Hi, you! And now for the final day of MPF 2026. Sorry for delaying this, my demotivated brain made me do it.

You’ve probably already read the Friday and Saturday instalments of this series of coverage, so let’s not dilly dally. If you haven’t, sorry, no proper intro for you 😜

Slash Fiction | The Union

To the mothership hub that was The Union I went, to kick off the Sunday. Starting proceedings were Slash Fiction, an emo/noise rock outfit from Sheffield that brought their keyboard with them.

Rightfully priding themselves in queer identities and recognition, the five-piece were keen to spread vocal duties to poetically discuss themes including trauma, grief and self-forgiveness. If you’re into the likes of Los Campesinos and The Wonder Years, maybe get this lot into your lugholes?

As an aside, you can’t see it clearly in the photo I took of the group, but the middle guitarist/vocalist wore a Palestine football top, which I just thought was cool.

Cheerbleederz | The Union

While I was unfamiliar with the previous band, I’d known Cheerbleederz for a few years prior to MPF ’26. Indeed, I was excited to hear this London-based indie punk three-piece play live again following their headline appearance at a ‘Bands in a Brewery’ MPF 2024 warm-up at Signature Brew Blackhorse Road.

Well, I say “three-piece”, but the group announced during the set they were now a four-piece, with a child about to be born soon – massive congrats!

Cheerbleederz – who you may (or may not) be interested in learning are made up of previous members of Fresh, Me Rex and Finish Flag – performed a repertoire of tracks transversing zaniness, whimsy and earnest love. There was also a cover of Cher’s ‘Believe’ in the mix!

Rain McMey | YES! Basement

I then returned to YES! for a bit, initially to check out the poignant and protesting material of acousticy™️ act Rain McMey.

Dripping in sardonicism, Rain is keen to use the effects of hypercapitalism in the current technocratic landscape as their muse. Their set took aim at billionaires, bigots and *looks for a synonym for the apocalypse beginning with b for alliteration, and fails* the apocalypse.

I, and others present, found ourselves happy to sing along to some catchy choruses. Very fun set!

Dear Everyone | YES! Pink Room

I then moved upstairs to take in a folky acoustic act I was reliably informed was made up of members of punk bands NoComply and Misfortune Cookie.

Two of three members of Portsmouth-based Dear Everyone made the trip up to Manchester to bring us low-tempo songs about relationship difficulties and heartbreak. Taking turns to play the guitar, the harmonies delivered throughout were delightful.

Overall, the set invoked similarities to the likes of The Corrs for me, and in its own right was soulfully performed.

Old Chase | YES! Pink Room

Immediately afterwards, skate punk ensued, upping the BPM drastically. It is this variety of genres on show that is part of the beauty of this festival, after all.

Having seen this lot live several times previously, the performances of London/Brighton-based Old Chase have gone from strength to strength collectively. It was, however, my first time seeing them incorporate saxophone into their songs live, and it was also lovely to see Rage DC guitarist (and bassist Beth’s dad) Graham join in for a bit.

Bringing lyrics exploring mental health, discontent towards the powers that be, and skateboarding, their set also featured a cover of key influence NOFX’s ‘Together on the Sand’. This is also a band I’ve covered previously – see my review of their latest album here if you want, cheers 😏

Split Dogs | The Union

My penultimate band seen at MPF this year was a complete shot in the dark, recommended by a mate, and one I did not regret at all.

Bristol-based Split Dogs brought hard-hitting, yet classic rock and roll stylings to The Union, tearing up the stage (not literally, thank goodness) with rapid, garage/glam ditties about having a dangerously good ol’ time.

On top of that, the lead singer fused delightfully gravelly vocals with some twisty-turny moves. Full steam ahead and never missing a step, the group delivered one of the most energetic sets of the whole weekend.

Aerial Salad | Bread Shed

To close things out for my weekend, in a full-circle instance, I saw the first band I saw at my first ever MPF (2022) headline the Bread Shed, and was bloody buzzing for them. You couldn’t write it 😜

Manchester’s own Aerial Salad have seen some well-deserved growth in fanfare over the past few years, with stage presence to match. The three-piece’s boisterous brand of earthy, Madchester-inspired punk commanded the attention of fans and the unconverted alike, triggering stage dives aplenty.

Their songs stick a middle finger to austerity and industry politics, always sceptical and refusing to take any effects lying down. Really, their DIY ethic encapsulates what MPF is all about, making them a brilliant choice as a headline act even amongst other, larger names featured throughout the fest.

Closing Remarks

Yeah, so that was Manchester Punk Festival 2026, written up by moi. Though I wish this hadn’t taken so much time to completely cover, it is a pleasure to have published all this in the week of the blog’s first birthday.

Pound for pound, this remains my favourite music festival of the calendar year, and long may it continue to showcase the many subgenres underpinning proper DIY music across the UK and beyond.

Thanks again to the promoters and volunteers who have made this possible since its launch in 2015. And of course, thank you, dear reader for checking this out.

Up the Posh, and up the Punx 🤘