Our Charter - RADAR Festival

Our Manifesto

RADAR will always push musical boundaries whilst simultaneously breaking them down left, right and centre. We are committed to bringing quality and something unique to the table from people you know, and those you are about to meet: for the enjoyment of everyone.
Our event must be a safe event. Customers, crew and artists will always be listened to if they have concerns. We work closely with the operational and security teams at Victoria Warehouse to ensure all voices are heard and concerns addressed professionally and where appropriate with sensitivity and compassion.
We believe we have a responsibility to promote Equality Diversity and Inclusivity to ensure RADAR is a safe space for customers, crew and artists.
RADAR Festival is nothing without the vibrant community of wonderful music fans that attend every year. We will always strive to listen and be active members within it.
Accessibility requirements should never be a barrier to enjoying music. No one should ever be excluded. Our team is here if you need any help, never be afraid to ask. All of our access information will be transparent on our website and on ticket information.
RADAR believes in looking after our artists. Every artist at RADAR Festival is paid, catered for and looked after as if they are the headliner – bands have costs and don’t play ‘for exposure’. We deplore ‘pay to play’.
We understand women and minorities are under-represented in crew positions and we have a responsibility as an event to help address this through our recruitment.
RADAR Festival is part of a wider industry responsibility to ensure a push towards gender parity on festival lineups. We don’t partake in tokenism bookings.
We aim to ensure that our customer food offerings cover as many dietary requirements as possible.
Comfort and festivals shouldn’t be mutually exclusive. We will always look to ensure our customers have places to rest and have respite from the music.
We want to make the festival as sustainable as possible, working with all contractors to minimise our waste and impact.
We believe in giving opportunities to young people.

What Are We?

RADAR Festival started in 2019 in Guildford as a two-day event, with Animals as Leaders and Monuments headlining. After the 2022 edition, headlined by Dirty Loops, Leprous and Haken, expansion was essential. In 2023 RADAR moved to Manchester’s O2 Victoria Warehouse with Sleep Token, Periphery and Igorrr headlining.

RADAR lives for contemporary and progressive music. We celebrate the artists shaping the future, not the echoes of the past. Join us to experience the pulse of music’s evolution.

In 2023 we introduced our Music Market, which was a first of it’s kind: combining musicians’ interests, the gaming industry and music fans all in one place.

RADAR is an experience and a community, not just an event.

Where Are We?

RADAR is based in the O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester, every bit as iconic as the city itself with a raw, industrial aesthetic.

Easily accessible from all over the vibrant city we now call home, Manchester.

RADAR is where our community descends every year to escape the outside world to immerse themselves in a weekend discovering their new favourite bands.

We do not believe in VIP areas; bands mingle amongst the crowds and our inclusive community continues to grow. Masterclasses and a creative atmosphere drive us all forward together.

Who Are We?

RADAR was started by music fans who have extensive experience throughout the industry. Catherine Jackson-Smith and Joe James founded the festival after being friends and promoters in the industry for many years and working together at multiple festivals beforehand.

Inspired by Euroblast Festival in Germany, we scoured for a venue that could cater to the idea, and we chanced upon the perfect venue in our own neighbourhood, Casino in Guildford. It had everything we needed. Two stages, spaces for stalls, food and most importantly the ability to park 20 vans!

Having worked in venues, festivals, as tour managers and band managers extensively we wanted to create a progressive festival that sets new benchmarks for the industry. As an independent festival, the team has grown since the early days and we are now adding expertise and ambition year on year.

2023 saw the move to Manchester completed and our vision of expanding the event beyond the confines of music is starting to be realised. Encompassing games, the music industry as a whole and the ability to teach and encourage the next generation is our next wider set of goals, and we’re only just beginning.

What Do We Stand For?

RADAR is a wholly welcoming event where inclusivity, diversity and equality shine. The well-being of the community as a whole is our top priority, and we believe strongly in a meritocracy where skills and abilities are taking the centre stage. Paying artists, however small, has been a matter of principle since day one and will always continue.

We are also working hard on gender parity within the representation on stage, and behind the scenes we are a mostly female-led team. We book bands that are interesting, will inspire, and innovate. The festival is authentic, connects to the fans and involves them in all communications transparently.

Why Should You Join Us?

Come to RADAR to discover the artists that you’ll love tomorrow and see them in an intimate setting where you can chat to them and find out who the people behind the music are. We operate a no-clash policy between the bands which means that there are no barriers to seeing an act.

We strive to provide a welcoming and safe environment, having identifiable crew who are happy to help at any point during the festival.

Our community is thriving and encompasses interests across a broad spectrum of fields, focusing on music, instruments and the gaming industry. We’re passionate and friendly, sharing ideas and looking after each other whilst having the best time of our lives, together.