FAITH NO MORE’s rare US reunion, a 50th anniversary celebration for IRON MAIDEN and nearly 150 artists make SONIC TEMPLE 2027 one of America’s biggest rock and metal festival events.
If you thought the 2027 festival calendar couldn’t get any louder, SONIC TEMPLE ART + MUSIC FESTIVAL has a message for you. Returning to Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, from 13th – 16th May 2027, the four-day event is bringing together nearly 150 artists across five stages, with a lineup that stretches from classic heavy metal and alternative rock to modern metalcore, punk, industrial and electronic music.
IRON MAIDEN, BLINK-182, KORN, FALLING IN REVERSE, $UICIDEBOY$ and FAITH NO MORE are among the biggest names on the bill. Yet it is the combination of major headliners, rare appearances, anniversary celebrations and reunion shows that makes SONIC TEMPLE 2027 particularly interesting for rock and metal fans planning their next festival trip.
Produced by Danny Wimmer presents, SONIC TEMPLE has established itself as a major fixture on the American rock festival circuit. Following a reported record-breaking attendance of 184,000 fans in 2026, the organisers are aiming even higher for next year.
FOUR DAYS, FOUR HUGE HEADLINE BILLS
The SONIC TEMPLE 2027 daily lineups offer plenty of reasons to make the trip to Columbus.
Thursday 13th May gets things moving with BLINK-182, THE OFFSPRING and TURNSTILE. Expect a strong opening day for fans of punk rock, pop-punk and the alternative sounds that have shaped generations of festival crowds.
Friday 14th May belongs to heavy metal royalty, with IRON MAIDEN leading a bill that also features A PERFECT CIRCLE and ALICE IN CHAINS. For MAIDEN fans, the band’s appearance is especially significant, forming part of its RUN FOR YOUR LIVES 50th anniversary tour.
Saturday 15th May brings FALLING IN REVERSE, A DAY TO REMEMBER and BEARTOOTH to the forefront. With a mix of modern hard rock, metalcore and explosive live performances, it promises a full-throttle day for fans of contemporary heavy music. BEARTOOTH will also be playing a hometown show, adding another layer of significance to the occasion.
Sunday 16th May closes the festival with KORN, $UICIDEBOY$ and FAITH NO MORE. The prospect of seeing KORN’s influential nu-metal sound alongside $UICIDEBOY$’s darker hip-hop crossover and a rare US reunion appearance from FAITH NO MORE demonstrates just how wide-ranging this year’s programme will be.
IRON MAIDEN, FAITH NO MORE AND THE REUNIONS TO WATCH
Headliners are one thing, but the special appearances could be among the biggest talking points of SONIC TEMPLE 2027.
IRON MAIDEN will bring its RUN FOR YOUR LIVES 50th anniversary tour to Columbus, celebrating five decades of one of heavy metal’s most enduring bands. FAITH NO MORE’s rare US reunion show is another major draw, particularly for fans who have been waiting for another opportunity to see the alternative metal pioneers perform.
Elsewhere, CIRCA SURVIVE will play an exclusive Ohio reunion show, while MINISTRY’s farewell tour includes what is billed as the band’s final Columbus performance.
MESHUGGAH and SKID ROW will both mark their 40th anniversaries, offering very different perspectives on the evolution of heavy music.
There are also several appearances that give the festival a more unpredictable edge. GHOSTEMANE will return to the stage, CASTLE RAT are scheduled for one of only two US performances in 2027, and HER LAST SIGHT will make their US debut. Composer BEAR McCREARY is another intriguing addition to a bill that refuses to stick to one musical lane.
Reunion appearances from FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS, PALISADES, CUTE IS WHAT WE AIM FOR and THE COLOR MORALE will appeal to fans of different eras of alternative and post-hardcore music. Meanwhile, rare sets from RELIENT K, OTEP and IMPENDING DOOM add even more reasons to explore beyond the headline stages.
A LINEUP THAT GOES FAR BEYOND THE HEADLINERS
One of SONIC TEMPLE’s strengths is the sheer variety of its supporting acts. Alongside the major names, the 2027 lineup includes THE PRODIGY, THE PRETTY RECKLESS, POPPY, MASTODON, PRIMUS, MINISTRY, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, IN THIS MOMENT, THE WARNING, KNOCKED LOOSE, OF MICE & MEN, TESTAMENT, SOULFLY and FEAR FACTORY.
Fans looking for newer and heavier sounds can investigate acts including LOATHE, BOUNDARIES, FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY, SHADOW OF INTENT, INVENT ANIMATE, SYLOSIS and BLOOD INCANTATION. Meanwhile, HOT MULLIGAN, JIMMY EAT WORLD, BOWLING FOR SOUP, GYM CLASS HEROES, THE ALL-AMERICAN REJECTS, WE THE KINGS and THE ATARIS provide plenty of alternative and pop-punk nostalgia.
The bill also crosses into industrial, electronic and hip-hop territory, with CARPENTER BRUT, SULLIVAN KING, WAKA FLOCKA FLAME, HO99O9 and GHOSTEMANE among the artists bringing different sounds to the festival.
Other names worth checking out include SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, TILL LINDEMANN, CHAD GRAY, NITA STRAUSS, HANABIE., CLUTCH, GWAR, STEEL PANTHER, DIRTY HONEY, LACUNA COIL, SNOT, CKY and GREEN LUNG.
With five stages and nearly 150 artists, the challenge may be deciding which performances to sacrifice when set times inevitably clash.
MORE THAN JUST A ROCK FESTIVAL
Music is the main attraction, but SONIC TEMPLE also places considerable emphasis on visual art and the wider festival experience.
Previous editions have featured towering art installations, live mural painting and the Art Mart, a curated marketplace where visitors can discover distinctive artwork and take home something beyond the usual festival merchandise. The organisers say details of the 2027 art programme will be announced at a later date.
The location also makes SONIC TEMPLE an opportunity to explore Columbus, Ohio, rather than simply travel in and out for the performances. The festival has become an important part of the city’s live music calendar, attracting visitors from across the United States and overseas.
Sonic Temple has become one of those special weekends where the whole rock community comes together. We build each lineup to celebrate the artists who shaped this music, the bands driving it forward, and the next generation that will define it. There’s incredible energy in rock right now, and Sonic Temple reflects that. Columbus has embraced this festival in a way that means a lot to us, and we’re ready to give fans another unforgettable four days – Chamie McCurry, General Manager of DWP
That balance is particularly evident in the 2027 lineup, where established metal legends share the bill with contemporary heavyweights, returning favourites and artists operating well outside traditional genre boundaries.
IS SONIC TEMPLE 2027 WORTH THE TRIP?
For anyone looking for a major US rock and metal festival in 2027, SONIC TEMPLE has assembled a bill with a compelling mix of scale, nostalgia and genuine musical variety.
IRON MAIDEN’s anniversary tour, FAITH NO MORE’s rare US reunion, MINISTRY’s farewell appearance in Columbus and a packed selection of contemporary heavy bands give the weekend several distinct selling points. Add BLINK-182, KORN, THE OFFSPRING, TURNSTILE and THE PRODIGY to the equation, and there is something here for fans whose playlists stretch well beyond a single genre.
The festival takes place from 13th – 16th May 2027 at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. With further details about the art programme still to come, anticipation is already building for four days celebrating the past, present and future of rock music.
SONIC TEMPLE ART + MUSIC FESTIVAL 2027
Dates: 13–16 May 2027
Location: Historic Crew Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, USA
Stages: Five
Artists: Nearly 150
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