Forbidden Forest levels up for its 10th anniversary as it drops a huge first wave of names for 4th to 7th June 2026 at Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire. Michael Bibi, Pendulum DJ, Hannah Laing, Holy Priest and Chris Stussy lead a seriously stacked opening announcement for one of the UK’s most electrifying electronic festivals.
In a massive UK festival exclusive, the legendary Arcadia Spider lands deep in the Leicestershire woodland for one weekend only. This fifty-tonne fire-breathing beast, built from recycled military and industrial machinery, is famous worldwide for its explosive pyrotechnics, aerial stunts and wraparound sound. This summer, it will transform Forbidden Forest into a charged realm of heat, light and pure chaos.
The Spider will sit amongst Forbidden Forest’s famously bold stages, each one known for creative production, immersive design and boundary-pushing atmospheres. The whole site becomes an adult playground across the weekend with a silent disco, fun fair, stacked bars, a buzzing food village, chill out zones, games and plenty of surprises. For 2026, the festival also unveils its brand new Lakeside Retreat campsite featuring swimming pools, hot tubs, a sauna, secret DJ sets and more.
“We couldn’t be prouder to celebrate our tenth year at Belvoir Castle, a location that has shaped the identity of Forbidden Forest from day one. Its vast grounds and unmistakable atmosphere set the stage for everything we do. Marking this milestone with the biggest lineup in our history, featuring Michael Bibi, Sub Focus, Pendulum, Shy FX and more feels exactly right, and welcoming the legendary Arcadia Spider to the Forest in a UK festival exclusive takes it to another level entirely. This chapter is a celebration of how far we’ve come, and we can’t wait to share it with the Forbidden Forest family who’ve made this journey unforgettable.” James Cohen, Owner of Forbidden Forest Festival
Michael Bibi returns with renewed strength and that unmistakable Solid Grooves swagger, ready to shake the Forest with chunky grooves and deep underground energy. Drum & Bass icons Pendulum bring their high voltage live wizardry to the Arcadia arena for a rare and explosive session built on riffs, bass pressure and pure adrenaline. Hannah Laing returns after a breakout year that saw her tear through clubs and festivals from Ibiza to Glasgow. Holy Priest steps up with his fierce, cinematic techno sound. And viral favourite Chris Stussy comes back after lighting up Forbidden Forest last June.
Phase one also packs in Andy C, Sub Focus, MK, Girls Don’t Sync, DJ EZ, Harriet Jaxxon, Dr Banana, SHY FX and many more, setting up a milestone year for the festival with the mighty Arcadia Spider taking centre stage.
Tickets go on sale at 10am on Wednesday 19th November via forbidden-forest.co.uk
Phase One A-Z Lineup:
A LITTLE SOUND, ALEX FARELL, ALISHA, ALT8, ANDY C, BK, BOU, BULLET TOOTH, CHRIS STUSSY, CRU 2, CULTURE SHOCK, DANNY BYRD, DENON REED, DJ EZ, DJ Q, DOD, DR BANANA, EAST END DUBS, EWAN MCVICAR, FMS, GASKIN, GIRLS DON’T SYNC, HANNAH LAING, HARRIET JAXXON, HEDEX, HOLY GOOF, HOLY PRIEST, HYBRID MINDS, JAMBACK, JAMES HYPE, JAMIE DUGGAN, JESS BAYS, JOE HUNT, K MOTIONZ, KINGS OF THE ROLLERS & INJA, KOLTER, KOVEN, LENS, LOW STEPPA, LP RHYTHM, LUKE DEAN, LUUK VAN DIJK, MAX DEAN, MICHAEL BIBI, MK, MODERN FUNKTION, MORGAN SEATREE, MOZEY, MPH, OBSKUR, OMAR +, PENDULUM DJ, POLA & BRYSON, ROSSI, RUE JAY, SHY FX, SIDNEY CHARLES, SILVA BUMPA, SOSA, SOTA, STELLA BOSSI, SUB FOCUS, TS7, WILKINSON
