ArcTanGent Festival 2025 – Review
I spent four days at ArcTanGent Festival 2025 in Somerset, here’s what I ate, who I saw, and why I’ll definitely be back next year.
Last weekend I made my way to ArcTanGent Festival 2025, held at Fernhill Farm just outside Bristol. Nestled in the Somerset countryside. You go from driving through rolling fields to suddenly, you’re in this self-contained little world where it’s all about music, food, and community. It’s not the kind of festival where you feel overwhelmed by scale, instead, ArcTanGent is compact, super accessible and carefully put together.
ArcTanGent has been running since 2013 and has grown into one of the UK’s most respected alternative music festivals. Unlike other UK music festivals, ArcTanGent has always been able to successfully create a wholesome and passionate community with an event that many told me is the highlight of their gigging calendar. The focus at Arc is on genres that sometimes get overlooked, such as: math rock, post-rock, progressive and technical metal, experimental electronica, and other corners of alternative music.
What makes it stand out is not just the lineup, but also the way it caters to a crowd that genuinely cares about discovering new sounds. The people who come to ArcTanGent are usually music die-hards and that creates a different kind of atmosphere. It’s friendly, engaged, and there’s a sense that everyone is there because they really want to be, I met some really lovely and cool people all throughout the weekend.
Layout and first impressions
The festival ran from Wednesday to Saturday (August 13–16), with four main stages: Yohkai, Bixler, PX3, and the Main Stage. All main stages are located in the same arena so you never had to trek across fields to catch back-to-back sets. It sounds like a small detail, but it massively improved the flow of the weekend. I could leave a set at Yohkai and be at PX3 in under two minutes.
The main arena also contained the food stalls, bars, merch tents, and general store, meaning everything was within reach. The compact design kept the vibe cosy and vibrant and avoided that “lost in a maze” feeling that can come with larger festivals.
Food and drink
I’ve been to plenty of festivals where food options can be limited, overpriced, and repetitive, but ArcTanGent does so much better. There was a wide variety of stalls, with good provision for dietary needs. As a vegan I never struggled to find something tasty. Some of my personal favourites were Paelleria, Manjula, Feed the Village, and Bunnymans.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, late-night snacks, all were covered. A few stalls stayed open late enough to grab something after the headliners finished, which I found was much needed sometimes.
I found that there were plenty of bars and queues seemed to move quickly. Each bar has varying options, including alcohol-free, so once I’d learned which bar had what, it was easy to navigate.
Facilities
There was a good number of toilets available which, were kept in good condition throughout the weekend, well stocked, and although there were queues at peak times, I never found it to be a problem.
Alongside food stalls, there were also a number of clothing stalls, jewellery sellers, and the main merch tent with both festival and artist merch. I found the general store (Max Stores) was really convenient and helpful, stocking everything from snacks to camping essentials I’d forgotten to bring.
Accessibility
ArcTanGent has a reputation for looking after its attendees, and accessibility was clearly a priority. Each stage had accessible toilets, viewing platforms were available, and the accessible campsite was close to both the car park and the arena.
Camping and accommodation
Weekend tickets include general camping, but there are also campervan passes and a range of glamping options available. Glamping tents ranged from smaller two-person setups to larger bell tents for groups. The campsites are all close to the arena, which meant I never felt like I was walking miles to get back to my tent which was truly a blessing after long days of music and dancing.
I noticed that there was plenty of space in the campsites across the whole weekend, so even those arriving later didn’t have to worry about finding a spot. The atmosphere in the campsites was wholesome and vibrant with people who were more than happy to have a chat or lend a hand when putting up a tent (shout out to James and Jacob!).
It also wasn’t hard to get a good night’s sleep as for the most part people seemed to be respectful and avoided being noisy into the early hours.
Travel to the site was super straightforward. The signage around the farm was clear, and there were plenty of stewards on hand to help guide you to the right places.
The lineup
The lineup is always what makes ArcTanGent special, and this year was no exception.
Headliners:
- Wardruna opened the festival on Wednesday with their atmospheric Nordic folk.
- Godspeed You! Black Emperor on Thursday was a masterclass in sprawling, cinematic post-rock.
- Karnivool performed on Friday and played their only UK show of the year, a huge booking for the festival and one that drew a crowd with day tickets selling out.
- TesseracT closed the weekend on Saturday with an immersive set,
Special Sets:
- Between the Buried and Me played Colors in full.
- The Fall of Troy ran through Doppelgänger.
- We Lost the Sea performed Departure Songs
Once the headliners finished, the Yohkai stage shifted into silent disco mode. There were a few channels to switch between and each night had a slightly different feel, but the energy was always high. It felt like an after-party to celebrate what had been a great day of music! The silent disco is available for prebooking for a discounted rate and is encouraged as it can sell out during the festival but I managed to snag a pair of headphones on Wednesday.
Atmosphere and community
For me, the strongest part of ArcTanGent is the sense of community. As a solo attendee, I never felt out of place. People were quick to strike up conversations, share recommendations, or invite you into their group. I found anytime I sat down on a bench with my food, people were more than happy to ask me how I was doing and if I was enjoying the festival. Staff and stewards were super friendly and approachable. It felt safe, welcoming, and refreshing.
ArcTanGent is a festival that knows its identity and sticks to it. It doesn’t try to be everything to everyone, instead, it curates a lineup for people who love adventurous, boundary-pushing music. The site is easy to navigate, the food and facilities are great for a smaller festival, and the atmosphere is genuinely warm.
Tickets for 2026 are already on sale, and based on this year’s experience, I’d recommend it to anyone curious. If you’re into post-rock, math rock, prog, or just want to discover something outside the mainstream, ArcTanGent is well worth the trip.
Keep an eye out for our upcoming pieces where we break down each day’s lineup in more detail.