Mangata Festival returned for its fifth edition on 5 September 2026, packing more than forty acts across five Nottingham venues into a single day. The line-up leaned hard into the heavier end of the underground: Conan, Palm Reader and Lawnmower Deth headlined a bill that also featured Continents, Hemloch, Firmament, Bonestrider, Gürl, Scordatura, Gurt, Tealdeer, Ofnus, A-Tota-So, Hidden Mothers, Maatkare, Sergeant Thunderhoof, The Grey, Alpha Male Tea Party and Giant Walker, among others. Echoes and Dust reviewer Bruce Cowie attended and filed a detailed live report published 26 September. He found the organisation flawless despite the complexity of five simultaneous stages, with friendly crews and prompt handling of technical issues. Cowie caught eighteen sets, from Firmament's twin-guitar classic-rock gallop through Gürl's genre-blurring funk-metal energy to The Grey's ambient-to-rage post-metal and Alpha Male Tea Party's tight, humorous math-rock. Conan's slot at Rescue Rooms delivered the expected caveman battle doom. The reviewer notes multiple bands performed with stand-in members due to injuries, yet the standard remained high. Tickets for the 2027 edition (4 September) are already on sale.