When we say Louder Than Life's 2026 lineup is big, we ain't kidding: not only is this year's bill packing more bands than ever, but it's literally the biggest lineup in the history of Danny Wimmer Presents, the veteran producers behind many of North America's most iconic destination music festivals.
Taking place September 17-20 at the Expo Center in Louisville, Kentucky, it's hard to know where to start with this year's edition but the four blockbuster headliners is as good a place as any. Heavy metal gods Iron Maiden will bring their 50 years celebration to Thursday night, with reunited emo icons My Chemical Romance headlining on Friday. Joining both of them will be Saturday night headliners and nu metal royalty Limp Bizkit and alt metal heavyweights Tool to close the festival out on Sunday.
But that's certainly not all - in fact, that's barely the start of it. There will be almost 200 bands playing this year's Louder Than Life, meaning that every single possible taste across the rock and metal spectrum will be well catered for. More of a pop punk and emo fan? A Day To Remember, Taking Back Sunday, Pierce The Veil and The Used will have you covered.
Gagging for some proper heavy metal? Let Megadeth, Sabaton, Anthrax and Metal Church get your head banging. Just looking for big, fat riffs? How about Gojira, Mastodon, Black Label Society, Killswitch Engage or a double dose of Max Cavalera with Soulfly and a Cavalera brothers Roots set?
Louder Than Life is stacked with legends - Alice Cooper! Tom Morello! Danzig! - and rising stars aplenty, from Sleep Theory and President to Grayhaven and The Pretty Wild bringing the sounds that will shape the future of rock. There's also Danny Elfman's first Eastern US show for almost 10 years, ex-Arch Enemy singer Alissa White-Gluz's debut solo set, reunion shows for the likes of Circa Survive, Get Scared and Blood For Blood and special anniversary sets from Jimmy Eat World, Sleeping With Sirens, Alien Ant Farm and more.
Plus, this will be a historic lineup in more ways than one: Saturday, September 19 will include one of the most prominent all-female-fronted stage lineups assembled at a major U.S. rock festival, including Halestorm, In This Moment, Lindsey Stirling, Orianthi, Icon For Hire, Kami Kehoe, and Diamante
And if all that isn't enough to sway you (what the hell is wrong with you?!), don't fret: Louder Than Life is about much more than just the music. From a dizzying array of world class food and drinks options to access to some of the brilliant amusement rides at the theme park Kentucky Kingdom, Louder Than Life is a true experience worth travelling for.
Passes for this year's festival are on sale now from https://louderthanlifefestival.com/passes, starting at just $1 down and available in the following formats: 4-Day GA, 4-Day VIP, 4-Day Angel’s Envy Top Shelf VIP, Single Day GA, Single Day VIP, Single Day Angel’s Envy Top Shelf VIP. There are also numerous camping, glamping and partner hotel options to dive into.
Military, nurse, firefighter and police personnel have access to special price tickets via a collaboration between DWP and GOVX, while students can take advantage of a special discounted $125 pass.
Fans wanting to truly go all out can either take advantage of the Exacta Pass, giving you access to both Louder Than Life and its sister festival Bourbon & Beyond, both taking place in Louisville, or the LoudINK pass, getting you access to Louder's than life and Ohio's epic Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival. Wanna go even further? You can also go all in with the Traveler Pass, getting you into Louder Than Life, Inkcarceration and Sonic Temple Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio in May.
So basically, you have the biggest lineup in DWP festival history, an unforgettable experience in an awesome city and a host of different ways to get a ticket to the time of your life this summer. What the hell are you waiting for?
