Takedown Festival Announces It’s Return!

---

The acclaimed independent rock and metal event, Takedown Festival, has announced its return in 2025, following a brief postponement. The festival will take place at the Portsmouth Guildhall on Friday, April 4, and Saturday, April 5, 2025. Tickets are set to go on sale on Friday, August 30, 2024, at 9 a.m. BST and can be bought here!

Takedown Festival, which has been nominated for multiple awards, was initially slated for 2024 but was delayed due to basement development work on the Grade II listed Portsmouth Guildhall. The festival’s organizers are thrilled to confirm its return in 2025, with headliners Elvana—an Elvis-fronted Nirvana tribute band—set to perform on Saturday, and the Kris Barras Band, led by the former MMA fighter, headlining on Friday.

The 2025 lineup boasts a diverse array of talent, including Welsh alt-rockers Dreamstate, two-time MOBO Award nominee Kid Bookie, rising UK metalcore band Acres, and other notable acts such as Lake Malice, InVisions, URNE, The Nightmares, Ferocious Dog, Blanket, and many more.

Kai and Sarah Harris, founders of Takedown Festival Ltd, expressed their excitement about the festival’s return: “We are unbelievably happy to share the lineup for Takedown Festival 2025. This year has been particularly economically turbulent, with 60 UK festivals canceled, postponed, or lost. We feel incredibly fortunate to return with a lineup we are very proud of. We would like to thank our community for the support we have received this year and hope to see you in the pit!”

Artists are equally enthusiastic about the festival’s return. Jessie Powell of Dreamstate commented, “Very excited to be finally playing Takedown Festival. The lineup looks stacked, and we are ready to shred the room to pieces. See you in the pit!” Kris Barras, the Friday night headliner, shared his excitement: “Takedown Festival has been one I’ve wanted to do for a while. They always put out a great lineup featuring the best rock and metal bands the UK has to offer. It’ll be an honor to headline the Friday night.”

Celtic punk band Ferocious Dog also expressed their anticipation: “We’re excited to tear it up at Takedown Festival 2025! We are delighted the festival is back on its feet and that we can bring our high-octane Celtic punk to Portsmouth Guildhall. We’re ready to give it our all and make sure that the Ferocious Dog set is one you won’t forget.”

This marks the first time Takedown Festival will span two days, making it one of the most anticipated events in the 2025 rock and metal calendar. The festival’s return to prominence comes after a successful comeback in 2023, following an eight-year hiatus. Last year’s headliners, Sleep Token and Skindred, helped re-establish Takedown Festival as a significant player in the UK music scene.

The festival’s resurgence has not gone unnoticed, as it has been nominated for Best Small Festival, Best Metropolitan Festival, and the Grassroots Festival Award at the 2023 UK Festival Awards.