Damnation Festival has announced the first 16 artists for its 2026 edition, which will return to Manchester’s BEC Arena on Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8, 2026. Billed as Europe’s largest indoor metal festival, the initial wave is spearheaded by US hardcore veterans Walls Of Jericho and NOLA sludge icons Eyehategod. The announcement features 14 acts making their Damnation debut, including Danish deathcore outfit Cabal, French industrial project Fange, and US post-metal group Black Sheep Wall. Festival organizer Gavin McInally noted that while this opening salvo covers a broad spectrum of extreme music, all six main weekend headliners and 32 additional bands are still to be revealed in the coming months.
The 2026 lineup is highlighted by several rare and exclusive performances from the UK underground. Deathgrind pioneers Gorerotted are reuniting specifically for the festival, marking their only UK appearance and their first time on stage in over a decade. Additionally, UK hardcore favorites Medulla Nocte will return to perform their 1998 cult classic ‘A Conversation Alone’ in its entirety. Frontman Paul Catten described the show as a tribute to departed friends and a final chapter for the band’s history. These reunions are joined by long-awaited returns from British death metal legends Benediction and Belgian shoegaze act Slow Crush, reflecting high fan demand for a mix of legacy acts and modern atmospheric heavy music.
Damnation Festival 2026 Wave 1 Lineup:
- Walls Of Jericho (UK Exclusive)
- Eyehategod
- Benediction
- Gorerotted (Reunion – UK Exclusive)
- Medulla Nocte (Performing ‘A Conversation Alone’)
- Slow Crush
- Holy Fawn
- Cabal
- Rwake
- Ultha (UK Exclusive)
- Dödsrit
- Lamp Of Murmuur
- The Moth Gatherer
- Fange
- Black Sheep Wall (UK Debut)
- Intercourse (UK Debut)