One of last year’s (or any year’s) most friendly and enjoyable festivals, the first bands and artists for 2026’s ArcTanGent festival have just been announced. Last year was a pure joy (besides the price of beans) with highlights from Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, KayoDot and many others. The details so far are down there under the flyer, as are links to our 2025 coverage of the festival that once again happens on a farm not far from Bristol…

The press release….

“The much-loved and award winning ArcTanGent Festival returns this next Summer 2026 and can reveal a host of amazing acts for the festival which runs 19th-22nd August 2026.
 
At the top of today’s announcement is the incredible French artist Igorrr (UK exclusive), who is musician Gautier Serre‘s alias. The band mix together stunning black metal, breakbeats, baroque, trip hop and so much more. As unique as they are impressive, theirs will be a set not to miss and will be a UK exclusive.  Joining them are fellow French musicians, black metal band Alcest (UK exclusive) and electronic artist Perturbator (UK exclusive). Oklahoma noise/sludge/metal band Chat Pile, returning Belgian band Oathbreaker (UK exclusive show), Icelandic math art rock from hugely acclaimed and much loved band Agent Fresco playing first shows in 7 years and a UK exclusive for the fest, and British math rock from the utterly brilliant TTNG, another performing the first time in 7 years.

Also announced today includes a special show from British band Heck who are reforming for the  10th anniversary show of ‘Instructions’, Humanfly reforming for the first show in 13 years, Town Portal, Shearling, Michael Cera Palin and more. After last years huge Silent Disco success, British rock band Amplifier will be doing a special live Silent Disco set. 

Some of the Wednesday lineup has also been revealed and includes the soon-to-be-no-more post-hardcore band Svalbard (in what will be their final festival show), French post-rock band Lost In Kiev and math rock from Alpha Male Tea Party (whose recently released album ‘Reptilian Brain’ is surely one of 2025’s best). 

Speaking of the festival, organiser James Scarlett says “The demand for ArcTanGent 2026 tickets has truly been unprecedented, with over half our tickets sold in the first 2 weeks of them being on sale. Fans will have to wait a little bit longer before we can announce our headliners, but we’re so excited for the exclusives, reformations and special sets we’ve already cooked up – Early Bird tickets are running low so if you want to lock in for another vintage ArcTanGent, don’t sleep!”

A full list of bands announced today – Igorrr / Perturbator / Chat Pile / Alcest / Oathbreaker / Agent Fresco / TTNG / Svalbard* / BRUIT ≤ / Amplifier (Silent Disco Live Set) / HECK / Alpha Male Tea Party* / Humanfly / Psychonaut / Lost In Kiev* / Overhead, The Albatross* / Michael Cera Palin / Darkher / Shearling / Town Portal / Barrens / Blessings / Bucket / Chalk Hands* / DIMSCÛA* / Erotic Secrets of Pompeii / Giant Walker* / The Grey* / HAAL / KLÄMP / Meatdripper / No Violet / Sans Froid* / Swamp Coffin* / Tanzana / Zatokrev / Sara Zozaya *= Wednesday only

arctangent.co.uk

Previously on these pages…

ORGAN THING: So ArcTanGent happened and how good was it! The extremes of the bands, the people, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Kayo Dot, the freedom of it all. Now that was how to do a music festival…

ORGAN: Five bands we took away from this year’s ArcTanGent – Lowen’s powerful blend of progressive metal and Iranian classical music, Love Rarely’s math flavoured hardcore bite, the intricate sound of Tangled Hair, Meth were intensely intense! Overhead, The Albatross…