The West Coast's biggest rock festival has officially taken off for 2026 - and it's going bigger and better than ever. Taking place from October 1-4 for four full days of riff heaven, Aftershock is packing one of North America's most insanely stacked bills in recent memory, offering a true, genre-spanning bill of the very biggest, best and most exciting names in rock, metal and punk.
Headlining the Thursday night of this year's edition are none other than reunited emo legends My Chemical Romance, who will be celebrating 20 years of landmark album The Black Parade. Meanwhile, Friday night headliners will be nu metal royalty Limp Bizkit, while Saturday headliners will be emo-core idols Pierce The Veil. Finally, alt metal icons Tool will close out the festival by headlining Sunday night, topping off a quartet of stacked, multi-genre headliners.
That's by no means all, though, With five absolutely packed stages, Aftershock is going large with more than 140 artists set to play. Metalheads will be spoiled by the likes of Babymetal, Black Label Society, Killswitch Engage, Paleface Swiss, a Max Cavalera double-header and Dethklok, while pop punk lovers will be able to get stuck into faves like The Offspring, Sublime, New Found Glory and Mayday Parade.
Emo kids will have everyone from Hot Mulligan and The Used to Sleeping With Sirens and Dance Gavin Dance to pick from; if you're just seeking the biggest riffs possible, you've got the likes of Queens Of The Stone Age, Wolfmother, Corrosion Of Conformity and Zakk Sabbath to get your head banging. Even hip-hop lovers are well catered for: veterans like Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy and Cypress Hill will be bringing the noise (and that's all just on one stage, on one day!).
It's a smorgasbord of amazing bands, but Aftershock is about more than just the music. The festival takes pride in amassing one of the most exciting and diverse selections of food and drinks options in the North American festival scene, truly marking it out as a destination fest for fans around the world.
Alongside favourites like Tremors Dive Bar and the Aftershock x Jungle Bird Tiki Bar, 2026 will feature new additions such as the Mexican-themed Cantina del Diablo hosted by Jose Mangin, and the Overtime Sports Bar, a new joint for fans to chill out and enjoy the weekend's big games in.
As always, there are a host of great ticket options available to make sure you don't miss out, with 4-Day, Single Day General Admission, VIP and Capital Club passes on sale now, starting from just $1 down using layaway. Those wanting to take advantage of the Capital Club perks get a range of awesome, world class bonuses, while Aftershock will also be offering official RV and car/tent camping at Cal Expo for the ultimate, full-throttled festival experience.
Special offers are also available for students, military, nurses, firefighters and police personnel, and official Aftershock hotel packages are currently available via Jampack, with packages starting for as little as $10 down.
In another first, fans will also be able to double up on DWP festivals by purchasing a special Coast To Coast pass, gaining entry to both Aftershock and Welcome To Rockville in Daytona Beach, Florida in May.
So that's an incredible, blockbuster lineup and an unforgettable, immersive festival experience, with tons of different ways to bag a piece of the action for an incredibly affordable starting price? Aftershock is going to be the party of the Fall. You best not miss it.
Head to the official Aftershock website to get your passes for 2026 and for more info on this year's event
