TAKEDOWN FESTIVAL Announces As It Is, WARGASM, Vower & More for 2026
Award-nominated independent rock and metal powerhouse Takedown Festival has dropped a massive wave of new names for its 2026 edition - and it is shaping up to be one of the most explosive lineups in the festival’s history. Returning to Portsmouth Guildhall on Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th April 2026, Takedown continues its mission to bring the best of heavy music to the south coast, delivering a two-day assault of genre-spanning chaos, cult favourites and the UK’s most talked-about rising acts.
PRESIDENT to make their first-ever headline appearance
Topping Saturday night’s bill are masked collective PRESIDENT, stepping into their first ever festival headline slot. After a lightning-fast rise through the ranks of UK heavy music and a slot in Download’s Dogtooth stage - plus a sold out Campaign Trail tour and a blistering debut EP King of Terrors - their appearance at Takedown promises to be a watershed moment with intensity, theatrics and a set destined to go down as one of the festival’s highlights.
Also leading the charge are Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons, headlining Friday with a full Motorhead set as a tribue to the legends and the perfect opportunity for fans to reconnect with one of metal’s most influential setlists.
New Additions
The latest announcement sees some of alternative music’s most exciting names join the already stacked line up. For Saturday, we will be treated to As It Is fresh off their celebrated 2025 return, WARGASM, Vower, Saint Agnes, Bex, Profiler and Tropic Gold, while Friday will bring Gnome, Devere, Gurt and The Fear. As the festival continues to build on its reputation for balancing fan-favourite veterans and bringing cutting-edge newcomers to the forefront, it provides the perfect set-up for music’s past, present and future.
After an eight-year hiatus, Takedown stormed back in 2023 with Sleep Token and Skindred, relocating from its Southampton University roots to the Portsmouth Guildhall. Since then, it re-cemented its reputation as a vital player in the UK rock landscape, earning nominations for Best Small Festival, Best Metropolitan Festival and the Grassroots Festival Award at the 2023 UK Festival Awards.
Tickets for Takedown Festival 2026 are on sale now via takedownfestival.com
BY: CHARIS LYDIA BAGIOKI
