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LIVE REVIEW: No Play Festival 2026
Since 2021, No Play have provided grassroots music for the scene, by the scene, and this year's festival is no different. 35 Bands across 5 stages provided the perfect day out for any Alternative or Hardcore Fans, with a strong sense of community throughout every aspect of the festival. No Play Festival encapsulates everything incredible about the Hardcore and Alternative fellowship, especially within the North West.
Based in the heart of Liverpool, Seel Street makes the perfect location for this independent festival. The Northern Monk Main Stage and Devil Dog Loft Stage were located within The Arts Club, with both stages combined holding around 1400; this made it the perfect venue for the heavy hitters between floors. The two stages within The Arts Club had no barriers, a hallmark of Hardcore shows, allowing both artists and the audience to add to the chaos within the pit. Alongside the Rough Trade stage, sponsored by local skate shop Lost Art, this stage provided a slightly lighter side of the scene, with bands like Love Rarely and Dream State creating an impressive lineup. Kazimier Stockroom hosted the Best Life Records Stage, and The Jacaranda hosted the Guillotine Stage. Four Incredible venues in the heart of Liverpool City Centre, surrounded by a huge selection of bars and food options set the backdrop for No Play Festival.
After an impressive pre-show on Friday featuring Smother, Demeanour and Grove Street, the festival kicked off at The Jacaranda with Face It Tegan, with a powerful vocal performance over an excellent blend of Metalcore and hardcore elements, a perfect choice for opening the festival. IMissYouAlready started proceedings on the Loft Stage. After a slight delay due to technical issues, the North East Metalcore unit delivered an energy-filled performance, with the audience reciprocating that energy. Opening the Best Life Records Stage, Short Daughter provided a fun start to the set with ‘Party Rock Anthem’ and maintained this sentiment throughout, covering ‘Kersed’ by Ceremony. The Northern Monk Main stage launched with Witherhorde, a brutal display of Deathcore. Witherhorde’s Vocalist proclaimed, “No one does it like No Play”; we couldn't agree more.
So Far So Good showed the finest of London's metalcore scene, with tracks such as ‘Hangnail ’, a wonderful blend of electronic samples and heavy riffs; So Far So Good were a must-see. Back at Kazimier Stockroom, the Post-Hardcore unit Bye Bye showed a fresh twist on the unmistakable sound of Post-Hardcore giants such as Title Fight and Basement, even providing a perfect cover of the anthem that is ‘27’ by Title Fight. Leeds Nu Core outfit Bodyweb demonstrated why they are one of the best alternative bands in the current UK scene, with a perfectly curated set including songs such as ‘deadwire' and older songs such as ‘judas’ and ‘incest ’; this set was devastatingly brilliant. Front Man Louis Hardy perfectly summed up the festival: “It’s more than just a mosh pit, it's about having a place to belong”. Over at the Rough Trade Stage, Love Rarely provided a rhythmically expressive performance with virtuosic math rock guitar lines and extraordinary vocals, backed by a striking display from the rhythm section. Sunday Best illustrated a perfect balance of Post-Hardcore and Pop elements, proudly stating “music is a pathway to liberate people”, and the crowd shared that ideal.
All the way from New York, Spaced did not disappoint, with memorable tracks like ‘Pressure’; this set was aggressive, bass-driven, and catchy. Vocalist Lexi Reyngoudt declared, “These people right here are your community”, a perfect way to describe the No Play fanbase. “Year of the Pest” read across the stage as Pest Control showed us what pure chaos truly looked like as the no-barrier element of the festival really came into play with stage dives and hardcore dance moves; the crowd went feral for the Leeds-based Hardcore Punk Unit. California Natives Spy closed out the Devil Dog Loft Stage with a thunderous set; Spy put on a relentless performance with powerful tribal drums, insanely quick riffs and heavy breakdowns, hyping the crowd for the last act of the day. Stick to Your Guns ended the festival with a nostalgia-fueled set, stirring tears in the crowd towards the closing moments; the blend of Metalcore and Hardcore elements with a positive message throughout transported the whole crowd back in time. The set was a great blend of the older material, like ‘Against All Odds’, and their newer songs such as ‘Spineless’; this was the perfect way to end an incredible festival.
No Play Festival 2026 was a beautiful display of community and acceptance echoed throughout every facet of the festival, from set dressing to almost every artist voicing this shared feeling of belonging. The crowd was a huge variety of ages; there were families, friends, a true display of community and belonging, with every person we spoke to being welcoming and kind. No Play Festival not only provides an incredible bill of artists but also a place to express yourself without judgment, made for the scene, by the scene. If you're an Alternative or Hardcore fan, this festival has to be on your list for next year.
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