Manchester’s Radar Festival is three full days of experimental, intricate, diverse music, which take place this year between July 26 -28 at Manchester’s Victoria Warehouse. It;s headlined by TesseracT, Leprous and The Midnight and also features appearances from prog staples such as VOLA, Plini and Earthside.
Having grown up in Guildford before expanding and making the move up north, Radar has plenty to offer over the last weekend in July. Not only has it grown in size, but also in its offerings, now hosting multiple masterclasses daily, an arcade gaming and tabletop games area, music market with plentiful merch and gear, and on-site food and drink. It’s everything a music nerd could ever want or need, all under the huge roof of the Warehouse.
Of course, what we’re all here for is the festival’s lineup, and we’ve put together five of the most unmissable acts that you’d be a fool to skip out on.
DIRTY LOOPS
If you’ve been searching your whole life for a proggy, poppy, deeply remastered version of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, make sure to watch Dirty Loops subheadline the main stage on Saturday July 27. Having played at Radar in 2022, Dirty Loops remain one of the most recommended acts from the weekend, with the entire venue jumping, singing, and enjoying the Swedish band. Henrik Linder will be running a bass masterclass over the weekend too, so you can grab some groovy techniques to take home.
THE OMNIFIC
The Omnific transcend the confines of genres entirely, mixing elements of metal, jazz, funk, and even classical music into their sound. The basslines will reverberate throughout your entire body, and the complex riffs are a sight to behold. If you’re a fan of the likes of Polyphia and Unprocessed, Australians The Omnific are not to be missed when they play the Neural Archetype stage on Sunday July 28.
ICHIKA NITO
Where other bands on the lineup prefer to throw all of their sound in your face at once, Ichika Nito slowly teases it until it crescendos into a spectacle. Each melody Ichika Nito creates is deep, emotive, and captivating, but it’s his use of texture that’s truly mindblowing. Using a combination of strumming, finger picking, and tapping, Ichika Nito creates a multilayered soundscape that’s an absolute delight to witness. He’ll play on the Neural Archetype stage on Friday July 26.
VOWER
Made up of ex-Palm Reader vocalist Josh Mckeown, Toska’s Rabea Massaad, Black Peaks’ Joe Gosney and Liam Kearley, and bassist Rory McLean, Vower are a new collective hellbent on showcasing all of the best elements of their former bands. Josh Mckeown’s soaring vocals featured intermittently on Palm Reader releases, having formerly been pushed to the sideline to make room for his more aggressive shouting style. Now though, Vower move away from the full-throttle approach slightly to allow their music to breathe. Odd time signatures are interlaced with thundering drums and surprisingly funky basslines, while the choruses are so catchy you’ll be singing them in your sleep. Vower play on the Sneak Energy stage on Friday July 26.
CONJUROR
Conjurer are basically heavy prog royalty at this point. Their intense live show is full of sludgy prog that meddles with death metal when it suits. Presenting as a full-scale assault on the senses, Conjurer are experts at knowing when their audience needs a moment to breathe, filling those brief interludes with ethereal melodies. Don’t let them lull you into a false sense of security though, as Conjurer are known for getting up close and personal with the crowd, diving into pits headfirst without missing a beat. If you’re looking for an emotive yet brutal, solemn yet extreme time, make sure to catch Conjurer headlining the Sneak Energy stage on Friday July 26.
There are plenty more bands we could gladly recommend for this year’s installment of Radar Festival, but why not grab a ticket and see for yourself? With afterparties from “geezercore” collective Pintglass, Manchester’s own metallers Forager, the Limp Bizkit tribute your mum warned you about, Stiff Bizkit, and drum and bass extraordinaire Venjent, there’s something for all tastes across the weekend. Radar is also the first festival to donate a percentage of its ticket sales to the Music Venue Trust, which supports grassroots music venues across the UK, so you can enjoy your proggy goodness with a clear conscience.
