Liverpool’s Alternative Scene Is Alive And Well At No Play Festival

Words: Hari McDermott (@burrito_soup)

When No Play Festival announced its 2026 lineup, I knew I had to be there. There were bands I’d been trying to catch for years, plenty I already knew would deliver and a few I’d barely heard before. Having been to No Play events previously, I already knew I was in safe hands.

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Now in its fourth year, No Play brought five stages of hardcore, metal and alternative music into Liverpool city centre. I really like what sits at the heart of the festival: grassroots artists sharing bills with established names and giving people the opportunity to stumble across their next favourite band.

Liverpool feels like the perfect place for it. It’s always been one of my favourite cities in the UK, largely because of the people, and that same friendliness carried into No Play. More importantly, though, the city centre setup meant I could spend the day doing what I was actually there for: seeing as many bands as physically possible.

One of my favourite discoveries wasn’t even part of the original plan. Bodyweb weren’t really on my radar until a friend suggested we go and watch them, and that last minute change seriously paid off. They were fantastic. There was an intensity to their set that immediately grabbed me, and I walked away wondering how much bigger they could become. Based on what I saw at No Play, I can see Bodyweb becoming serious players in the scene over the next few years.

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Pest Control were another massive highlight. They brought so much energy to the stage and the crowd gave every bit of it back. The room was properly up for it, with the connection between the band and everyone in front of them making the set feel even bigger. Easily one of my favourite performances of the day.

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Finally getting to see Jetski and Safeguard was another personal highlight. Both are bands I’ve wanted to catch for years, so having them on the same lineup was a big part of why No Play appealed to me in the first place.

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Trying to make it to Safeguard also resulted in one of the more random moments of my day. While sprinting from venue to venue, I somehow bumped into Viola, the viral husky. Who knows, maybe I’ll make my debut on their Instagram. If anyone spots me, let me know..

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Then there was Stick To Your Guns. They’re one of those bands I’ve listened to for years but somehow never had the opportunity to see live. Having them headline was another massive reason I wanted to be at No Play, and they were absolutely brilliant.

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The energy never let up and the crowd gave everything back. After spending the day running between venues trying to squeeze in as much music as possible, Stick To Your Guns felt like the perfect payoff. They sounded huge, looked completely at home at the top of the bill and delivered exactly the kind of headline performance I’d hoped for. What a way to close the festival.

That mix was probably my favourite thing about No Play. I had bands I’d specifically come to see, bands I’d been waiting years to catch and then bands like Bodyweb who weren’t even part of my original plans. For me, that’s exactly what a festival lineup should offer!

The crowds played their part too. The pits were busy throughout the day, but whenever I saw somebody go down, there was immediately someone reaching out to pull them back up. It should be standard at any heavy show, but it’s still good to see. People could go hard while looking after everyone around them, and there was a genuine sense of community throughout the festival.

No Play also deserves credit for making the multi venue format work. Capacity is usually my biggest concern with these festivals, but I had no issues getting into the rooms I wanted, no troublesome queues and never felt like I needed to leave one band early just to guarantee seeing another. Security were fantastic and, from my perspective, everything ran incredibly smoothly.

That matters because it meant the organisation never got in the way of the music. I’m genuinely struggling to find much I’d change. No Play gave me bands I’d wanted to see for years, one of my favourite new discoveries in Bodyweb, a brilliant Pest Control set and Stick To Your Guns delivering exactly what I wanted from a festival headliner.

Great music, brilliant crowds, excellent organisation and amazing value. I went in excited by the lineup and left with even more bands I want to see again. Liverpool’s alternative scene is alive and well, and No Play Festival is proof of it. Roll on 2027..