Aftershock is officially in countdown mode.
The set times have landed for the 14th edition of Aftershock, and Sacramento is about to get four days of rock, metal and punk chaos when the festival takes over Discovery Park from October 1st – 4th 2026.
This year’s edition is the biggest in Aftershock history, with 140+ artists across five stages—and a schedule packed with reunions, anniversary performances and some seriously painful set-time clashes.
At the top of the bill: MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, TOOL, LIMP BIZKIT and PIERCE THE VEIL.
But the headliners are only the beginning.
THE FOUR NIGHTS AT A GLANCE
Thursday, October 1 – The festival opens with MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE headlining the Aftershock Stage, while THE OFFSPRING, SUBLIME, THE USED, THE PRETTY RECKLESS, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and STARSET fill out a seriously stacked opening day.
Must-watch: MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE – 8:25 PM. They’re celebrating 20 years of The Black Parade, making Thursday’s headline set one of the weekend’s essential moments.
Friday, October 2 – Friday gets heavy and weird!
LIMP BIZKIT close the Aftershock Stage at 9:45 PM, while $UICIDEBOY$, WU-TANG CLAN, PUBLIC ENEMY, THREE 6 MAFIA, CYPRESS HILL, INSANE CLOWN POSSE and KUBLAI KHAN TX bring an eclectic mix of hip-hop, rap, metal and hardcore to the day.
Must-watch: LIMP BIZKIT – 9:45 PM
And yes, the fact that WU-TANG CLAN and PUBLIC ENEMY are both on the same day’s schedule deserves some attention.
Saturday, October 3 – Saturday might be the biggest scheduling headache of the weekend.
PIERCE THE VEIL headline at 9:25 PM, with A DAY TO REMEMBER, BABYMETAL, THE STORY SO FAR, SLEEPING WITH SIRENS, THE GHOST INSIDE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and CIRCA SURVIVE all competing for your attention.
Must-watch: PIERCE THE VEIL – 9:25 PM
There’s also a major reunion angle here, with CIRCA SURVIVE returning to the West Coast for one of their first shows since 2021.
Sunday, October 4 – And then Aftershock goes for the knockout.
TOOL close the festival at 8:25 PM, while QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, DANNY ELFMAN, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, AFI, THE PRODIGY, BODY COUNT, CAVALERA and DANCE GAVIN DANCE make the final day arguably the most stacked of the weekend.
Must-watch: TOOL – 8:25 PM
But here’s the problem: THE PRODIGY hit the Shockwave Stage at 8:25 PM too.
That’s going to hurt.
The reunions and rare performances you don’t want to miss
Aftershock 2026 isn’t just about the biggest names on the poster. A huge part of this year’s appeal is the number of rare, exclusive and reunion performances scattered throughout the schedule.
Keep an eye out for:
• Circa Survive West Coast reunion and one of their first shows since 2021
• Cavalera performing Sepultura’s Roots live
• From First To Last reunion performance
• Kylesa reunion and first West Coast show since 2015
• Drop Dead, Gorgeous reunion
• Ünloco reunion
• Oleander hometown reunion and one of their first shows since 2018
• The Union Underground first California show in 24 years
• Thursday celebrating three album anniversaries
• Municipal Waste 25th anniversary set
• Drowning Pool 25th anniversary performance of Sinner
• Wolfmother 20th anniversary celebration
• Red 20th anniversary of End of Silence
There’s also Austin Carlile, the original voice of Of Mice & Men, making a rare appearance.
And then there’s Wu-Tang, MCR and TOOL
Some of the weekend’s biggest moments come with a little extra history attached.
My Chemical Romance will celebrate two decades of The Black Parade.
Wu-Tang Clan arrive as part of their Wu-Tang Forever: The Final Chamber tour, following their nomination for the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
TOOL will bring the festival to a close on Sunday, while Danny Elfman makes his first show in the eastern half of the US in nearly a decade.
And if that wasn’t enough, Cavalera’s Roots performance gives metal fans one of the weekend’s most intriguing exclusives.
FIVE STAGES MEANS FIVE DIFFERENT FESTIVALS
The expanded 2026 edition introduces a fifth stage, making the sheer amount of music even more ridiculous.
The result is a festival where you can go from My Chemical Romance to Killswitch Engage, Wu-Tang Clan to Dethklok, BABYMETAL to Circa Survive, or TOOL to The
Prodigy without ever really leaving the site.
And the clashes are going to be brutal.
The schedule worth saving
Thursday October 1
• My Chemical Romance8:25 PM
• The Offspring 7:20 PM
• Sublime 6:20 PM
• The Pretty Reckless 7:35 PM
• Killswitch Engage 8:20 PM
• Starset 9:10 PM
Friday October 2
• Limp Bizkit 9:45 PM
• $uicideboy$ 8:40 PM
• Wu-Tang Clan 7:35 PM
• Public Enemy 5:55 PM
• Coheed And Cambria 8:50 PM
• Dethklok 9:45 PM
Saturday October 3
• Pierce The Veil 9:25 PM
• A Day To Remember 8:15 PM
• BABYMETAL 7:20 PM
• Circa Survive 7:10 PM
• Black Label Society 9:40 PM
• The Ghost Inside 7:15 PM
Sunday October 4
• TOOL 8:25 PM
• Queens of the Stone Age 7:20 PM
• Danny Elfman 6:15 PM
• The Prodigy 8:25 PM
• Dance Gavin Dance 8:10 PM
• Body Count 7:35 PM
Festival gates open at 11:00 AM daily.
It’s more than just the music
Aftershock is also expanding the festival experience around the stages.
New for 2026 is Cantina del Diablo, serving Mexican street food, tequila, mezcal and cerveza, while the Aftershock x Jungle Bird Tiki Bar returns for the entire weekend.
There’s also the air-conditioned Tremors Dive Bar, Jack Daniel’s karaoke trailer at Jack’s House, Overtime Sports Bar, tattooing and piercing from Body Art Express, and the Take Me Home charity experience offering exclusive
If you are looking to get in early and secure a place to stay for Aftershock festival 2026 then check out our interactive accommodation map below. Just add in the dates you want to stay and you will be able to see what’s available nearby.
If you also need to find a flight to get you there, try our flight search feature below! Simply add in your home and destination city, select the dates you want to travel and search away!
