Aftershock Festival has revealed its 2026 headliners and daily lineups, with Tool, My Chemical Romance, Limp Bizkit, and Pierce the Veil topping the bill across four days at Discovery Park in Sacramento. The festival is scheduled for October 1–4, 2026, and features more than 140 artists on five stages, making it the biggest edition to date according to organizers.
Billboard first reported that My Chemical Romance will headline Thursday, Limp Bizkit tops Friday, Pierce the Veil leads Saturday, and Tool closes the festival on Sunday. Each day is stacked with support from acts such as Queens of the Stone Age, Wu-Tang Clan, $uicideboy$, BABYMETAL, Sublime, The Offspring, A Day to Remember, Danny Elfman, AFI, Stone Temple Pilots, and many more. Consequence separately confirmed the daily splits, noting that the lineup blends metal, punk, emo, and nu-metal.
What’s New This Year
Promoter Danny Wimmer Presents is framing 2026 as a “new era” for Aftershock. In a statement quoted by Billboard, Danny Wimmer said this year “marks a bold new chapter” and highlighted Pierce the Veil’s first-ever Aftershock headlining slot alongside Tool anchoring the weekend. The festival footprint is expanding, with a fifth stage added to accommodate more artists and a roster that crosses genres more aggressively than in previous years.
Camping is another major change. Wimmer confirmed that, after years of fan requests, Aftershock will introduce official RV and car + tent camping at nearby Cal Expo. The fest is also rolling out new food and beverage areas, including the Cantina del Diablo open-air cantina and the Overtime sports bar, which will screen regional and national games throughout the weekend.
Tickets are on sale now, with four-day general admission, four-pack GA bundles, single-day passes, and VIP options available. Billboard reported that passes start at just $1 down for 4-day GA and 4-day GA 4-packs, with full pricing tiers and payment plans detailed on the official ticketing page.
Why It Matters in Southern California
Although Aftershock takes place in Sacramento, the 2026 lineup has a strong SoCal pull. My Chemical Romance has three Southern California dates around the festival window—including two nights at Hollywood Bowl and a show at Petco Park in San Diego—making Aftershock part of a broader West Coast swing that many local fans are already tracking. Pierce the Veil also plays Petco Park in September 2026, and Queens of the Stone Age has spring 2026 dates in Joshua Tree and Rancho Mirage, underscoring how many of these acts route through the region.
For travelers from Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego, Aftershock has become a de facto fall festival destination, especially for rock and metal fans who don’t see bills of this size and depth in their own markets. The introduction of camping at Cal Expo makes a multi-day trip more feasible and could draw even more Southern California attendees who want to turn the weekend into a full immersion experience.
Looking ahead, Tool’s high-profile closing slot at Aftershock arrives as speculation swirls around the band’s future touring plans, including potential Las Vegas Sphere dates rumored for 2027. With four-day passes and single-day tickets now on sale, fans across the West will be weighing whether to catch Tool, My Chemical Romance, Limp Bizkit, and Pierce the Veil all in one weekend or split their budget across individual headliner shows closer to home.
Last updated March 24, 2026.
Sources: Consequence, Billboard
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