The loudest station on the planet — MetalMania Live, where every song played is the live version, is proud to crank up the volume on what’s shaping up to be one of the biggest years for metal and hard rock in decades. With major reunion tours, farewell runs, and festival announcements from some of the most legendary bands to ever set fire to a stage, 2026 is already roaring like a Marshall stack turned to eleven.
From Twisted Sister’s 50th-anniversary reunion to Rush’s long-awaited comeback and Megadeth’s final global tour, the stage is set for a full-blown resurgence of pure, unapologetic heavy metal. Add to that Anthrax tearing up the high seas aboard the 70000 Tons of Metal Cruise, and the genre’s momentum feels unstoppable — fueled by streaming, a passionate new generation of fans, and the eternal energy of live performance.
🔥 Major Tour Announcements
Twisted Sister: 50 Years of Mayhem
Ten years after calling it quits, Twisted Sister is officially reuniting for a 50th-anniversary tour in 2026. The first confirmed show lands at Barcelona Rock Fest in July 2026, promising a high-octane celebration of the band’s legacy. Founding bassist Mark “The Animal” Mendoza won’t be joining this run, but the rest of the original lineup is ready to bring the chaos back to the stage with the same defiance that made them icons.
Rush: The ‘Fifty Something’ Comeback Tour
After shocking the rock world with their 2026 return, surviving members Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson are keeping the flame burning alongside new drummer Anika Nilles. The band has added new stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, proving that the spirit of Rush lives on — still complex, still emotional, and still live.
Megadeth: The Global Farewell Tour
Dave Mustaine and company will take Megadeth on one last worldwide rampage in 2026, coinciding with the release of their final studio album. Expect an explosive farewell — a celebration of nearly four decades of thrash metal dominance.
Bring Me the Horizon: 2026 North American Takeover
UK heavyweights Bring Me the Horizon (BMTH) are heading stateside in 2026 with support from Motionless in White, The Plot in You, and rising powerhouse Amira Elfeky. Expect arena-level chaos as this modern metal juggernaut continues to push the genre’s boundaries.
Lamb of God: Select 2025–2026 Headliners
The groove-metal masters Lamb of God will headline limited shows in Massachusetts, Virginia, Minnesota, and Mexico this year, before heading overseas for the 2026 European festival circuit. The band also debuted their latest single, “Sepsis,” live for the first time at Aftershock Festival, unleashing their trademark precision brutality.
Opeth: North American Progressive Assault
Opeth continues to dominate the prog-metal space with a full North American tour in early 2026, including a much-anticipated stop in Philadelphia in February.
Militarie Gun: “Bad Idea Tour”
Punk-meets-hardcore hybrid Militarie Gun has kicked off their Fall 2025 U.S. Tour, bringing raw, high-energy performances across October and November.
⚡ Festival and Live Show Highlights
The world’s largest metal cruise, 70000 Tons of Metal, just got even heavier — Anthrax will join the 2026 lineup, adding New York thrash attitude to the Caribbean waves.
Primus will close out 2025 in style with two New Year’s Eve shows at Oakland’s Fox Theater (December 30–31), featuring new drummer John Hoffman and their signature offbeat, high-voltage sets.
The late Ozzy Osbourne’s “Back to the Beginning” festival, once thought to be a final farewell, is being discussed as an annual memorial event after his passing in 2025. The last edition — held in Birmingham with Metallica, Slayer, and Pantera — was a fitting sendoff to the Prince of Darkness himself.
🎸 Band & Album News
- Slipknot’s new drummer Eloy Casagrande confirmed the band is actively “cooking up” new material, promising a return to raw aggression.
- VIMIC, the late Joey Jordison’s project, reunited for a one-off show in Los Angeles and dropped their long-awaited album, Open Your Omen.
- Bad Wolves released a deluxe version of Die About It and may be gearing up for a reunion with former vocalist Tommy Vext.
- Disturbed faced controversy after frontman David Draiman’s political actions led to a gig cancellation in Belgium, but the band remains committed to using music to “heal people.”
- Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante tied the knot with Carla Harvey (Butcher Babies) in Las Vegas, in a ceremony officiated by none other than Gene Simmons of KISS.
🌍 Metal Festivals of 2026
The live metal experience thrives on stage — and MetalMania Live lives for it. Here’s what’s confirmed so far for 2026:
North America
- iHeartRadio ALTer EGO (Los Angeles, Jan 17): Green Day, Twenty One Pilots, Cage the Elephant, Sublime
- ShipRocked (Miami, Jan 25–31): Halestorm, Motionless in White, Knocked Loose
- LDB Fest (Louisville, Feb 27–28)
- Hell’s Heroes (Houston, Mar 19–21): Celebrating ‘80s-inspired metal
- Welcome to Rockville (Daytona Beach, May 7–10)
- Sonic Temple (Columbus, May 14–17)
- Maryland Deathfest (Baltimore, May 21–24)
- Rock Fest Wisconsin (Cadott, July 16–18)
- Louder Than Life (Louisville, Sep 17–20): Featuring My Chemical Romance
Europe
- Hell Over Hammaburg (Germany, Mar 6–7)
- Inferno Festival (Norway, Apr 2–5)
- Sweden Rock Festival (Sweden, Jun 3–6)
- Mystic Festival (Poland, Jun 3–6)
- Rock am Ring / Rock im Park (Germany, Jun 5–7)
- Download Festival (UK, Jun 10–14)
- Nova Rock (Austria, Jun 11–14)
- Graspop Metal Meeting (Belgium, Jun 18–21)
- Hellfest (France, Jun 27–30)
- Wacken Open Air (Germany, Jul 29–Aug 1)
- Beyond the Gates (Norway, Jul 29–Aug 2)
- Bloodstock Open Air (UK, Aug 6–9)
🔊 The Live Metal Era Returns
From cruise ship stages to stadium reunions, heavy metal isn’t just back — it’s alive and raging. At MetalMania Live, that’s all we play: live versions, real performances, no studio tricks. The feedback, the sweat, the crowd — it’s all part of what makes this genre immortal.
So whether you’re gearing up for Twisted Sister’s 50th, Rush’s rebirth, or Megadeth’s farewell, keep your speakers locked on MetalMania Live, the only station that gives you metal the way it’s meant to be heard — live, loud, and without compromise.