Hellfest 2026 has revealed the lineup for its 19th edition, which will take place from June 18 to June 21, 2026, in Clisson, France. One of Europe’s biggest festivals dedicated to rock, metal, punk and extreme music is once again preparing a massive four-day program, with 183 artists confirmed for next year’s edition.
According to the festival announcement, 85 bands will perform at Hellfest for the very first time, continuing the festival’s tradition of combining major names, genre-defining acts and new forces from the heavier side of the music world.
Hellfest 2026 brings together different generations of heavy music
The 2026 edition will be led by Bring Me The Horizon, Iron Maiden, Limp Bizkit and The Offspring, four names that show just how wide the Hellfest spectrum has become.
Bring Me The Horizon will represent the newer generation of heavy and alternative music, while Iron Maiden will arrive in Clisson as part of their Run For Your Lives tour, celebrating 50 years of the band’s career with a set focused on their first nine albums.
Limp Bizkit will bring one of the biggest names of the nu-metal era back to the top of the bill, while The Offspring will close the festival with a special punk rock day on Mainstage 1.
From Deep Purple and Alice Cooper to Bad Omens and Blood Incantation
Beyond the headliners, Hellfest 2026 offers a strong cross-section of rock and metal history. Deep Purple and Alice Cooper represent the classic rock and hard rock legacy, while bands such as Bad Omens and Blood Incantation point toward the present and future of the heavy scene.
This kind of balance is exactly what keeps Hellfest in a special position on the European festival map. The festival does not rely only on nostalgia, but it also does not ignore the artists who helped shape the foundations of rock and metal. Instead, the lineup connects legends, current festival favorites, extreme acts and newer bands reaching wider audiences.
Helloween, Accept, Megadeth, Sepultura and A Perfect Circle among the major names
For fans of classic heavy and power metal, Helloween will be one of the most interesting names on the bill, especially as they are scheduled for Friday, the same day as Iron Maiden. Accept and Queensrÿche are also part of the lineup, making that part of the program especially strong for fans of a more traditional metal sound.
Hellfest 2026 will also feature Megadeth and Sepultura, two bands with a major place in the history of thrash and extreme metal. A Perfect Circle and Breaking Benjamin are also among the confirmed acts, both of them interesting names for European festival audiences who do not get many chances to see them on major stages.
French acts, rare returns and unexpected names
French artists will also have their place in the program, with Ultra Vomit and Igorrr standing out among the names representing the local scene. Hellfest once again shows that, alongside international headliners, it keeps space for French acts that naturally belong to the festival’s identity.
One of the most talked-about parts of the lineup will likely be the return of bands many fans did not expect to see. Acid Bath and The Dillinger Escape Plan are among those names, and their appearances are already among the performances that could become major talking points of the 2026 edition.
Hellfest 2026 connects the past, present and future of extreme music
The 2026 edition also carries additional symbolic weight. It marks 20 years since the very first Hellfest, although the festival will officially celebrate its 20th edition in 2027.
With 183 artists, major headliners, rare returns and 85 first-time Hellfest appearances, Hellfest 2026 once again confirms its status as one of the most important European destinations for fans of rock, metal, punk and extreme music.
Hellfest 2026 will take place from June 18 to June 21, 2026, in Clisson, France.
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