Louder Than Life returns to the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, Kentucky September 17-20 for its twelfth edition, delivering the largest lineup in the festival’s history and the biggest bill ever assembled by producer Danny Wimmer Presents.

TOOL and LIMP BIZKIT join previously announced headliners MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE and IRON MAIDEN for an incredible four days of music at Louder Than Life 2026.

Louder Than Life 2026 will feature nearly 200 bands spanning all rock genres across seven stages, topped by:

Thursday, September 17: IRON MAIDEN, PANTERA, MEGADETH

Friday, September 18: MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, PIERCE THE VEIL, A DAY TO REMEMBER

Saturday, September 19: LIMP BIZKIT, PAPA ROACH, SUBLIME

Sunday, September 20: TOOL, GOJIRA, Danny Elfman

Saturday, September 19 will also feature one of the most prominent all-female-fronted stage lineups assembled
at a major U.S. rock festival. The stage lineup will feature HALESTORM, IN THIS MOMENT, Lindsey Stirling, Orianthi, ICON FOR HIRE, Kami Kehoe and Diamante. In addition, a mystery guest band will make its live debut at Louder Than Life and a very special guest — one of the biggest heavy bands of the modern era — will be announced at a later date.

The full lineup for Louder Than Life 2026 is as follows (subject to change):

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE
IRON MAIDEN
TOOL
LIMP BIZKIT
PANTERA
PIERCE THE VEIL
GOJIRA
DANNY ELFMAN
THE PRODIGY
SUBLIME
PAPA ROACH
A DAY TO REMEMBER
BABYMETAL
MEGADETH
DANZIG
HALESTORM
RISE AGAINST
ALICE COOPER
CIRCA SURVIVE
ICE NINE KILLS
JIMMY EAT WORLD
THE MARS VOLTA
MASTODON
THE USED
BILMURI
SABATON
COHEED AND CAMBRIA
THE PRETTY RECKLESS
HOT MULLIGAN
TAKING BACK SUNDAY
SLEEPING WITH SIRENS
IN THISNMOMENT
DANCE GAVIN DANCE
CHIODOS
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE
ANTHRAX
MINISTRY
CAVALERA
SKILLET
THE WARNING
NOTHING MORE
TOM MORELLO
LINDSEY STIRLING
DETHKLOK
BLACK VEIL BRIDES
KUBLAI KHAN TX
UNDEROATH
ALKALINE TRIO
MACHINE HEAD
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
CHAD GRAY
STARSET
BADFLOWER
ALEXISONFIRE
ANIMALS AS LEADERS
THRICE
LOATHE
COAL CHAMBER
P.O.D.
THE HOMENTEAM
BOWLING FOR SOUP
THURSDAY
WE THE KINGS
FROM ASHES TO NEW
FIT FOR A KING
SLEEP THEORY
PRESIDENT
GWAR
PALAYE ROYALE
L.S. DUNES
ATREYU
LIT
GET SCARED
SET IT OFF
BLOOD FOR BLOOD
SUNAMI
FILTER
ALISSA WHITE-GLUZ
SOULFLY
BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME
ERRA
CHELSEA GRIN
AFTER THE BURIAL
LACEY STURM: THE VOICE OF FLYLEAF
TOADIES
CURRENTS
ORIANTHI
BOUNDARIES
MAKE THEM SUFFER
METAL CHURCH
THE ACACIA STRAIN
THE RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS
HOLDING ABSENCE
HAYWIRE
SPITE
AGNOSTIC FRONT
ESCAPE THE FATE
JUTES
EMMURE
IVRI
ALIEN ANT FARM
BODYSNATCHER
SCENE QUEEN
CASKETS
RAIN CITY DRIVE
THE FUNERAL PORTRAIT
PEELINGFLESH
HASTE THE DAY
HOLYWATR
LOCKED SHUT
HAIL THE SUN
MADBALL
I SEE STARS
MUSHROOMHEAD
ANGEL DU$T
SCARY KIDS SCARING KIDS
THE WORD ALIVE
JEFF HARD
MAC SABBATH
THE ATARIS
THE RASMUS
VOLUMES
WIND WALKERS
TWITCHING TONGUES
POWERMAN 5000
THE BARBARIANS OF CALIFORNIA
EMERY
MAYLENE & THE SONS OF DISASTER
BORN OF OSIRIS
H2O
RED
JOSEY SCOTT: THE ORIGINAL VOICE OF SALIVA
ADELITAS WAY
THOUSAND BELOW
SOIL
ARROWS IN ACTION
CHAINED SAINT
ZERO 9:36
ELIJAH
HOLY WARS
BUTCHER BABIES
NEVERTEL
DRY KILL LOGIC
ICON FOR HIRE
KAMI KEHOE
CODEFENDANTS
TEXAS HIPPIE COALITION
AUSTIN CARLILE: THE ORIGINAL VOICE OF OF MICE & MEN
THE PRETTY WILD
END IT
VANA
RIVERS OF NIHIL
LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES
SIGNS OF THE SWARM
ARCHERS
KOYO
PRIMER 55
EMAROSA
GEMINI SYNDROME
SHAMAN’S HARVEST
200 STAB WOUNDS
156/SILENCE
MISSING LINK
FOX LAKE
SACE6
GREYHAVEN
KING 810
MANY EYES
TANTRIC
THE VIOLENT HOUR
DARK DIVINE
SENT BY RAVENS
SHOWING TEETH
EARSHOT
TX2
DIAMANTE
OTHERWISE
DOOBIE
HE IS LEGEND
AVIANA
VIANOVA
FUTURE PALACE
CANE HILL
CORPSE PILE
40 BELOW SUMMER
HEAVY//HITTER
BODYBOX
BOLTCUTTER
RESOLVE
DREAMWAKE
GATES TO HELL
DEATH VALLEY DREAMS
SET FOR TOMORROW
BILLY MCNICOL

“Last year, we took over Kentucky Kingdom and broke rock festival records. This year, we’re back to deliver the ultimate rock escape,” says Danny Wimmer of DWP. “Louder Than Life is your playground — ride the coasters, catch legendary and emerging bands, enjoy incredible food and bourbon, and dive headfirst into the rock experience you’ve been waiting for. It’s time to let loose and have fun. We’ll see you soon.”

“Year after year, Louder Than Life raises the bar for what a rock festival can be,” added David S. Beck, president an CEO of Kentucky Venues. “Bringing the festival grounds to the heart of the Kentucky Exposition Center last year demonstrated what’s possible when a world-class venue and a visionary festival producer share a commitment to the ultimate fan experience.”

In addition to the music, all Louder Than Life passholders will receive free access to amusement rides inside Kentucky Kingdom, which became part of the festival footprint in 2025 and will be open exclusively to festival attendees.

New this year, Danny Wimmer Presents is also organizing the Louder Than Life “Battle For The Big Stage” competition, kicking off on March 1, 2026. Bands can submit entries through March 31, 2026. Leading up to the festival, viewers will be able to vote for who they want to see play Louder Than Life during Sunday episodes of the “Space Zebra Show”, airing at 6:30 p.m. ET / 3:30 p.m. on the DWP Twitch channel.

Fans in the Louisville area can celebrate the Louder Than Life lineup at the official lineup announcement party on Monday, February 23 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at The Fox Den. Presented by Blackcraft and hosted by Bobby Schubenski and Josh Balz of “Space Zebra”, the event will feature live sets by SOULKILLER, NAILWOUND, ACTUS REUS and WAVE PAINTER, custom cocktails, photo opps, vintage merch, giveaways and service fee free passes. All who attend will have a chance to win two GA passes.

Passes are on sale now starting at $1 down.

Options include:

* 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

A very limited supply of Single and 4-Day Angel’s Envy Top Shelf VIP passes are available for the most exclusive access and rock star luxury amenities. And for fans who want to celebrate the biggest eight days of music in the United States, an Exacta Pass offers entry to back-to-back weekends in Louisville at both Louder Than Life and Bourbon & Beyond. Starting at $700 plus fees, an Exacta Pass is less than $88 per festival day.

Louder Than Life draws fans from every state and many countries around the world, so fans are encouraged to buy early to reserve their spot.

Louder Than Life continues to retain its title of America’s largest rock and metal festival more than a decade after debuting in Louisville in 2014, marking a dedicated and ongoing partnership between the city and festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents.

Los Angeles-based Danny Wimmer Presents, one of the largest independent producers of destination music festivals in America, produces Louder Than Life.

Since 1995, music industry veteran Danny Wimmer has been producing concerts and festivals, both large and small. In 2011, he founded Danny Wimmer Presents, a live entertainment company that produces the largest rock, metal, and alternative music festivals in the U.S. DWP creates unforgettable and all-encompassing festival experiences, leaving both attendees and partners with lasting and meaningful impressions. Since 2020, DWP has been an innovator in the digital content space with over two dozen international livestreams, acclaimed social series “Offstage With DWP”, DWPresents channel on Twitch, which has garnered over 25 million worldwide views since its launch in mid-2021, and “The Power Hour”, a weekly show dedicated to the world of rock that aired on AXS TV. DWP’s paranormal investigative video series “Paranormal Prison” (2023-2025) documented some of the supernatural experiences at Ohio State Reformatory during Inkcarceration with the help of bands performing at the festival.