“To make up for lost time, we thought it would be cool to do something extra special." Alter Bridge are hosting their own music festival - and it's happening at a castle in Wales

Alter Bridge sitting on a sofa in fronrt of a window

(Image credit: Chuck Brueckmann)

Hard rock giants Alter Bridge have announced that they will be hosting their very own music festival in the UK next year, taking over Cardiff Castle in Wales for the inaugural Blackbird Festival.

The event, which will take place on June 27 and feature support from a Welsh-heavy bill, has been put together to make up for the fact that Alter Bridge have neglected Wales a little on recent trips to Europe.

“We realised we haven’t played Wales in over seven years,” says frontman Myles Kennedy. “To make up for lost time, we thought it would be cool to do something extra special. So with that said, we are stoked to announce The Blackbird Festival. Not only does this commemorate 20-plus years of being a band, but it’s also a way to show our appreciation for the fans in Wales who’ve patiently waited for our return.”

Support bands announced so far for the festival are ragga-metal veterans Skindred and fellow Welsh rockers Florence Black and Cardinal Black, with tickets set to go on sale at 9:30am on Friday August 22 via blackbirdfest.com and Ticketmaster. A number of presales will also take place starting from 9:30am on Tuesday August 19 via depotlive.co.uk/blackbirdfestival2026.

The Blackbird Festival consolidates what will be a busy 2026 for Alter Bridge, who will kick off the year with the release of a brand new, self-titled studio album on January 9 - the band's eighth full-length LP.

The band are set to kick off a European tour early next year. See the full list of dates below.

Alter Bridge European tour dates 2026 with Daughtry and Sevendust

Jan 15: Hamburg Sporthalle, Germany
Jan 17: Oslo Sentrum Scene, Norway
Jan 18: Oslo Sentrum Scene, Norway
Jan 20: Stockholm Annexet , Sweden
Jan 22: Helsinki Ice Hall Black Box, Finland
Jan 24: Copenhagen Kb Hallen, Denmark
Jan 25: Berlin Columbiahalle , Germany
Jan 27: Gliwice Prezero Arena Gliwice, Poland
Jan 28: Budapest Barba Negra , Hungary
Jan 30: Vienna Gasometer , Austria
Jan 31: Zagreb Bocarski Dom, Croatia
Feb 02: Rome Atlantico , Italy
Feb 03: Bergamo Choruslive Arena, Italy
Feb 05: Zurich The Hall, Switzerland
Feb 06: Lyon Halle Tony Garnier, France
Feb 08: Barcelona Razzmatazz 1, Spain
Feb 10: Lisbon Sagres Campo Pequeno, Portugal
Feb 12: Madrid Palacio Vistalegre, Spain
Feb 13: Bordeaux Arkea Arena, France
Feb 15: Luxembourg Rockhal , Luxembourg
Feb 17: Oberhausen Turbinenhalle, Germany
Feb 18: Paris Zenith, France
Feb 20: Munich, Germany: Zenith
Feb 22: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Netherlands
Feb 23: Brussels Ancienne Belgique, Belgium
Feb 25: Newcastle Utilita Arena, UK
Feb 26: Manchester Ao Arena, UK
Feb 28: Dublin 3Arena, Ireland
Mar 02: Glasgow Ovo Hydro, UK
Mar 04: London The O2, UK
Mar 05: Nottingham Motorpoint Arena, UK
June 27: Cardiff Castle (The Blackbird Festival)

Blackbird Festival poster — (Image credit: Blackbird Festival)

Merlin moved into his role as Executive Editor of Louder in early 2022, following over ten years working at Metal Hammer. While there, he served as Online Editor and Deputy Editor, before being promoted to Editor in 2016. Before joining Metal Hammer, Merlin worked as Associate Editor at Terrorizer Magazine and has previously written for the likes of Classic Rock, Rock Sound, eFestivals and others. Across his career he has interviewed legends including Ozzy Osbourne, Lemmy, Metallica, Iron Maiden (including getting a trip on Ed Force One courtesy of Bruce Dickinson), Guns N' Roses, KISS, Slipknot, System Of A Down and Meat Loaf. He has also presented and produced the Metal Hammer Podcast, presented the Metal Hammer Radio Show and is probably responsible for 90% of all nu metal-related content making it onto the site.

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