IMPUREZA
Altar, June 19, 10:30 am
In the end, I went for Impureza at the Altar to kick things off. The red tent is full but not packed (hardly surprising, it’s only 10:30 am). The French-Spanish outfit delivers a brand of “Hispanic Metal”, fusing brutal death metal with Spanish influences.
The songs are fairly technical, often featuring well-placed flamenco guitars that break up the violence. On several tracks, a bailaora (a flamenco dancer, that is) joins the musicians, bringing a touch of grace into the middle of the sonic tornado. Unfortunately, especially early in the set, the band has to contend with sound issues (often muddy). That said, the quintet never lets up, with the singer in particular managing to get a reaction out of the (rather tame) audience. All of it makes you want to see them again in better conditions.
BLACKRAIN
Mainstage 1, June 19, 11:05 am
Off to the mainstages, where I’ll be spending a good chunk of my day. It’s only 11:00 in the morning and already 25°C. Complete change of mood with Blackrain and their catchy glam.
Thirty energetic minutes with no dead air for the band from Savoie. Backed by a string of rather well-made videos playing on the big screens, the group carries the main stages as they slowly fill up. The crowd responds well. The last song (“UNTAMED”) triggers a Braveheart charge between festival-goers as a closer. Nice.
RETURN TO DUST
Mainstage 2, June 19, 11:40 am
First time in Europe, and therefore in Clisson, for Return To Dust. From the very first song, it’s clear the American four-piece’s music is rooted in the 90s grunge movement. The vocal harmonies (lead vocals doubled by one of the guitarists and the bassist) and the songwriting leave no doubt. Alice in Chains immediately comes to mind. With only thirty minutes allotted, there’s no time for long speeches between songs. A pleasant discovery, even if there’s nothing groundbreaking under the blazing Clisson sun.
Setlist:
Black Road
Face Down
Sweet Escape
When You Look at Me
Hey Ya! (OutKast cover)
Bored
Belly Up
KILLUS
Temple, June 19, 12:15 pm
For more than twenty-five years, Killus has championed a dark, theatrical vision of industrial metal. The Spaniards have gradually built their reputation on a polished aesthetic blending horror influences, modern metal and electronic sounds. In 2024, the band released “Years Feeding the Monster”, a symbolic release celebrating a quarter-century career. A fixture on European stages for many years, Killus continues to nurture a strong identity that sets it apart in a particularly competitive scene.
Opening a Hellfest Friday at 12:15 pm in the heat of the Temple is a mission few bands pull off with this much impact. Killus didn’t wait for peak hours to lay down the law. The show, with its slick industrial aesthetic, is spectacular thanks to the charisma of a singer who treats the crowd to a superb ABBA cover and an energy that’s a joy to watch.
The shock rock atmosphere runs at full throttle from the very first seconds: the crepuscular lighting, the dark electro arrangements and the magnetic presence of Javi Ssagittar instantly create a dense bubble the audience is happy to be drawn into. The set unrolls a solid catalogue, from “H.E.L.L.” to “Feel the Monster”, before the cover of ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” closes it all out with unapologetic glee. On paper, the choice raises a smile. On stage, it explodes. It’s quite simple: in this shrine of extreme metal, Killus proved that a Spanish industrial metal band can get Clisson dancing at noon. No small feat.
Line-up:
Javi Ssagittar, vocals
Ruk, guitars
Premutoxx, bass, keyboards
Anhell, drums
Setlist:
Skeletons of Society
Man‐Made Tragedy
H.E.L.L.
Ascending Antichrist
Imperator
Free
Grøtesk
Stranger Things
White Lines
Paralyzed
Hypocrisy
Ultrazombies
Feel the Monster
Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight) (ABBA cover)
WINGS OF STEEL
Mainstage 1, June 19, 12:15 pm
With a name like Wings of Steel, there’s little doubt about the style on offer from the band founded by Swedish singer Leo Unnermark and American guitarist Parker Halub. For half an hour, we get old-school-spirited hard rock/heavy metal (so, a touch clichéd). Despite some minor sound troubles (quickly sorted out) on the first song, the knowing looks and smiles between Parker and Leo say it all. The musicians seem to be enjoying being here (a first for them), even though the mainstages are still far from packed (understandable given the lunchtime slot and the temperature). It’s more than likely that within a few years the band will sit higher on the bill. We wish them nothing less.
Setlist:
Burning Sands
Liar in Love
Saints and Sinners
Winds of Time
Wings of Steel
Cry of the Damned
REZN
Valley, June 19, 12:50 pm
Slotted in the early afternoon under the Valley, the Americans from Chicago didn’t exactly have the easiest mission: capturing an audience still getting up to speed, caught between morning discoveries, the heat, walking between stages and the first big names of the day.
The songs settle in slowly, almost in suspension, before unleashing walls of heavy guitars, psychedelic layers and that distant voice that seems to float above the sound rather than lead it. The band’s stoner-doom is never merely massive: it’s hazy, spatial, at times almost shoegaze, run through with synth and saxophone textures that give it an instantly recognizable colour. I didn’t know the band, I’d only heard about them — which is exactly why I went to see them.
As a result, it’s hard to give a fully clear-cut verdict on a show like this without having been immersed in it from start to finish. REZN doesn’t try to seduce right away, still less to win you over through sheer power. It’s music of climate, of density, of patience. For fans of the genre, the performance surely delivered exactly what they came for: a heavy, hypnotic, enveloping crossing. For everyone else, it may have remained more distant, almost opaque, as if the band were playing behind a veil of sonic smoke.
REZN didn’t deliver the most spectacular concert of the day, but they built a world. And at Hellfest, that’s already a lot.
Line-up:
Rob McWilliams — vocals, guitar
Phil Cangelosi — bass
Patrick Dunn — drums
Spencer Ouellette — synthesizers, saxophone, lap steel, keyboards
BROTHERS OF METAL
Mainstage 2, June 19, 12:50 pm
“We are Brothers of Metal, We are True Metal Warriors”. Those are the words spoken by one of the singers as the little crew takes the stage. Although they have three studio records to their name (the latest dating back to 2024), the Swedes chose to focus mostly on crowd-uniting songs taken from their first two efforts (“Fimbulvinter”, “Njord”, “Ride of the Valkyries”, “Hel” — rebranded “Hel-fest” for the day).
Time flies in the company of our very likeable Vikings, right up to the rallying closing ballad sung along by a crowd of fans who turned out in numbers (Yggdrasil). I came, I saw, and I’m definitely not disappointed.
Setlist:
Prophecy of Ragnarök
Fire Blood and Steel
Chain Breaker
Yggdrasil
Hel
Theft of the Hammer
Son of Odin
SORTILÈGE
Mainstage 1, June 19, 1:35 pm
Second Hellfest appearance for Sortilège since their 2021 rebirth. With only forty minutes to work with, singer Christian “Zouille” Augustin and his bandmates get straight to the point with heavy metal songs drawn from across the band’s various records.
Recent tracks, taken from “Apocalypso” (“Poséidon”, “Vampire”) and “Le Poids de l’Ame” (the title track), are mixed in with the band’s classics from the 80s (“D’ailleurs”, “Chasse le Dragon”, “Mourir pour une Princesse”, “Amazone”, “Sortilège” to close). The choruses of those “old songs” are sung along by first-hour fans (yours truly included). Shortly before the end, Christian dedicates the show to his friend Bruno Ramos, who passed away exactly one year ago. Pure nostalgic pleasure.
Setlist:
D’ailleurs
Progéniture destructrice
Vampire
Chasse le dragon
Poseidon
Le Poids De L’âme
Mourir pour une princesse
Amazone
Sortilège
TESSERACT
Mainstage 2, June 19, 2:20 pm
Exit the dragons and princesses, make way for TesseracT and its far darker universe. This early-afternoon slot and the heat (still well short of the extremes forecast for Sunday) don’t help you fully immerse yourself in the British band’s progressive metal, as technical as it is captivating.
Despite these conditions, and even though many festival-goers had moved on to see Steve Harris & Co., the Englishmen more than hold their own, backed by a meticulously crafted light show (several columns of lights positioned at different spots). The musicians are in top form, starting with singer Daniel Tompkins, perfect in his role and wearing face paint for the occasion. It all leaves you wanting more — in a venue and time slot better suited to them.
QUEENSRŸCHE
Mainstage 1, June 19, 3:05 pm
A true institution of American progressive metal, Queensrÿche keeps writing its history more than forty years after its formation. With albums that have become absolute references, such as “Operation: Mindcrime” and “Empire”, the band profoundly shaped the evolution of heavy metal from the 1980s onward. Since the arrival of singer Todd La Torre, Queensrÿche has enjoyed a creative resurgence hailed by fans and critics alike. Their latest studio album, “Digital Noise Alliance”, was released in 2022.
A mid-afternoon slot on Mainstage 1 — a thankless spot before the arrival of Accept and the evening’s titanic run of bands. Most of the crowd was indeed there for Queensrÿche, but the setlist isn’t the catchiest in its opening songs, the whole thing settling into an efficient linearity that nonetheless lacks a touch of spice. Todd La Torre delivers with flawless vocal cords, Michael Wilton plays with his trademark mastery, and the excerpts from “Operation: Mindcrime” work their magic on the connoisseurs.
But the chemistry of the moment never truly catches fire. A decent, well-executed concert that perhaps lacked the urgency needed to stand out on such a packed day.
Line-up:
Todd La Torre – vocals
Michael Wilton – lead guitar
Mike Stone – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Eddie Jackson – bass, backing vocals
Casey Grillo – drums
Setlist:
Queen of the Reich
Operation: Mindcrime
Speak
NM 156
Screaming in Digital
Eyes of a Stranger
Neue Regel
Empire
I Remember Now
Anarchy-X
Revolution Calling
SINSAENUM
Altar, June 19, 3:55 pm
A little detour to the Altar for forty-five minutes with Sinsaenum. In that span of time, the band of Fred Leclercq — bassist of Loudblast and Kreator, but guitarist here — takes no prisoners.
Right off the bat, Fred drops an unequivocal “we play death fucking metal”. Surprisingly — though maybe I missed an episode — our friend Stéphane Buriez (Loudblast’s frontman) is not on stage (more on that later). No matter his absence, the quintet steamrolls right over us. A personal moment of bliss with the slab of butchery dedicated to ex-Slipknot Joey Jordison, their brother in arms from 2016 until his death in 2021 (“Last Goodbye”). Three quarters of an hour well spent.
BLOODYWOOD
Mainstage 2, June 19, 3:55 pm
If there’s one band that caught part of the crowd off guard this Friday, it’s Bloodywood. The Indians literally turned Mainstage 2 upside down with their unique blend of modern metal, rap and traditional instruments. They had played the same stage in 2023, but that was as a day opener.
From the very first notes of “Dana Dan”, the first circle pits appear and the energy never drops. The band radiates incredible intensity and the festival-goers answer the call on every chorus. The musicians constantly work the stage and manage to turn this late afternoon into a genuine party. My first favourite moment of the day, personally!
Setlist:
Dana Dan
Aaj
Nu Delhi
Gaddaar
Bekhauf
Halla Bol
Machi Bhasad (Expect a Riot)
ACCEPT
Mainstage 1, June 19, 4:45 pm
Accept at 4:45 pm, and for only 50 minutes?! A strange scheduling choice for a band with more than half a century of existence, currently on its “50th Anniversary” tour. Never mind: Wolf Hoffmann’s outfit wisely went for a setlist made up of nothing but very old songs (the “The riffology” medley: “Demon’’s Night / Starlight / Losers and Winners / Flash Rockin’ Man”) and several of its many, many hits (“Metal Heart”, “Restless and Wild”, “Princess of the Dawn”, “Balls to the Wall” and “Fast as a Shark” with support from Fredrik Åkesson, Opeth’s guitarist).
Among the festival-goers singing along to the choruses, a certain Stéphane “Bubu”. As a little treat mid-set, we get a guest vocalist in the person of Todd LaTorre of Queensrÿche (who had performed on this very MS1 two hours earlier). None of this makes anyone younger, but what a big, satisfying live best-of — it always does you good.
SEPULTURA
Mainstage 2, June 19, 5:40 pm (By FredH)
At the end of 2026, Sepultura will take its final bow. So, attending this concert, their last on French soil, was inevitably a special moment for yours truly, who has followed the band since “Beneath the Remains” in 1987. Judging by the crowd massed in front of the main stages, I’m clearly not the only one.
During their allotted fifty minutes, the four-piece delights us with a good number of their classics (“Inner Self”, “Attitude”, “Refuse/Resist”, “Arise”, “Ratamahatta” bellowed as a vocal duet by guitarist Kisser and screamer Green, and the bludgeoning — if shortened — “Roots Bloody Roots”).
That said, and more surprisingly, the band included in its setlist three of the four songs from the recent final studio EP “The Cloud of Unknowing”, which hold up rather well to the live test (“All Souls Rising”, “Beyond the Dream”, “The Place”). All smiles, Derrick (grey moustache) is visibly moved by this final gig. Andreas, for his part, after thanking the crowd for forty years of support, speaks about the work of Savage Lands (a Hellfest partner), the NGO where 100% of the music royalties go towards protecting biodiversity.
A few guests then take the stage (including, among others, Sylvain Demercastel, Alissa White-Gluz, Frédéric Leclercq and Dirk Verbeuren) for a tribal, percussive jam (“Kaiowas”). A successful final French rendezvous for the American-Brazilian outfit.
Setlist:
Inner Self
All Souls Rising
Kairos
Attitude
The Place
Interlude (video package of the recording of “Roots” with the Xavante tribe)
Kaiowas (Percussion jam with guests including Alissa White-Gluz plus members of Crypta, Kreator and Megadeth)
Beyond the Dream
Refuse/Resist
Arise
Ratamahatta (shortened; with drum solo as intro)
Roots Bloody Roots
CEREMONY
Warzone, June 19, 6:35 pm
Since forming in California in the early 2000s, Ceremony has never stopped surprising its audience. Initially identified as one of the most radical bands on the American hardcore scene, the quintet has gradually steered its musical identity towards post-punk, new wave and alternative rock territory, without ever losing its intensity or its character.
Their latest album, “Vanity Spawned by Fear”, released in 2023, perfectly illustrates this permanent artistic evolution. From a virulent hardcore punk bordering on powerviolence to a post-punk with almost indie rock contours — that’s the leap the Californians pull off, a tortuous, dark, trauma-laden journey that is nonetheless an immense success.
This is the kind of concert that single-handedly justifies buying a festival pass. Ceremony is not an easy band to slot into a metal and extreme rock line-up — not quite metal, not quite punk, not quite post-punk either. And yet the Warzone welcomed them with a focus and fervour that say a lot about the maturity of the hellbanger crowd.
From the very first songs, Ross Farrar makes his presence felt. No long speeches, no superfluous staging: the singer channels all of the band’s energy towards one single goal — sustaining constant tension. He is an extraordinary presence on stage, possessed by something beyond mere performance, oscillating between intimate confession and cry of rage. He keeps hold of his mic cable, sometimes wrapping it around his head. Clearly a stage presence that leaves a mark. Behind him, Anthony Anzaldo and Andy Nelson alternate abrasive riffs and more melodic passages, while Justin Davis and Jake Casarotti lock down a fearsomely efficient rhythm section.
Facing them, the Warzone responds immediately. The first circle pits form as soon as the show begins, stage dives come one after another, and the front rows live every song like a genuine adrenaline shot. The atmosphere stays intense without ever losing that spirit of communion unique to hardcore shows, where the crowd almost becomes the band’s sixth member.
The choice of setlist perfectly reflects Ceremony’s career. Early classics sit alongside more recent compositions from “Vanity Spawned by Fear”, proving the band fully embraces every period of its evolution. Far from breaking the momentum, these more modern incursions actually give extra depth to a performance that refuses all monotony.
What impresses most, in the end, is Ceremony’s ability to preserve a unique identity. Where many bands hover between hardcore and post-punk at the risk of losing their personality, the Californians manage to make violence, melody and urgency coexist with astonishing coherence. Each song has its own colour while feeding into a continuous rise in intensity.
The sound is taut and precise, the songs follow one another without a lull, with a rare narrative force. The covers — “Pressure’s On” by Red C and “California Über Alles” by the Dead Kennedys — land like natural slaps within the flow of the set, without ostentation. A genuinely powerful moment, one of the great surprises of the day, and proof that the in-between spaces of Hellfest are sometimes where everything happens.
Line-up:
Ross Farrar – vocals
Anthony Anzaldo – guitars
Andy Nelson – guitars, backing vocals
Justin Davis – bass
Jake Casarotti – drums
HELLOWEEN
Mainstage 1, June 19, 6:35 pm
Barely time to catch our breath before Helloween storms MS1. Operating as a seven-piece for several years now, the formula is well oiled, somewhere between surgical precision and all-round good spirits. This year, no giant pumpkin to hold the drum riser. The new stage design is more modern. Worth noting here: the monstrous kit of drummer Dani Löble, featuring four bass drums?!
With three singers at its disposal (the main tandem Kiske/Deris plus guitarist Kai Hansen), the German outfit can deliver its songs with one (each of them gets his own moment), two or even three vocalists.
Unsurprisingly (and to my great pleasure), the two landmark “Keeper of the Seven Keys” records are well represented (“Future World” and “Twilight of the Gods” for “Part I”, and “March of Time”, “Dr. Stein”, “Eagle Fly Free”, “I Want Out” and the final section of “Keeper of …”). The rest is drawn from more recent material. On that note, the songs taken from the latest effort (“Giants & Monsters”) get a warm live reception (“Into the Sun” and especially “This is Tokyo”). A lovely moment.
Setlist:
March of Time
The King for a 1000 Years
Future World
This is Tokyo
We Burn
Twilight of the Gods
Ride the Sky
Into the Sun
Drum Solo
Power
I Want Out
Encore:
Initiation
Eagle Fly Free
Dr. Stein
Keeper of the Seven Keys (Outro only)
OPETH
Mainstage 2, June 19, 8:00 pm
Personally, I would have preferred to see/hear Opeth after nightfall (for a properly “creepy” atmosphere, you know). That small frustration aside, it must be said that even in an 8:00-to-almost-9:00 pm slot, it works too, despite the heat.
The Swedes made the most of their allotted time to unroll a set as subtle as it was intense, carried by an ever-charismatic Mikael Åkerfeldt. The most recent songs (“§1” and “§7” from “The Last Will and Testament”) slot perfectly in alongside the band’s classics. With his deadpan humour, the frontman lightened an overall contemplative atmosphere. With only five songs played, including a Dantean finale (“Deliverance”), we’re left wanting more. We wouldn’t have said no to a little extra.
ROTTING CHRIST
Temple, June 19, 8:35 pm
There are concerts you watch. And then there are those you live through like a ceremony. On Friday night, under the Temple, Rotting Christ didn’t simply come to play an hour of black metal. The Greeks officiated a genuine ritual whose codes they alone seem to hold.
A few minutes before they take the stage, a dense crowd is already flooding the Temple. The atmosphere is heavy, almost solemn. The first chants ring out as the lights go down, revealing the silhouettes of Sakis and Themis Tolis. Without the slightest unnecessary introduction, “Dies Irae” opens hostilities. Instantly, the crowd raises its fists and takes up the incantations that are now part of the band’s DNA.
Rotting Christ possesses that rare ability to turn complex compositions into genuine unifying anthems. “Demonon Vrosis” and “Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy” raise the temperature a notch. The first circle pits take shape while the rows closest to the stage answer in chorus to the calls of Sakis, whose charisma hasn’t aged a day after more than three decades of career.
As is often the case with the Greeks, the power doesn’t rest on violence alone. Each song is built as a rising tension where martial rhythms meet hypnotic melodies. The red and white lighting reinforces the impression of attending a modern black mass.
The much-awaited “Apage Satana” naturally triggers a collective explosion. Hundreds of festival-goers chant the famous refrain, turning the Temple into a huge pagan choir. A moment of communion that reminds everyone why this song remains one of the band’s most emblematic.
The rest of the concert navigates intelligently between the different periods of their career. “dub-sag-ta-ke”, “Like Father, Like Son” and “Elthe Kyrie” show just how seamlessly the latest material sits alongside the historic classics. Without ever slowing the pace, the band strings the songs together with impressive precision.
When the first notes of “King of a Stellar War” ring out, the die-hard fans explode with joy. The song, a true monument of Rotting Christ’s discography, is a reminder of the influence the Greeks have exerted over several generations of black metal bands.
Impossible, then, to resist “Non Serviam”, sung as one by a Temple entirely won over to the four-piece’s cause. The energy is contagious, the front rows keep their arms in the air, and Sakis regularly lets the crowd finish the choruses.
The cover of “Societas Satanas” stokes that fervour a little further before “Grandis Spiritus Diavolos” cranks up the pressure one last time. Every riff is greeted as a matter of course, every chorus taken up with remarkable intensity.
The journey ends with “The Raven”, a conclusion as majestic as it is bewitching. The final notes are still ringing out as the Temple gives the Greek band a rousing ovation. No extravagant staging, no oversized pyrotechnics: just sincere, deeply inhabited music, carried by extraordinary charisma.
In one hour, Rotting Christ reminded everyone why it remains one of the absolute references of Mediterranean black metal. More than a concert, this performance was a collective experience in which spirituality, power and communion with the audience intertwined in perfect alchemy.
At Hellfest, some performances leave their mark through sheer excess. Rotting Christ’s will be remembered for exactly the opposite: its unique ability to captivate an entire crowd through the sole force of its music and an ever-fascinating stage presence.
Setlist:
Dies Irae
Demonon Vrosis
Kata Ton Daimona Eaytoy
Apage Satana
dub-sag-ta-ke
Like Father, Like Son
Elthe Kyrie
King of a Stellar War
Non Serviam
Societas Satanas (Thou Art Lord cover)
Grandis Spiritus Diavolos
The Raven
IRON MAIDEN
Mainstage 1, June 19, 9:00 pm
Hard to imagine a Hellfest line-up without immediately thinking of Iron Maiden. This 2026 tour carries special weight, as it is part of the band’s fiftieth-anniversary celebrations around the world. Marking 50 years of career, the Iron Maiden hit the road again for the second leg of their Run For Your Lives Tour — without a doubt the most memorable tour Steve Harris and his gang have ever delivered, given its setlist focused on the first nine albums of their prolific career and the colossal technical means deployed for the occasion.
One crucial detail for this edition: Nicko McBrain, who retired in December 2024 after 44 years of service, is replaced behind the kit by Simon Dawson (British Lion).
The first notes of “The Ides of March” have barely rung out before Mainstage 1 turns into an immense human tide. Sixty thousand people, or close to it, sing every chorus with a fervour rarely witnessed, as if everyone knew they were attending one of the great celebrations of this nineteenth edition of Hellfest. It has to be said that this Run For Your Lives tour, conceived to celebrate the band’s fifty years, draws exclusively from Iron Maiden’s first nine albums, offering fans a genuine plunge into the band’s founding years.
The first surprise comes from a man many were watching with curiosity: Simon Dawson. Succeeding Nicko McBrain was a near-impossible task. Yet from the very first songs, the new drummer finds his place naturally behind the kit. His playing, slightly more direct and drier, injects fresh energy without ever betraying the spirit of the compositions. Very quickly, the question marks vanish, replaced by an obvious truth: Iron Maiden keeps moving forward.
In front of him, Steve Harris remains the tireless conductor of this perfectly oiled machine. The three guitarists share the harmonies with surgical precision, while Bruce Dickinson impresses once again. At almost sixty-eight, the singer roams the stage relentlessly, alternating sprints, theatrical antics and interventions in French that regularly draw cheers from the crowd. Vocally, he displays a command that demands respect, giving songs like “Phantom of the Opera”, “’Infinite Dreams” and “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” remarkable intensity.
The staging is a spectacle in its own right. Every song gets its own scenery, between monumental backdrops, pyrotechnics, shifting atmospheres and successive appearances of Eddie in various forms. Without ever tipping into gratuitous excess, the band manages to turn each of its songs into a living tableau, reminding everyone why Iron Maiden remains one of the absolute references in live entertainment.
Musically, it’s hard to find a single weak moment. The return of rarely played songs such as “Murders in the Rue Morgue”, “Killers”, “Phantom of the Opera” and “Infinite Dreams” delights long-time fans, while the essentials “The Trooper”, “Run to the Hills”, “Hallowed Be Thy Name” and “Fear of the Dark” spark gigantic sing-alongs taken up by the whole crowd. Few bands today can lean on such a rich catalogue while maintaining that level of execution for more than two hours.
When the last notes of “Wasted Years” ring out, everyone knows they’ve just experienced far more than a mere concert. Iron Maiden didn’t just deliver a display of craftsmanship; the band reminded everyone why, fifty years after its creation, it continues to embody a certain idea of heavy metal: ambitious, spectacular, generous and profoundly unifying. Without a doubt one of the truly great moments of this 2026 edition of Hellfest.
Line-up:
Bruce Dickinson – vocals
Steve Harris – bass, backing vocals
Dave Murray – guitars
Janick Gers – guitars
Adrian Smith – guitars, backing vocals
Simon Dawson – drums
Setlist:
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Wrathchild
Killers
Phantom of the Opera
The Number of the Beast
Infinite Dreams
Powerslave
2 Minutes to Midnight
Rime of the Ancient Mariner
Run to the Hills
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son
The Trooper
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Iron Maiden
Encore:
Aces High
Fear of the Dark
Wasted Years
SABATON
Mainstage 2, June 19, 11:15 pm
Next up, the war machine that is Sabaton. As always, the band turns Mainstage 2 into a giant battlefield with massive staging and ever-present pyrotechnics.
Joakim Brodén leads the operations with his usual charisma, rolling out one war anthem after another. The crowd responds instantly to “Ghost Division”, “Primo Victoria” and “The Attack of the Dead Men”.
An ultra-efficient show, calibrated for festivals, where every chorus becomes a collective battle cry.
Setlist:
Ghost Division
Yamato
The Red Baron
The Last Stand
Great War
Stormtroopers
Christmas Truce
Soldier of Heaven
Night Witches
I, Emperor (with Napoleon character onstage and singing of La Marseillaise)
The Attack of the Dead Men
Bismarck
Hordes of Khan
Templars
Primo Victoria
Swedish Pagans
To Hell and Back
BLOOD INCANTATION
Altar, June 19, 11:50 pm
Blood Incantation headlining the Altar — not to be missed (even if Mastodon is scheduled in the same slot over at the Valley… grrrr).
For their hour-long set, the American four-piece performed “Absolute Elsewhere” in its entirety (“The Stargate [Tablet I-II-III]” and “The Message [Tablet I-II-III]”) plus a little bonus to close (“Vitrification of Blood (Part 1)”). After a day of trips into the past with Accept, Helloween and Queensrÿche, what singer-guitarist Paul Riedl (a would-be Gérard Jugnot lookalike with long hair) and his mates offer us is a cosmic trip. Their fusion of death metal and psychedelic progressive rock is transporting. The many contemplative moments are occasionally punctuated by furious headbanging. Immersive and captivating.
ULTRA VOMIT
Mainstage 1, June 19, 12:50 am
It’s nearly one in the morning when the Mainstage lights go down. After a day dominated by heavy metal legends, time for something completely different. Well… not quite. Because behind their absurd lyrics and irresistible parodies, Ultra Vomit today holds a unique status on the French metal landscape: that of a band capable of making tens of thousands of people laugh while giving them a genuine lesson in metal.
From “Évier Meta” onward, the party is on. In front of a Mainstage packed to bursting, the Nantes natives need only a few seconds to unleash a huge wave of good spirits. The front rows sing every word, the pogos kick in immediately, and smiles can be seen even on the faces of festival-goers discovering the band for the first time.
As always, Nicolas Patra leads the ceremony with a remarkable sense of timing. The interventions are short, perfectly measured, leaving the songs plenty of room. Because while Ultra Vomit cultivates self-deprecation, the band never gives the impression of mocking its audience. On the contrary, it celebrates every facet of metal alongside them, packing in nods to styles, bands and clichés everyone recognizes instantly.
Musically, it’s hard to fault the four-piece. The riffs are lethally effective, the shifts in register perfectly executed, and the rhythm section never lets the pressure drop. Therein lies Ultra Vomit’s whole strength: behind every gag hides a genuine display of craftsmanship. The parodies work because they’re played with flawless precision.
The crowd is with them from start to finish. “Ricard Peinard”, “Tikawahukwa”, “Je collectionne des canards (vivants)” and “Mouss 2 Mass” spark enormous sing-alongs from a crowd entirely won over to the Nantes crew’s cause. Equally impossible not to smile at the sequence “Une souris verte / Phoned to Death / I Like to Vomit”, a perfect distillation of the offbeat humour the band is known for.
Then comes the finale. “La Puissance du Pouvoir”, “Kammthaar” and above all “A.N.U.S.” wrap up this hour of madness in an atmosphere of collective communion. Thousands of phones light up the Mainstage while the crowd sings along with contagious enthusiasm. An image as improbable as it is magnificent, perfectly emblematic of what Ultra Vomit has become: a band capable of turning derision into a genuine moment of togetherness.
One could reduce Ultra Vomit to a mere comedy band. But that would be missing the point entirely. Behind the puns, the costumes and the juvenile references stand four remarkable musicians who know their metal inside out. It’s precisely that sincerity that explains their success. They don’t parody metal: they pay tribute to it.
After Iron Maiden, someone had to keep the energy of several tens of thousands of festival-goers going until the end of the night. Mission accomplished. Ultra Vomit didn’t just make Hellfest laugh: it gave the festival one of the finest parties of this 2026 edition.
Line-up:
Nicolas “Le roi Fetus” Patra — vocals, guitar
Emmanuel “L’elfe Manard” Colombier — drums, backing vocals
Fabien “Jojo Framboise ou Le nain Flockos” Le Floch — guitar, backing vocals
Matthieu “Le farfadet” Bausson — bass
Setlist:
Evier metal
Le Coq
Doigts de Metal
Quand j’étais petit
Takoyaki
Miction: Impossible (Sonde de B!te)
Tikawahukwa
Ricard Peinard
Patatas Bravas
Mortal konkass
Toxoplasma Gondii (Felinus Santus)
Je collectionne des canards (vivants)
Calojira
Crazy Train
Mouss 2 Mass
Dead Robot Zombie Cop from Outer Space II
La puissance du pouvoir
Kammthaar
A.N.U.S.
THE GATHERING
Temple, June 19, 12:55 am
As my one and only Temple concert of this edition, I chose The Gathering. Hard not to go for this gig with Anneke Van Giersbergen back — in a limited capacity, unfortunately — alongside her former bandmates.
Usually a refuge for black, folk or funeral doom acts, the blue big top here plays host to the progressive rock metal of the band from Oss. Even though The Dillinger Escape Plan and Ultra Vomit are scheduled at the same time, the tent is packed nonetheless.
The moment the Dutch singer walks on, the welcome is nothing short of insane. How could anyone resist that smiling face and that soft, warm, instantly recognizable voice? Quite logically, she’s the one drawing all the attention and every gaze, even if the instrumentalists accompanying her are beyond reproach. The crowd is as if spellbound. That’s what you call a moment of grace.
