Before the Reload Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary tomorrow, the first headliners for 2026 have been announced – and they’ve got a lot to offer.
Guys, the time has come: tomorrow marks the start of our 20th anniversary – three days full of energy, mosh pits and pure festival feeling. But before we even hear the first note of 2025, we’re already looking ahead. The first headliners for 2026 have been confirmed! And they’ve got it all: Judas Priest, In Flames and Arch Enemy.
Judas Priest – Metal icons in Sulingen for the first time
There are bands without whom metal would sound different today. Judas Priest belongs at the top of this list. Formed in Birmingham in 1969, they laid the foundations for countless metal sub-genres with their two-part guitar leads, thunderous riffs and Rob Halford’s unmistakable voice. They created the blueprint that generations of bands are still playing to today. Anyone who listens to metal today hears traces of Judas Priest – and that is precisely why their commitment to Reload 2026 is a historic moment.
For the very first time, Judas Priest take to the stage at Reload Festival – and of course as one of our three headliners. With Judas Priest, live means no half measures: powerful, precisely played songs, guitars that cut through the crowd like glowing blades, Rob Halford, who makes the air vibrate with his voice between glistening high notes and brute force. Thundering drums reverberate in the chest, while the band’s stage presence doesn’t just fill the room, but takes it over completely.
Their set will be a journey through the history of metal – from legendary anthems like Breaking the Law and Living After Midnight to high-speed blasts like Painkiller. Expect a powerful statement that proves: Heavy metal is as relevant and indestructible as ever in 2026 – and legends don’t just live in the past, they rewrite history with every performance.
In Flames – Melodic death metal pioneers light the fire again
In Flames are returning – for the fourth time after 2015, 2018 and 2023. Hardly any other band appears so regularly on fans’ wish lists – and quite rightly so. As co-founders of melodic death metal, In Flames have shaped a genre that takes heaviness and melody to a new level.
Their music is a constant game of contrasts: brute riffs meet melancholic leads, raw energy meets anthemic choruses. They manage the balancing act between aggression and atmosphere like hardly any other band. Live, In Flames are powerful and dynamic – a band that seamlessly combines classics and new material without losing any of their drive. Anders Fridén’s voice carries through the lows and highs, the guitar playing burns itself into the crowd with cutting precision.
Anyone who was in the pit in 2023 knows what to expect. Those who haven’t – should urgently make up for it in 2026. So: kick up the dust, oil up your voice – In Flames will unleash another inferno!
Arch Enemy – pure power with Alissa White-Gluz
For the third time after 2016 and 2022, Arch Enemy will storm the Reload Festival stage – and not without reason: Arch Enemy are one of the fans’ absolute favorites!
Since the late 90s, Arch Enemy have been shaping uncompromising melodic death metal: precise and melodic – a powerful mixture of brute riffs, driving double bass, aggressive growls and guitar solos that oscillate between technical finesse and anthemic sublimity.
With her vocal elemental force and energetic stage presence, frontwoman Alissa White-Gluz stands for everything that is metal: expression, power and attitude. Her growls hit like a punch to the gut, her performance uncompromising and captivating. In a scene where women are still far too often underestimated or seen as the exception, she sends out a clear signal: Hard music doesn’t need tough guys – just skill, charisma and the absolute determination to lay waste to any stage.
There is no escape in 2026: Arch Enemy are back in Sulingen and will sweep everything away with their show.
Reload 2026 – three days, full main stage
We’re celebrating big in 2025 – and we have no plans to stop in 2026: three full days of mainstage power. 21 bands have already been confirmed, including
Lamb of God, Godsmack, Airbourne, The Ghost Inside, Thy Art Is Murder, Imminence, Amorphis, Paleface Swiss, Nothing More, Orbit Culture, Perturbator, Stick To Your Guns, Vengaboys, ZSK, Dominum, Deafheaven, Vended and Gutalax.
Get your tickets for the Reload Festival 2026 now! 🎟️
The regular pre-sale starts on Sunday, August 17, 2025, at 18:00 – be there on time to secure your place at this epic festival edition.
You can find all the important information about tickets, prices, availability and exclusive pre-sale promotions on our official website at www.reload-festival.de/tickets.
Reload Festival 2026 – August 13 to 15 – WELCOME HOME!
Reload Festival 2026 – August 13 – 15 – WELCOME HOME!
With: Judas Priest, In Flames, Arch Enemy, Lamb of God, Godsmack, Airbourne, The Ghost Inside,
Thy Art Is Murder, Imminence, Amorphis, Paleface Swiss, Nothing More, Orbit Culture, Perturbator, Stick To Your Guns, Vengaboys, ZSK, Dominum, Deafheaven, Vended, Gutalax and many more!
Further information at reload-festival.de, Instagram, Facebook and via presse@reload-festival.de.
