Three Days Grace Credit: Matt Barnes
After taking this year off, Tampa’s WXTB 98 Rock has announced that its legendary 98 Rockfest (stylized “98ROCKFEST”) will return in 2026, just to a smaller capacity.
Ontario metal outfit Three Days Grace will headline the annual shindig’s grand comeback at The BayCare Sound, simultaneously pushing its new album Alienation and welcoming back original lead singer Adam Gontier after a decade-long break. Also pushing new albums on this bill will be Michigan’s I Prevail with Violent Nature, and Memphis’ Sleep Theory with its full-length debut Afterglow. And joining in for support will be Atlanta emo group The Funeral Portrait and sibling duo The Pretty Wild.
In comparison to the fest’s normal home at Benchmark International Arena (fka Amalie Arena), a smaller capacity space in Clearwater may be a bit of a schlep for Tampeños, sure. But considering how the absence of Gasparilla Music Festival and 97x Next Big Thing have made this year seem bleaker than it already has been, for right now, maybe give a little thanks for the fact that Rockfest is even able to happen again, yeah?
This article appears in Nov. 6 – 12, 2025.
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Josh Bradley is Creative Loafing Tampa’s resident live music freak. He started freelancing with the paper in 2020 at the age of 18, and has since covered, announced, and previewed numerous live shows in…
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