Award-nominated independent rock and metal event Takedown Festival has announced ten additional acts for its highly anticipated 2026 edition, set to take over Portsmouth Guildhall on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 April 2026. The festival will once again bring two days of pure heavy music energy to the south coast.

Slam Dunk, the UK’s biggest independent rock festival, has dropped its second and final wave of artists, locking in a massive line-up for its 20th anniversary in 2026. Joining previously announced headliners Good Charlotte and Sublime, Kentucky’s hardcore heavyweights Knocked Loose lead the latest additions, alongside more than 20 new names spanning pop-punk, emo, ska, metal and beyond.

Germany’s most explosive export, ELECTRIC CALLBOY, have unleashed their brand-new single ‘TANZNEID’, a high-voltage anthem that transforms dance-floor envy into a full-body experience. The track kicks off what promises to be the band’s biggest era yet, paving the way for their massive TANZNEID WORLD TOUR 2025/2026.

Nottingham pop-punks As December Falls have today dropped their brand-new single, ‘Flametide,’ taken from the hit rhythm video game Muse Dash.

Southern California quintet SPITE - Darius Tehrani (vocals), Alex Tehrani (guitar), Ben Bamford (bass), and Travis Regnier (drums) - have unleashed their new album NEW WORLD KILLER via Rise Records. To celebrate the new release, the band also dropped the visualiser for new single ‘GAVEL’.

The heavy metal visionaries collectively known as AVATAR - vocalist Johannes Eckerström, guitarists Jonas Jarlsbyand Tim Öhrström, bassist Henrik Sandelin, and drummer John Alfredsson - have unleashed their latest masterwork, Don’t Go in the Forest.

Florence Welch - known to the world as Florence + The Machine - returns today with her highly anticipated sixth studio album, Everybody Scream.

After a standout performance at this year’s 2000trees Festival, Bristol’s harmony-driven heavyweights Blank Atlas return with ‘Leave My Life Behind’, a soaring, emotionally charged anthem about finding peace in letting go. The new single lands as the trio gear up for their co-headline UK and Ireland tour this November alongside The Last Vinci.

In the heart of London, the O2 Forum Kentish Town became a sanctuary for alternative music as Irish alt-rock trio NewDad brought their Altar tour to the city. The evening, rich with raw talent, opened with an impressive set from Cardinals - a five-piece also hailing from Ireland - whose distinctive sound and energy perfectly set the tone for NewDad’s biggest London headline show to date.

Leeds-based alt-rock powerhouse Artio have unveiled their latest single, ‘Let It Be A Void’, alongside the announcement of a UK headline tour to celebrate the forthcoming release of their new album, Soul Rot, out 21 January via LAB Records.

Award-winning progressive music event RADAR Festival has unveiled the first wave of artists for its 2026 edition, set to take place at O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, from 31 July to 2 August.

Your guide to this week’s newest music releases.