Cover photo by @abbidraperphoto
In its 13th and final year at its beloved Fernhill Farm home, ArcTanGent Festival 2026 once again raises the bar with a fine array of acts from all parts of the alternative spectrum to culminate in a weekend of raw power, huge emotion, and a point made that heavy and alternative music is in one of the best places it’s ever been.
Photo by @abbidraperphoto
Church Road Records highlight Matador bring in the early Thursday afternoon with their brand of sludgy doom metal to give the crowd a taste of the heft to come over the weekend. Their ability to lock into a groove so easily, along with their cleverly sparse use of co-vocalists sets a theme for a couple of other bands throughout the day, including Psychonaut who’re next up on the main stage and display a set so full of devastation and weight that one could easily think there’d be no topping the three-piece for the rest of the fest - a band onto big things indeed.
Self-proclaimed ‘blackened post-punkgaze’ upstarts Ronker play the Yohkai stage to a crowd who become more invested by the second, the energy, joy and interaction shown by the 5 brilliant musicians easily translating over to those watching. Shades of letlive. and Refused are rarely a bad thing (and an insanely audacious but somehow successful cover of Kelis’ ‘Milkshake’ shows they’ve certainly got their own identity too), and it wouldn’t be surprising to see a rapid climb incoming for the Belgians.
The Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza by Carl Battams
Icelandic alt-metallers Agent Fresco are another band who put on a show fantastic enough to win over plenty of new fans, frontman Arnór Dan Arnarson’s soaring vocal and stage presence captivating as ever, and mathcore heroes The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza make a rare outing to the UK for a performance guaranteed to please old fans and new.
Maruja headline the Yohkai stage as essentially a jazz outfit, really showing off the breadth of what this fest has to offer. They sound even better here than on record and the distorted sax is a unique touch that, along with a wide vocal approach and an amalgamation of other genres, elevates this to a highlight set of the weekend.
IGORRR by @snaprockandpop
Co-headliners Igorrr return to ATG after three years, armed with a barrage of songs from their latest LP Amen, and it’s a show as mind-boggling as ever. The talent and tightness displayed by Gautier Serre and co is undeniable, and it remains impressive that the outfit really do have the songs to match their virtuosic and wild musical nature.
Taking on the closing set of night one, Chelsea Wolfe - ahead of her new album The Dark - plays a broad set covering her wide discography, to a room packed tight and utterly entranced. A magnetic vocal performance paired with an expansive band sound is a beautiful way to finish the night and look ahead to the next two days.
Chelsea Wolfe by Jez Pennington
Zatokrev play early afternoon on Friday with a crushing display of groove and sludge matched with an alluring backdrop, the dual vocal approach arriving at one point at what must be a 20 second scream which feels like it’s shaking the stage; a genuinely great performance from a band who’ll surely be higher up the bill next time around.
You Win Again Gravity play to a crowd who seem to already know every song and are loving every second, and Night Swimming showcase the stunning vocals of Meg Jones in a super vibey set with intriguing instrumentals and an absorbed crowd to match. German quartet The Intersphere bring in the early evening with their brilliant approach of catchy prog, unbelievably tight musicianship and an impressive vocal to boot.
Arcane Roots by Jez Pennington
Arcane Roots make their much anticipated return in style, a truly beautiful 50 minute set to showcase why they were one of the most beloved UK bands of the time before their split. They play with so much passion and love, and it’s reflected in an audience whom many ultimately describe as the set of the weekend.
Perturbator by @abbidraperphoto
Nothing take the Yohkai in the palm of their hand from the off, their shoegaze style as gripping as ever, and showcasing the brilliance of their latest effort A Short History of Decay in style. Synthwave star Perturbator performs what is perhaps a peculiar slot in subheadlining Primus, but does so with aplomb, his electronic effort filling up the main stage with its grandeur and greatness.
Grindcore OGs Napalm Death close out the Yohkai with a show to establish their spot as the greatest to ever do it in the genre, a varied set from across their 45(!) year career, Barney with his unhinged stage performance as ever, the band playing perfectly, and the tent utterly rammed and left extremely sated.
Napalm Death by Derek Bremner
French instrumental post-rockers BRUIT ≤ headline the Bixler to an intrigued crowd (the band aren’t on streaming, so many will be walking into this without much knowledge of what they’ll see) but one that’s instantly captivated by a set in parts beautifully ambient and others heavy, their sampling and mixing of some classical elements an impressive display of uniqueness.
Primus by @snappopandrock
Friday headliners Primus seem to have brought an entire horde of fans to the festival today just for their set, and they don’t disappoint them. Their ever-weird brand of whatever sort of genre they fancy playing tonight goes down a storm, and whilst their presence does bring about a different vibe on site, everyone that’s there leaves very satisfied.
The return of post-metallers Oathbreaker after a long hiatus has been anticipated on site all weekend, and they deliver on the expectation and then some. Playing through their seminal effort Rheia, the band are musically incredible, with frontwoman Caro Tanghe’s vocals blistering, and the room full of an appreciation of their comeback, with a want and hope that they’ll not go away again any time soon. Dark folk star Darkher strips the atmosphere back with a show only accompanied by her guitar and a drummer, making for an air of gloominess and an appreciation of just what a bare bones approach can really make you feel.
Chat Pile by Carl Battams
Rising noise-specialists Chat Pile play the main stage to a tent of half their own fans, and the other half who are about to join that sect. The four-piece sound way heavier here than on record, putting on an annihilating display of raw emotion and desire to change the way of the world for the better, their lyrical themes covering many important and timely themes and landing with the crowd aplenty. Pupil Slicer, over on the PX3 stage, mark their return to ATG with a destructive set of mathcore frenzy, whipping up the room into chaos with their heaviness and Kate Davies’ vocals hitting harder than ever in an extremely impressive performance.
A.A. Williams by Jez Pennington
A.A. Williams headlines Bixler’s closing for the weekend with a truly astonishing demonstration of the most powerful of emotions, the juxtaposition of soft and beautiful to gloriously heavy in the distortion of the guitars and the unstoppable force of Williams’ vocal performance. New songs from Solstice hit just as hard as anything else from across her impressive discography, and the whole room is full of utter awe at what everyone is seeing before them. The set of the weekend.
Julie Christmas and Cult of Luna by @snappopandrock
Finishing out the last ever ArcTanGent at Fernhill Farm is a truly special set. Cult of Luna and Julie Christmas perform together for the first time in years, displaying a 10 year anniversary set of their modern classic Mariner. An unbelievable and unforgettable exhibition of every aspect of a performance, the blend of Julie and Johannes’ vocals, the weight of the band, and the stage design to match the power of the show before it. Sounding even better live than on record and appearing top of many’s ‘bands of the weekend’ lists, this is the perfect way to end what has once again been a perfect festival.
Todenham Manor Farm has a lot to live up to, but we’ve no doubt it will. Grab your tickets for ArcTanGent 2027 at its new home HERE.
