LOCOMUERTE
Mainstage 2, June 20, 10:30 am
To launch this third day, Locomuerte rolls in with its crossover thrash laced with hardcore and Latin influences. The Paris-region band is renowned for explosive concerts where muscular riffs and a festive atmosphere always go hand in hand. Despite the morning slot, the band needs only a few minutes to wake the crowd up. The first circle pits appear quickly, and the band’s contagious energy turns Mainstage 2 into one big good-natured brawl.
Setlist:
Bandolero
Parano Booster
La Bridaga de los muertos
Demonios
Barrio
Los Narcos
La vida loca
DOPE SPELL
Mainstage 1, June 20, 11:05 am
Having played their very first concert ever just three days earlier, Dope Spell gives the second gig of its career… at Hellfest, no less, on the main stages, opening the third day.
The singer quickly smiles about it, quipping that they’re already weighing up options for their future third live set. In any case, with plenty of energy, the 100% DIY outfit spends thirty minutes serving up its music blending nu metal, death and hardcore. Keep a close eye on their future — and first — record, announced for this autumn.
INSANITY ALERT
Mainstage 2, June 20, 11:40 am
Founded in Graz, Austria, Insanity Alert has established itself since the late 2000s as one of the most gleefully entertaining outfits in European crossover thrash. Their recipe is simple and unstoppable: full-speed thrash riffs, a sense of humour as abrasive as their blast beats, and a frontman — Heavy Kevy — whose on-stage energy seems to run on unregulated fuel.
Seven years after their last visit to Clisson in 2019, the return was eagerly awaited. 2019–2026: seven years of bad luck without getting to feast on the unhinged performances of these certified lunatics and their clown-in-chief, the tireless Heavy Kevy! A supercharged party atmosphere guaranteed, and an open invitation to feast without the slightest moderation, with Insanity Alert back in business — on a day, no less, that gives pride of place to thrash metal.
11:40 in the morning. 32 degrees forecast. Mainstage 2 is still half asleep. And Insanity Alert arrives like an out-of-control pinball in a hospital corridor. Heavy Kevy bursts on stage in his usual possessed-festival-goer outfit, and off we go for forty minutes of crossover thrash about as subtle as a sled launched down a motorway. MS2 would soon be turned upside down, as it had been by Locomuerte’s set a little earlier — and Insanity Alert did not disappoint on that score.
The set hurtles through the band’s classics at an indecent speed: “Shredator”, “Glorious Thrash”, “Twist-off Betrayal” — each track does the job in under two minutes, and all the festival-goers present, even those who hadn’t yet had their coffee, find themselves headbanging without ever really deciding to. That’s the mark of the great festival bands: adhesion is automatic, almost involuntary.
Two moments lift the set out of the ordinary. First, “Run to the Pit” — their thrashed-up declaration of love to Iron Maiden, whose mere mention at this festival, the day after the edition’s most anticipated headliner, takes on a particular resonance. The Saturday-morning Mainstage 2 responds with the enthusiasm of believers recognizing a hymn.
Then, “Moshemian Thrashody”: their crossover version of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” — absurd, irresistible, turning Brian May’s guitar solo into an anthology-worthy orgy of palm mutes. The crowd takes up the chorus with the fervour of people who had been waiting for this moment their whole lives without knowing it. It’s ridiculous, it’s brilliant, it’s Insanity Alert.
To wrap it all up, the band thanks the crowd with the same energy they arrived with — which is to say, a lot. The verdict: forty minutes of pure thrash bliss, a crowd wide awake for the rest of the day, and the feeling that this Saturday was going to be brutal in the best sense of the word.
Line-up:
Heavy Kevy — vocals
Andreas Pronegg — guitars
B.Bonecrusher — guitars
Skuggs — bass
Misch — drums
Setlist:
Glorious Thrash
Chronic State of Hate
A Skullcrushin’ Good Time
I Come / I Fuck Shit Up / I Leave
Moshemian Thrashody
Why Is David Guetta Still Alive?
Shredator
All Mosh / No Brain
Run to the Pit
ESCUELA GRIND
Mainstage 2, June 20, 1:10 pm
Escuela Grind clearly didn’t come to Hellfest to make up the numbers. In forty minutes, the band led by its supercharged singer Katerina lays waste to everything with their blend of grindcore, brutal death and hardcore.
Wait, let me double-check: “We are on the mainstage, right, not at the Warzone?” Launched by the growling frontwoman, walls of death and circle pits follow one another without interruption. A massive smack right in the face.
THORNHILL
Mainstage 1, June 20, 1:55 pm
The violence eases off a notch (well, sort of) with Thornhill. For their first stop at the festival from hell, the Australians get a warm welcome. By moving somewhat away from their original alternative metal towards something more modern-metalcore-oriented, the quartet has probably gained in efficiency (and lost in nuance).
That said, it has to be admitted that the unifying choruses and the big riffs — as crushing as the day’s heat — go down a treat with the audience. Highly communicative, frontman Jacob Charlton fires up the crowd with his regular “Wake the fuck up”. Judging by the raised fists, the successive waves of crowd-surfers and one whopper of a wall of death, the job is done, and done well.
HOUSE OF PROTECTION
Mainstage 1, June 20, 1:55 pm (by FredH)
A good ten minutes behind schedule, House Of Protection takes possession of MS1. The outfit led by Stephen Harrison (vocals-guitar) and Aric Improta (vocals-drums) offers a kind of joyfully shambolic fusion, mixing electro, metalcore and hip-hop (“Yo-yos” galore).
Joined by two or three accomplices as guests on certain songs, the core duo smashes furious riffs, techno samples and dubstep bass into one another. At one point in the set, Aric drops his sticks to climb down to the security barriers and whip up the crowd. But you may ask, where is six-stringer Stephen in the meantime? Answer: said accomplice has vanished, the better to reappear — playing seated, more than fifteen metres up, on a small platform of the Mainstage’s topmost scaffolding. A gig for madmen by two likeable head-cases who do you a world of good.
Setlist:
Pulling Teeth
Learn to Forget
It’s Supposed to Hurt
Fuse
Better Off
Godspeed
CANCER BATS
Warzone, June 20, 3:25 pm
Formed in Toronto in 2004, Cancer Bats have become, over the years, one of the most reliable hardcore bands on the festival circuit. Their cocktail stirs together punk, hardcore, sludge and stoner with an urgency that never fades from one album to the next. Crushing punk, hardcore and metal together with relish, the Canadians offer a raw cocktail in which the roughness of the riffing and the savagery of the vocals take the lion’s share. A live band by essence, it’s on the boards and in the pit that the Cancer Bats’ musical Molotov cocktail makes full sense. Their 2011 and 2019 performances have passed into legend.
A third Hellfest visit for the Canadians, and the verdict remains the same: the Warzone is their natural territory. The set is dense and frill-free, with Liam Cormier pacing the stage with the intensity of a man with something to prove. The 32-degree heat pairs rather well with their furnace of a sound, and the pit responds with the expected enthusiasm. Nothing revolutionary compared with their previous visits, but a safe bet of the genre executed cleanly and with commitment. The set perhaps lacks the standout flourish that leaves a lasting mark, but for lovers of direct, no-detour hardcore, it’s pure joy.
Line-up:
Liam Cormier – vocals
Jackson Landry – guitars
Jaye R. Schwarzer – bass
Mike Peters – drums
SIDILARSEN
Mainstage 1, June 20, 3:25 pm
Facing a very dense crowd, Sidilarsen delivers one of the most explosive performances of the day. From the first song (“Comme on vibre”) to the last (“Des milliards”, its chorus taken up a cappella by the audience), the crowd reacts to the supercharged music of the Toulouse outfit. Their blend of hard-hitting riffs and electronic beats is fearsomely effective on stage (“Le Meilleur est à Venir”, “Back to Basics”, “ON VA TOUS CREVER”).
Highly communicative, singer David Cancel multiplies the exchanges with the audience (“Are you ready to vibrate? / Are you ready to jump?”), notably denouncing all forms of violence (“Adelphité”). A concert as unifying as it is intense. We want more.
Setlist:
Comme on vibre
Intox
MONEY GAME
Adelphité
Le meilleur est à venir
Back to Basics
ON VA TOUS CREVER
Des milliards
CRISIX
Mainstage 2, June 20, 4:10 pm
In the kingdom of lovable lunatics, Crisix clearly bows to no one. Three years after their last visit (stepping in at the last minute for Incubus), the quintet came back to turn the main stages upside down. “It’s good to be back”, drops singer Juli Baz “Bazooka” Sánchez the moment he walks on.
The thrash numbers follow one another without a moment’s rest, as do the walls of death out in the crowd. Given the song titles (“G.M.M. (The Great Metal Motherfucker)”, “Bring ‘em to the Pit”, “Fast Music” with Arthur Alternatif of Downterra as guest vocalist, “Ultra Thrash”, for which guitarist Marc “Busi” Busqué Plaza heads out into the middle of the crowd), there’s no false advertising here. During the set, Sylvain Demercastel of Savage Lands comes on to announce that the Spaniards are joining the movement. The gang then seizes the moment to fire off a missile-mode medley of covers “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)” by the Beastie Boys, “Walk” by Pantera, and “Antisocial” by you-know-who). A proper massacre that was not to be missed.
Setlist:
Leech Breeder
G.M.M. (The Great Metal Motherfucker)
Bring ‘em to the Pit
Full HD
Get Out of My Head
Fight for Your Right / Walk / Antisocial
Fast Music
Ultra-Thrash
ENHANCER
Mainstage 1, June 20, 4:55 pm
Enhancer’s return to Hellfest was unquestionably one of the events of this 2026 edition. More than fifteen years after splitting up, the emblematic band of the Team Nowhere was reuniting with a stage that seemed tailor-made for it. Added to that was a mouth-watering promise: several prestigious guests were due to come and celebrate this important page in the history of French neo metal with them.
Let’s say it straight away: I was expecting an enormous amount from this concert. A few days earlier, I’d had the chance to attend their show at the Forum in Vauréal. In a human-scale venue, Enhancer had delivered an incandescent concert, driven by closeness with the audience and intensity in every moment. It’s precisely that comparison that makes this Hellfest appearance slightly frustrating.
And yet everything seemed in place. The first songs immediately establish the band’s universe, between massive riffs, electronic samples and unifying choruses. The crowd shows up, happy to be reunited with an outfit that marked an entire generation of French fusion fans.
Musically, the band remains solid, and the songs have withstood the passage of time remarkably well.
The concert takes on another dimension with the arrival of the guests. Niko of The Arrs joins the band on “Hardcore Version Dancefloor”, before Joey Starr makes his appearance to perform “J’arrive” then “Qu’est-ce qu’on attend”, offering a lovely nod to the rap roots that nourished a whole section of the French fusion scene. The nods to Pleymo round out this particularly anticipated family reunion. On paper, it’s hard to imagine a more seductive billing. And yet…
I never recaptured the shockwave I’d felt a few days earlier in Vauréal. Was it the immensity of the Mainstage? A performance more calibrated for a festival? An emotion less palpable than in a venue of a few hundred people? Probably a bit of all of that. The guests bring their share of nostalgia and trigger the cheers, but they aren’t enough to recreate that sense of urgency that had struck me so much at the previous concert.
That obviously doesn’t mean the concert was bad. Far from it. The musicians remain perfectly locked in, the songs still work just as well, and the crowd is visibly having a great time. It’s simply that when you’ve lived through such an intense performance a few days earlier, it’s hard not to compare.
This concert will therefore be remembered as a fine celebration of Enhancer’s return and of a whole era of French metal, but also as one of the rare small personal disappointments of this Hellfest 2026. Sometimes the most beautiful memories are born precisely in the most modest venues.
Line-up:
Bill – vocals
Vida – vocals
Nitro – vocals
Difré – guitars
Davy – guitars
Eda – DJ / sequencer
MarQ – bass
Nejo – drums
Setlist:
Electrochoc
Street Trash
Hardcore Version Dancefloor (with Niko of The Arrs)
K.O.
That’s My People
J’arrive (with Joey Starr)
Qu’est ce qu’on attend (with Joey Starr)
Pas sommeil
Street Playground
United Nowhere (with Pleymo)
Ce soir c’est grand soir (with Pleymo)
Cinglés
Hot
GUILT TRIP
Mainstage 1, June 20, 6:35 pm
It’s to Guilt Trip that the organizers handed the slot initially planned for the Cavalera brothers. Despite stepping in at the last minute, the Brits turned the main stages upside down with their most aggressive brand of hardcore. One year after their appearance at the Warzone, a very fine performance indeed for the Britons.
ANTHRAX
Mainstage 2, June 20, 7:30 pm
Forty years of career, millions of records sold, an undisputed place among the greats. When the Big Four of American thrash metal comes up, Anthrax occupies a special position. More festive than Slayer, less showy than Megadeth, and always driven by that sense of groove that is theirs alone, the New York band has been one of the safe bets of the metal scene for more than four decades. Yet on arriving at Hellfest, an unforeseen event shakes things up.
A few hours before the concert, Charlie Benante announces that an injury to his right hand is forcing him to temporarily interrupt his European tour. To keep the shows going, it’s Britain’s Darby Todd — previously seen with Devin Townsend and The Darkness — who takes his place behind the kit. An immense responsibility when the man being replaced is one of the most influential drummers in thrash metal.
From “A.I.R.” onward, however, Darby Todd dispels the initial worries. His playing is powerful, precise and perfectly locked in. Without trying to imitate Charlie Benante, he respects the spirit of the songs while bringing his own energy to them. For a replacement decided at the last minute, the performance commands respect and is undoubtedly one of the very pleasant surprises of this concert.
Around him, Anthrax unrolls a technically irreproachable performance. Scott Ian dispenses his riffs with his trademark authority, Frank Bello multiplies the runs across the stage and the exchanges with the crowd, while Jon Donais reproduces the solo parts with remarkable precision. Joey Belladonna, for his part, remains a particularly charismatic frontman whose voice continues to carry the band’s great classics with astonishing ease.
The crowd naturally shows up when “Madhouse”, “Caught in a Mosh”, “Indians”, “I Am the Law” and “Antisocial” ring out — the latter sung along in chorus by the audience, of course. The front rows churn and the atmosphere stays excellent throughout the concert. And yet…
Despite all these qualities, I was left a little unsatisfied. I found the guitar sound muddy and the drum sound a bit tinny (which is not the case on the recording of the concert broadcast on Arte). What I missed was that little extra soul that sometimes makes all the difference. Where Iron Maiden, Limp Bizkit or even Insanity Alert managed to create a genuine emotional connection with the crowd, Anthrax gives more the impression of unrolling a perfectly controlled concert than of living through an exceptional moment. The machine works, but it never truly surprises me.
This is obviously not a bad concert. Quite the opposite. Anthrax proves once again that it remains an essential reference in thrash metal, and Darby Todd’s performance deserves to be saluted given how immense the challenge was. It’s simply that, at the end of the set, what I feel is more respect than enthusiasm — all the more so as I still have their gigantic Download France 2016 show in my memory.
Perhaps that too is Hellfest. Even the biggest bands can sometimes leave a more measured impression when expectations are immense. Anthrax delivers a solid, professional, perfectly executed concert — but one that, as far as I’m concerned, never manages to spark that flash that turns a fine performance into an indelible memory.
Line-up:
Joey Belladonna – vocals
Scott Ian – rhythm guitar
Jonathan Donais – lead guitar
Frank Bello – bass
Darby Todd – drums
Setlist:
Among the Living
Got the Time
Madhouse
Caught in a Mosh
Medusa
Keep It in the Family
It’s for the Kids
Antisocial
Indians
A PERFECT CIRCLE
Mainstage 1, June 20, 8:35 pm
If you love A Perfect Circle on record, you may be slightly disappointed by how it translates on stage. As always, sporting his fake mohawk, singer Maynard James Keenan — here in a suit like his companions — keeps to the background (though still visible and facing the crowd).
The man who also fronts Tool and Puscifer doesn’t communicate at all between songs. The music, nothing but the music, is all there is to sink your teeth into. The band being a rare sight, you have to savour the present moment for what it is.
As the huge “Thirteenth Step” fan that I am, I feast on the six compositions worked into the set (“Blue”, “Gravity”, “The Noose”, “The Outsider”, “The Package”, “Weak and Powerless”). For the rest, a bit of “Eat the Elephant” (the record I like least) and of “Mer de noms” (including ‘3 Libras’ and above all “Judith”, played at the very end). An unexpected little treat: a previously unreleased song (“Starless”) placed in the final third of the gig. A cool, refreshing pause between two servings of thrash.
MEGADETH
Mainstage 2, June 20, 9:50 pm
A page of metal history is turning. Dave Mustaine has announced that the 2026 tour will be Megadeth’s last — a farewell tour accompanying the release of their final studio album.
After Anthrax, Hellfest thus follows up with another monument of the Big Four. Forty years after the release of “Killing is My Business… And Business is Good!”’, Megadeth continues to defend its legacy with a musical rigour that still commands respect. Dave Mustaine returns once more to Clisson with a particularly solid line-up and a catalogue that remains one of the most impressive in the history of thrash metal.
From “Hangar 18” onward, the technical level leaps out at you. The riffs fly with surgical precision, the solos follow one another without the slightest approximation, and the rhythm section rolls out a genuine steamroller. Dirk Verbeuren impresses once again behind the kit, while James LoMenzo brings all the necessary power to songs that have become essentials. On guitar, Teemu Mäntysaari confirms he has integrated perfectly into the band, reproducing the most complex parts with remarkable ease.
The crowd responds instantly. “Wake Up Dead”, “Sweating Bullets”, “Symphony of Destruction”, “Peace Sells” and “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” trigger impressive sing-alongs. Despite the decades, these songs retain a fearsome efficiency and remind everyone why Megadeth remains an absolute reference in thrash metal. Which leaves the question of Dave Mustaine.
On guitar, the band’s founder remains an exceptional musician. His touch, his sense of the riff and his natural authority remain intact despite his recent statements about health problems affecting his hand. His voice, on the other hand, now shows the effects of time. Certain passages demand more effort, a few vocal lines lose power, and the most demanding songs sometimes reveal a certain fragility. Nothing dramatic, but perceptible enough not to go entirely unnoticed.
Yet none of that ever stops the concert from working. Because Megadeth today is far more than the vocal performance of its leader alone. The band leans on a remarkable quality of execution and on a repertoire that crosses generations without aging a day. Each classic instantly triggers the crowd’s reaction, as if the vocal imperfections ultimately became secondary next to the pleasure of hearing these compositions live again.
Visually, the performance stays sober. Few gimmicks, few spectacular effects: Megadeth lets its music do the talking above all. An approach that fits the band’s identity perfectly and contrasts with the more ambitious productions offered by other headliners of the festival.
Without being the most striking concert of this third day, Megadeth confirms once again that it remains a safe bet of the global metal scene. Time has naturally left its mark on Dave Mustaine’s voice, but certainly not on his talent as a composer, nor on the quality of the musicians alongside him. A solid performance, carried by timeless classics and a band that continues to defend its legacy with remarkable rigour.
Line-up:
Dave Mustaine – vocals, guitars
Teemu Mäntysaari – guitars
James LoMenzo – bass
Dirk Verbeuren – drums
Setlist:
Tipping Point
Hangar 18
Take No Prisoners
Sweating Bullets
I Don’t Care
Hook in Mouth
Let There Be Shred
A Tout le Monde
Mechanix
Poison Was the Cure
Countdown to Extinction
Tornado of Souls
Symphony of Destruction
Peace Sells
Holy Wars… The Punishment Due
LIMP BIZKIT
Mainstage 1, June 20, 11:10 pm
If you had to name the most unifying concert of this third day, there would probably be little debate. More than thirty years after its creation, Limp Bizkit still divides opinion when it comes to its discography. But when it steps on stage, one thing is near-unanimous: Fred Durst and his gang remain live beasts.
A few minutes before the concert begins, the Mainstage is already full. Festival-goers of every generation crowd in front of the stage — proof that nu metal still holds a special place in the public’s heart. When the first notes ring out, the reaction is immediate: thousands of arms rise and an immense clamour accompanies the musicians’ entrance.
Fred Durst appears in his persona of the moment, true to his taste for self-mockery and metamorphoses. Within seconds, he takes back control of the crowd with disconcerting ease. His charisma is intact. He toys with the audience, multiplies the exchanges, encourages the pogos, goads the front rows and quickly turns this immense Mainstage into a genuine playground.
Behind him, the Limp Bizkit machine runs at full throttle. John Otto instantly finds that trademark groove again, Sam Rivers lays down bass as punchy as ever, while Wes Borland, true to himself, fascinates as much with his look as with his guitar playing. His riffs remain one of nu metal’s most recognizable signatures, alternating heaviness, groove and sonic experimentation with disconcerting ease.
The setlist strings the classics together without the slightest respite. “Break Stuff”, “Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)”, “My Generation”, “Nookie”, “My Way” and “Take a Look Around” trigger gigantic sing-alongs — all the more so as the novelty of this new tour is the song lyrics displayed on the screen at the back of the stage. Every chorus is therefore sung by the crowd, every break becomes an excuse for a new circle pit, and every intervention from Fred Durst is welcomed like that of an old friend back in town for the party.
What strikes you above all is the contagious pleasure radiating from the stage. Nothing feels forced. The musicians are having as much fun as the crowd. That looseness gives the concert a spontaneity that contrasts pleasantly with some of the more millimetre-perfect performances seen earlier in the day. Limp Bizkit isn’t trying to impress technically; it’s trying to show everyone a good time. And it succeeds with disconcerting ease.
The crowd, too, plays an essential role in the success of this performance. From the front rows to the back of the Mainstage, the atmosphere never drops. Festival-goers sing, jump, dance and answer Fred Durst’s every call. This permanent communion is a reminder of just how deeply Limp Bizkit’s songs marked an entire generation, far beyond the borders of metal.
When the final notes ring out into the Clisson night, one thing is obvious. I was expecting a lot from this concert, and I wasn’t disappointed. Quite the opposite. Limp Bizkit has just delivered one of the most joyous performances of this 2026 edition of Hellfest. A generous, festive, incredibly alive concert that reminds everyone that, beyond the debates it has stirred since its beginnings, the band remains one of the most formidable entertainers on the metal planet.
Line-up:
Fred Durst – vocals
Wes Borland – guitars
DJ Lethal – turntables
Kid Not – bass
John Otto – drums
Setlist:
Break Stuff
My Generation
Livin’ it Up
Hot Dog
My Way
Nookie
Full Nelson
Eat You Alive
Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)
Gold Cobra
Behind Blue Eyes
Take a Look Around
Break Stuff
BEHEMOTH
Mainstage 2, June 20, 12:45 am
Following the cancellation of Volbeat, who were due to close this day on Mainstage 2, what we get instead is an apocalypse with Behemoth. Nergal and his musicians deliver a black mass of rare intensity, between black metal and ritual staging.
The atmosphere is heavy, almost suffocating. The flames, the occult symbols and the sheer sonic power create a totally immersive moment. The audience witnesses a genuine metallic ceremony.
Setlist:
The Shadow Elite
Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer
Thy Becoming Eternal
Conquer All
The Shit ov God
Ecclesia Diabolica Catholica
Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel
Nomen Barbarvm
Bartzabel
The Return of Darkness and Evil (Bathory cover)
Ov Fire and the Void
Chant for Eschaton 2000
Encore:
O Father O Satan O Sun!
