The South Coast’s biggest indoor rock and alternative festival returns as Takedown Festival takes over the Portsmouth Guildhall on 3rd – 4th April 2026, bringing two days of heavy riffs, rising stars and legendary names to the city.
After attending and photographing the festival in both 2023 and 2025, Takedown has quickly become a fixture in my calendar. Its compact indoor layout creates an atmosphere that feels intense but accessible.
Originally launched at Southampton University, Takedown became a key platform for UK rock and metal before going on hiatus in 2015. Its return in 2023, headlined by Sleep Token and Skindred, marked a triumphant comeback, and the move to Portsmouth Guildhall has allowed the festival to grow while maintaining the close-quarters energy that made it special in the first place.
Therapy? step in to headline Friday
Alternative metal veterans Therapy? have been announced as the Friday night headliner following the sad news of the passing of Phil Campbell, whose band Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons were originally scheduled to perform. Takedown Festival and fans alike remember Phil for his immense contribution to rock music and the energy he brought to every stage he graced.
Known for their era-defining alternative rock catalogue and explosive live performances, Therapy? bring decades of experience to the Kerrang! Stage. They’ll close out Friday night following sets from British rock favourites The Wildhearts, gothic rock outfit South of Salem and heavy metal trio Asomvel.
Across the venue’s other stages, Friday’s lineup continues with performances from alternative veterans InMe on the Metal For Good Stage, while the Total Rock Stage hosts heavier acts including King Kraken and Gurt.
PRESIDENT headline Saturday night
Saturday will see masked collective President headline the festival in what will be their first-ever festival headline appearance.
The band have rapidly built a reputation as one of the most intriguing new forces in heavy music, combining cinematic visuals with crushing riffs and electronic elements. Their headline set inside the Guildhall’s dramatic main hall could easily become one of the defining moments of the weekend.
They’ll be joined on the Kerrang! Stage by genre-blurring duo Wargasm, pop-punk favourites As It Is and rising alternative outfit Mouth Culture.
Elsewhere across the festival, performances from Graphic Nature, Saint Agnes, The Hara and Vexed ensure there will be no shortage of heavy moments across the weekend.
An indoor festival built for discovery
One of Takedown’s biggest strengths remains its layout. With three stages contained within the Guildhall complex, fans can move easily between performances while still catching a huge portion of the lineup.
With the return of Takedown Festival just weeks away, Portsmouth is once again preparing for a weekend of riffs, breakdowns and packed pits inside the Portsmouth Guildhall. With a lineup spanning scene veterans like Therapy? through to modern heavyweights such as Wargasm and headline newcomers President, the 2026 edition is shaping up to be another huge chapter in the festival’s comeback story. I’ll be there across both days capturing the noise, the energy and the chaos as it unfolds, so keep an eye out for a full review and photo gallery once the amps cool down.
