Rabidfest 2026: Breaking Down The Bands #1: Swarm6ix!

The hype train may have already left the station as the bands were announced very early for this years incarnation of Oxfords finest Metal Weekender Rabidfest… but that still leaves a few questions what we’re going to answer over the next few weeks while building up to the event. If you haven’t already noted it down Rabidfest will take place at The Bullingdon in Oxford over the weekend of the 31st October and 1st November 2026. It will see no less than twenty bands take to the Devolution Magazine sponsored main stage, ten on Saturday and ten on Sunday with zero clashes. Unlike those “no re-admission” venues, you’ll be given a wrist band on entry so you can exit the venue in search of sustenance should you so desire, the bar providing all the beer you need and then some. Are you ready?

A warm up show dubbed “28 Days Prior” will take place at The Jericho Tavern in Oxford on 3rd October and the line up for that looks like this:

Anti-Clone (headliner)
Chaplain
Blackmarket
Away With The Seas

Rabidfest itself will take place at The Bullingdon in Oxford over the weekend of the 31st October and 1st November 2026, here’s the line up in full:

Hacktivist (Saturday headliner)
n0trixx (Sunday headliner)
Thrashatouille
Maatkare
Swarm6ix
Black Candy
Devilhusk
The Dead XIII
The Crawling
Novacrow
Dacara
Rattlesnakes
Omegathrone
Spared An Endless Orbit
Necronomicunt
The Blade Itself
Twin Skeletons
Sabertooth
Lesbian Bed Death
Bldsugr

Having read the headline, in time honoured fashion we hear you ask “Who the f*** are Swarm6ix and why are they worth the admittance fee?”

There is nothing quite like sex, lies and god damn statistics so lets start with a bit of that. Signed to Out Of Line Music, Swarm6ix are a Trap Metal crew who have ten songs that collectively surpass 1.9 million Spotify streams, not to mention 3,927 monthly listeners on platform. Regularly working with producers George Lever (Monuments, The Arusha Accord, Ursus) and former Loathe guitarist Connor Sweeney (Creak, Pulse, Fromjoy) has helped them develop their sound and score big with “Dopamine“, “Ride N’ Die” and “Blood $oda“. Growing their fan base with their blend of Nu-Metal anthems as they bleed for freedom of expression within their art they’ve shared stages with Cane Hill, Mimi Barks and Polar, while offering a safe space for those that have always appeared anti-social, dormant and introverted on the surface.Last year they went to Germany and played Summer Breeze Festival having previously performed at Mangata Festival and Tech-Fest. Their set at Rabidfest is gonna be a party and you’re all invited!

We’re proud to be a Media Partner of Rabidfest again this year alongside Red Death Media, Moomin Merchandise, Chaos Under No Ties, Moshville Radio, GraphicsFix, TwoFace Promotions, Blackstar Amplification and main stage sponsor Devolution Magazine. The Festival is all for charity and this year the profits will be going to the The Sophie Lancaster Foundation!

Rabidfest will take place at The Bullingdon in Oxford over the weekend of the 31st October and 1st November 2026:

Get your tickets -> https://www.rabidfest.co.uk

Get your merch -> https://shop.rabidfest.co.uk