Rich has finally made it to RADAR Festival! After years of hearing Neill bang on about the place, he's getting to see what all the fuss is about.
We're at O2 Victoria Warehouse in Manchester for day one of RADAR 2026, and there's plenty to get excited about. Two stages, incredible sound, loads of guitars, arcade games and a crowd that makes you feel at home.
We chat about Northlane, Ghost Iris and Neill's memories of seeing Sleep Token headline RADAR in 2023. We also somehow end up getting our nails done, complete with black polish and barbed-wire designs. Very metal.
We're also joined by RADAR's accessibility co-ordinator, Scarlett Heselwood, who tells us about the work that goes into making the festival welcoming to more people.
She tells us about sensory maps and quiet spaces, and the difficulties of accessible viewing areas, Scarlett explains what RADAR has done, what still needs improving and why listening to people is so important. With Rich having experienced accessibility problems at other festivals himself, it's a chat that really matters to us.
And there's plenty of laughter, swearing and the usual distractions, including a truly revolting story from a Muse gig that neither of us will ever forget.
It's only day one, and we're having a brilliant time already.
Find more from Festpod at https://festpod.uk
Read our interview feature with Scarlett at https://www.festpod.uk/news/radar-festival-accessibility-scarlett-heselwood-interview
Thanks to our sponsors, Fat Frank's Camping Shop - https://www.fatfrankscampingshop.com/
Recorded at RADAR Festival 2026, O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester. RADAR moves to Magna in 2027, so the venue specific accessibility arrangements discussed here may change.
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