Sunshine & Solidarity: Seaside Punk Festival Returns!

FESTIVAL PREVIEW: Rebellion Punk Festival 2025, Winter Gardens, Blackpool 7th-10th August

Punk rock and sunshine pretty much go hand in hand, so it’s fitting that the UK’s biggest punk festival takes place smack bang in the middle of summer at one of the most popular resort towns in the country. Rebellion Festival is once again unfolding over a whopping four days in August, the line up consisting of plenty of bands from across the punk rock spectrum and featuring many of the ‘old guard’ standing shoulder to shoulder with many, many up-and-comers.

Headlining each day will be some of the biggest bands in the scene – goth punkers The Damned, post punk band Public Image Limited, Swedish skate punk legends Millencolin (who are celebrating the 25th anniversary of their classic album ‘Pennybridge Pioneers’ in 2025) and The Exploited will be bringing their brand of thrashy punk! Several more ‘classic’ bands will be joining the line up in the form of power pop/new wave band The Undertones, LA’s Circle Jerks return to the UK after their co-headlining tour with Descendents earlier this year, street punkers UK Subs and there will be plenty of old school ska from Bad Manners and The Selecter – plus 999, TSOL, Anti-Nowhere League, Subhumans and Ruts DC!

The perpetually sunny Save Ferris will follow up their stint at Slam Dunk festival with plenty of SoCal ska punk and are joined by Bite Me Bambi (on the back of their new album ‘Eat This’), third wave ska band The Toasters, cross genre ska punkers Millie Manders And The Shutup and Popes Of Chillitown, plus Random Hand, Buster Shuffle and Voodoo Glowskulls.

As ever, there will be plenty of home grown talent on offer. Grade 2 and The Meffs are two of the fastest rising bands in the UK punk scene, the former recently touring with the likes of Social Distortion and Rancid and the latter with NOFX and Alice Cooper. Joining them will be bands as diverse as Wonk Unit, oi band Clobber, punk n rollers Split Dogs, power pop father/daughter duo Voodoo Radio and the sisters in Maid Of Ace, fresh from supporting Green Day last year! Those looking for some 90s/2000s skate punk need look no further than No Fun At All (joining their countrymen Millencolin), Down By Law and Pistol Grip.

This is just a very small portion of what’s on offer and the weekend itself promises to provide everyone attending something to enjoy, whether it’s a favourite band they’ve seen a million times or discovering somebody brand new. But one thing is certain, and that is that all involved will be joined in unity and solidarity under the punk rock banner! Let’s just hope the sun sticks around a bit longer this year!