On June 22, Hellfest closed its doors after four wild days featuring sets from Korn, Jinjer, Judas Priest, Linkin Park, The Hu, Falling in Reverse, Spiritbox, Pentagram, Leprous and Shaârghot... From now on, all eyes will be on the2026 edition from June 18 to 21. An edition for which all 4-day passes have already been sold out, even though no names have been unveiled (except that ofUltra Vomit, already confirmed for next year by the band itself, following its cancellation in 2025).
While waiting for the full line-up to be revealed, probably this autumn, the Hellfest team has asked its festival-goers for their opinions on the 2026 line-up. In an open Facebook post published on September 1, the festival invited metalheads to share their predictions for next year. Since the post was published, over 270 comments have been posted. Internet users were also invited to share their fantasies, predictions, certainties and dream line-ups on the Hellfest forum. So, which bands are the most mentioned? Which artists would festival-goers like to see and hear in Clisson in 2026?
Four bands and artists stand out from the crowd, starting with System of a Down, already mentioned last year in the 2025 line-up. Unfortunately, Serj Tankian and his bandmates didn't make it to Clisson last June. However, festival-goers were able to console themselves with Seven Hours After Violet, a band featuring SOAD bassist Shavo Odadjian. So, will 2026 be the year? Will System of a Down headline Hellfest 2026? Many would like to think so, especially as the band played several concerts in 2025, including in South America, the USA and Canada, but nothing in Europe. So 2026 could mark their return to the Old Continent. SOAD's last concerts in France date back to 2017. That year, the band took over the Download Festival Paris, the Main Square Festival in Arras, the Arènes de Nîmes and the Zénith de Nancy.
We recall that the band led by Serj Tankian had been programmed by Hellfest in 2020. However, due to Covid, the event was cancelled, and the band was unfortunately not rescheduled for the double edition in 2022. Since then, many have been dreaming of seeing System of a Down in Clisson.
Another Hellfest favorite? Gojira. The French metal band, who caused a sensation at the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics, is one of the Top 3 most cited bands for Hellfest's potential 2026 line-up.
Absent in 2023, 2024 and therefore 2025, Gojira caused a sensation at Clisson in 2019 and again in 2022 with an explosive set that many still remember. This summer, the Duplantier brothers' band played just one show in France. It was in Carcassonne. But Gojira are planning to hit the road again this autumn with a series of dates, including a concert at theAccor Arena in Paris on November 30. What's next? Gojira will support Metallica, alongside Knocked Loose, on several dates of the"M72 World Tour", scheduled for spring and summer 2026. A closer look at the tour details reveals that Gojira will be in Dublin on June 21, but nothing scheduled (yet) on June 18, 19 and 20. So, will Joe and Mario be stopping off in Clisson next summer? We'll have the answer soon!
British band Iron Maiden is also regularly mentioned in festival-goers' wishes and predictions for 2026. This year, the band toured all over Europe as part of its"Run For Your Lives World Tour". In France, the British heavy metal band played two nights at the Eurockéennes de Belfort and the Paris La Défense Arena.
Slayer, who bade farewell to Hellfest in 2019, is also one of the most talked-about names in the 2026 line-up. The American band played two concerts in the UK this summer, as well as in Quebec. Slayer will soon be playing two shows in the USA. However, in a recent interview with Metal Roos, Kerry King made it clear that these concerts do not mark a true reformation. So all bets are off!
In this open post launched by Hellfest and on the forum, several other bands are also mentioned several times, such as Deftones, who have just released their new opus"Private Music", the American nu metal band Limp Bizkit, the Swedes of Ghost, already present in 2022, Sweden'sAvatar, who are due to unveil their new album"Don't Go In The Forest" on August 31, but also Green Day, Sabaton, Testament (new album to be released on October 10, 2025), Kreator and Megadeth, who have announced a final album and farewell tour in 2026.
The arrival of other international bands and artists is also hoped and predicted, such as the Americans from Lamb of God,Acid Bath, Blink 182, Halestorm, Rob Zombie and Bad Omens, the Finns fromAmorphis, Sweden's Arch Enemy, Meshuggah and Katatonia, Australia's Parkway Drive, Germany's Powerwolf and Helloween, Denmark's Volbeat, Poland's Behemoth, the UK's Sleep Token and France's Landmvrks. British artist Yungblud, spotted at Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's farewell concert in Birmingham, is also mentioned.
Others are banking on the arrival of the British band Def Leppard. The band has announced several European dates for the summer of 2026, but nothing in France. So, many imagine they'll be stopping off in Clisson next June. According to their calendar, they would be available on June 18, 20 and 21. Finally, some want to believe in the return of Mudvayne, as the American band unveiled " Hurt People Hurt People ", their first single in 16 years! So, which bands and artists will be at Hellfest next summer? The answer will be announced shortly, when the festival unveils its eagerly awaited line-up for 2026.
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