Hellfest 2026 has reached its conclusion. It was, pretty much like every edition, a very hot festival, literally and figuratively. Literally, because the temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius at times, and figuratively, because we saw some absolutely incredible and unique performances on Hellfest’s stages.
Here are some quick final conclusions, as we bring a close to our Hellfest 2026 coverage.
What a MetalTalk Team
We need to start with this. Despite the scorching heat (did I mention it was hot?), the MetalTalk team was unrelenting in making sure you got the best possible coverage. And I like to think we achieved that.
Everyone was on the ball, the dedicated WhatsApp group was buzzing, and we barely managed to actually see each other for the occasional pint in the press zone.
In the picture, from right to left, we have Mr Sean Titley, a man of great words. He has spent his Hellfest running around from one stage to another and one rock and Metal subgenre to another, writing about a lot of them for you.
Next, we have the inexhaustible Mr Luke Vaughan, the man responsible for most of the fabulous images MetalTalk has published from this incredible festival.
Both Sean and Luke were covering Hellfest for the first time, and they were immediately at home. With your permission, the last one on the left is me, Bogdan Bele. I just want to reiterate what an honour, privilege and pleasure it has been to work, talk, and laugh with these extraordinary gentlemen.
Of course, we had the full support from home in the UK of our MetalTalk Editor Steve Ritchie and MetalTalk Head of Event Editorial, Ian Sutherland.
The Heat and How Hellfest Faced It
I might have mentioned that it was extremely hot (did I?). Well, everyone put up with it using whatever methods available. That was until the last day of the festival.
On Sunday, the French press announced that all state-financed festivals would not sell alcohol, together with some other restrictions. Hellfest not being in that category, it was still allowed to sell it, but there would be no spirits, and the dosage on the others would be halved. Beers would therefore be only sold by the half-pint.
There were also notices everywhere, and while there were water points in several places, visitors inevitably faced a queue.
It was indeed hard to breathe, both outside and in the tent stages. If you were in the Temple or Altar, you were in the shade, but in the festival version of an oven. If you were outside. You get the picture.
Funnily enough, at one point, during a show in one of the tents, a circle pit was moving the air enough that it got cooler. And then there was Napalm Death guitarist John Cooke getting sick from the extreme heat, with the band having to cut the performance short. Find out more about that in the review of that show.
In terms of issues caused by this, while I imagine the medical staff were pretty busy, I personally saw the emergency helicopter twice, and not a lot of people on stretchers. I hope that means everyone was ok. I also hope that those affected made it home all right.
Hellfest 2027: A Massive Twentieth Edition
As this edition came to an end, some details about the next edition have been announced by the organisers. Namely, the festival will redevelop its site, moving from six to no less than ten stages. It will also include 300 bands, as opposed to the 183 it had this year.
The capacity promises to remain the same, 70.000 people per day.
Ticket prices have not been announced, but they will increase. An announcement as to how much they will increase has not yet been made, but as passes go on sale 7 July 2026, it is not long until we know. For more details, keep an eye on hellfest.fr/en.
As ever, expect them to sell out almost immediately, as one can only imagine what a monster lineup that will be.
A little taster in the 2027 edition trailer:
See You Next Year, from Hellfest XX!
As always, the MetalTalk team will try its best to bring you the best coverage from Hellfest XX 2027. Until then, from Hellfest, we were MetalTalk and we wrote Rock ‘N’ Roll.
HELLFEST 2026
Prepare to be consumed by the relentless energy of the most influential bands in Heavy Metal as they ignite the Hellfest stages with blistering performances. The immersive atmosphere of Clisson will immerse you in a dark, captivating experience like no other.
With its unparalleled lineup and unwavering commitment to the spirit of metal, Hellfest 2026 promises an unforgettable journey into the depths of sonic mayhem. Read all the Heavy Metal News at MetalTalk.
MetalTalk Hellfest 2026 coverage can be found at https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2026.
This year’s MetalTalk team is:
Photography:
For Hellfest 2025, visit https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2025.
For Hellfest 2024, visit https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2024.
For Hellfest 2023, visit https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2023.
For Hellfest 2022, visit https://www.metaltalk.net/tag/hellfest-2022.
