Outbreak 2024 • Festivals • DIY Magazine

Manchester’s BEC Arena is a fitting setting for the UK’s largest alternative and counterculture hip hop gathering; a somewhat rustic, no-thrills industrial warehouse on the outskirts of Greater Manchester, and a space embodying the very spirit of do-it-yourself. It - much like the festival - expands the floorshow to its highest grandeur without losing any of its underdog, grassroots feel. It pulls from the practice space and grows it well beyond any expected confines.

A monumental main stage rises out at the end of the venue’s outdoor car park yet invites fans to throw age-old hardcore shapes on an adjacent platform that quite literally carries its fair share of weight across the weekend. More often than not, these fans and artists become one in a clump of human bodies flying in and out of the crowd, injecting a constant sense of movement and energy. So much so that those arriving are met by a liability waiver form should they wish to enter what this writer’s group affectionately nicknames “the cage”; essentially a cordoned off area closer to the stage that throws onlookers firmly into the action.

Even in its scale, growing in numbers across its 13-year history, Outbreak has not lost its notion of togetherness, unfolding as a triumphant celebration of its scene, of the bands and the individuals that have nurtured it over time, and most importantly, of the DIY, all-in-this-together attitude that could so easily have slipped away.

This spirit is evident throughout the weekend across a multitude of performances by some of the scene's biggest and most exciting names, roughly split into three sub-genre focused days – kicking off with Friday’s alt-hip-hop extravaganza, which places the ferocious JPEGMAFIA and multi-faceted Action Bronson at the top of the bill. In its smaller scale, day one brings the main stage indoors for a remarkably fitting, industrial haze that provides the backdrop for the act’s huge crossover appeal. It’s a suitably wild start for a visceral experience - one which on the Saturday unleashes the frontrunners of hardcore, stretching across both the international and homegrown scenes. The Sunday takes a somewhat lighter turn, with Midwest emo pioneers American Football at the top of the bill, setting the standard for what is a subtle shift in tone for Outbreak’s otherwise heavy outings of previous years.

It's a clever move, as the festival broadens its appeal in step with its roots, pairing some of the comparably softer artists with heavier alternatives on one of its three stages. Highlights are numerous across each style, from emo stalwarts Thursday’s celebration of fan-favourite albums ‘War All The Time’ and ‘Full Collapse’ in a rapturous early-evening indoor set, to cult heroes The Hotelier’s first appearance on UK shores in the best part of a decade. Balance & Composure follow suit, with their first performance in ten years switching to a very early Sunday morning slot, but still pulling a significant crowd.

Hardcore veterans Have Heart easily win the award for the biggest mosh of the weekend with their highly-anticipated set - doubling as the only European appearance on their current short but sweet run of shows - while Mannequin Pussy bring the car park to a sudden hush with their call-to-arms for equality and an end to bigotry. Touché Amoré glide through a set filled with 90-second ragers and emotionally charged melodies, and Saturday headliners Basement draw a huge singalong to their hardcore-adjacent grunge notions.

In fact, there’s not a single dud across the weekend, as a wave of fans ebb and flow to the stage that suits their sensibilities (and hangovers) best. It’s in keeping with the festival’s community ethos, embedded into everything from its hugely popular shared merch area to its vegan-only pop-up food stalls. Outbreak embraces and welcomes the alternative, with a broader range of bands on offer than ever before, but it's a ranger that still carries the spirit of the scene at its very core. There’s something truly special, raw, and wholeheartedly cathartic across the three days. In its beautiful chaos, you’re left with a reassuring, overarching feeling that even if you do fall down, somebody will damn well pick you up again.