25 June 2022Main StageSecond StageTurnstile Basement Citizen Higher Power Movements Angel Dust Drug Church Mannequin Pussy Fiddlehead Narrow Head PowerplantSlow Crush High Vis Young Guv Big Cheese Dead Heat Life's Question Island of Love Micromoon
Sunday 26 June 2022Main StageSecond StageTouché Amoré Deafheaven Ceremony Vein.fm Injury Reserve Loathe Nothing Superheaven Show Me the Body Drain Anxious Zulu ScowlOne Step Closer Militarie Gun Soft Kill Choir Boy Chastity Witch Fever Nekra Dare
2023 On 27 June 2022, Outbreak Festival announced that 2023's festival would take place at Depot Mayfield, a venue with a capacity of 10,000. Outbreak 2023's lineup saw the festival put a greater emphasis on hip hop music than before, with both Denzel Curry and Death Grips as headliners alongside hardcore bands Converge and Bane. On Thursday 22 June, a sold out pre-show took place at the Bread Shed and organised by Concrete Culture. It was headlined by One Step Closer, with support from Higher Power, the Flex, Fate, Despize, Dynamite and the second live performance by Nix. During the weekend there was an art exhibition curated by Screw Gallery and a free on-premise Uppercut Deluxe hairdressers. Friday was headlined by a reunited Bane, the festival was the only European date on their 2023 reunion tour. On the Sunday, a live episode of Knotfest's Hardlore podcast, hosted by Harm's Way's Bo Lueders and Twitching Tongues' Colin Young was recorded in front of an audience of festivalgoers at Manchester's Star and Garter pub.
Friday 23 June 2023Main StageSecond StageBane Converge Defeater High Vis One Step Closer Militarie Gun No Pressure Koyo Fleshwater Sunami Pest Control Spy Pain of Truth Restraining Order Rough Justice TS Warspite Demonstration of Power C4 Existence Mercury
Saturday 24 June 2023Main StageSecond StageDeath Grips Code Orange Machine Girl Jesus Piece Soul Glo Mike Armand Hammer Fury Scowl Narrow Head