Manchester Punk Festival Scoops Best Small Festival Award At UK Festival Awards

UK grassroots event Manchester Punk Festival has scooped the top honour for small festivals in the UK at the UK Festival Awards. The Manchester, UK based promoters behind the festival have built up their reputation over 10 years, bringing bands and punters from around the globe to watch over 140 punk bands every Easter in venues across the city. The Best Small Festival nominations are taken from online votes with a panel deciding the final winner.

Manchester Punk Festival was born from the ideas of three underground promoters in the city: TNSrecords, Moving North and Anarchistic Undertones. They realised that there was a call for an event to bring together the different punk communities around the city, each with their slightly different take on punk music. Now, selling out tickets each year and sprawling across venues through the city centre, the festival brings more than just the music. This year saw a sober meet up and live podcasting, as well as local vegan food stalls and a comedy stage. Planning and running the festival alongside their day jobs, the small team relies on an army of incredible volunteers to bring everything together each year. Winning the Best Small Festival award is a huge moment for all of them, recognising the work that has gone in to create a safe and welcoming space for bands and music lovers alike. Manchester Punk Festival 2025 will see headline sets from The Menzingers, Dillinger Four and Strung Out with over 100 other bands set to take the stage over the 3 day weekend from 18th – 20th April 2025.

“We’re absolutely blown away to win the Best Small Festival award. A massive thank you to everyone that voted for MPF. MPF started when a group of DIY punk fans formed a collective. We remain independent, non-sponsored and completely volunteer run. To be recognised at the UK Festival Awards is absolutely ridiculous.” (Manchester Punk Festival‘s Tim Bevington)