Time drags whilst waiting for Rebellion Festival to come back around, but the UK’s premier punk festival is set to make a return to the North West later this week. Rebellion kicks off on Thursday 2nd August and will continue into the small hours of Monday morning.

The inaugural Rebellion Festival took place in 1996 and has evolved and grown into one of the biggest if not the biggest punk celebrations on the planet. This year’s event will host a wide range of rock acts with over 300 bands playing on 6 stages over 4 days.

This year’s lineup features bands from the U.S.A., Europe and all over the world making it an International event with punk rock aficionado’s flocking to Blackpool from all corners of the globe. Rebellion is a unique festival that never fails to deliver.

The event’s diverse lineup features established veteran bands, some of which have even exceeded their 40 year anniversaries, as well as providing a platform to introduce new blood with emerging talent eager to be a part of this notorious phenomenon. Therefore, Rebellion Festival is always a great place to discover your next favourite band. Some of the line up this year includes the likes of Stiff Little Fingers, Buzzcocks, Public Image Limited, Michael Monroe and also The Wildhearts.

After last weekend’s monsoon-like weather conditions there were a number of festivals being cancelled across the UK. However, the beauty of Rebellion is that this year’s festival will be held indoors at the Winter Gardens in the heart of Blackpool and not too far from the iconic tower landmark. The only thing to worry about is getting there with your Mohawk intact, but the forecast is looking promising as the weekend approaches. Rebellion is undoubtedly one of the friendliest, colourful family events this writer has ever attended.

Tickets for Rebellion Festival are still available but are going fast. You can also download the festival’s official smartphone app to keep up to date with everything that is going on throughout the course of the event.

Rebellion Festival
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Words: Garry Urwin   Photo: Adam Kennedy

About The Author

Adam Kennedy is an experienced music photographer based in northeast England. He has been shooting concerts for several years, predominantly with the band Vintage Trouble. In 2013, he was one of their tour photographers, covering the UK and Ireland tour including the headline shows and as opening act for The Who. As an accomplished concert photographer, Adam's work has been featured in print such as, Classic Rock Blues Magazine, Guitarist Magazine, Blues in Britain magazine, broadcast on the MDA Telethon on ABC Television in the US, used in billboard advertising for Renaissance Hotels in the US, and featured online via music blogs such as Uber Rock and Guitar Planet. He is also the official photographer at Newcastle Rock and Blues Club.