John Smith Rock Festival announce new wave of bands

John Smith Rock Festival has announced a new wave of bands for the 2026 summer edition.

Sail away, little sister, sail away… Stop right there! We recommend that little sisters and everyone else stop and stand still, because a load of incredibly smooth metal is sailing to the shores of the John Smith Rock Festival! A slightly lighter offering, taking a few steps into the tempting depths of gothicism, comes from Norway’s Sirenia, reminiscent of the unbeatable combination of melody and metal, leaving first-time listeners speechless… So step boldly onto the path to a better future – The Path to Decay! Guaranteed entertainment ahead!

An alternative approach is on offer when the gentlemen from Turku, Finland, take the stage: Awake Again! If there’s anywhere to be, it’s here, right now!

The wildness of the John Smith Rock Festival is now and forever calmed by the universe’s most grounded band, Marianas Rest. The band, which is releasing a new, presumably chilling album, brings with it an hour of inner peace, which is just the right amount of hectic atmosphere!

The truth and this information strike like lightning. Returning to the John Smith stage, along with a sufficient amount of rowdiness and moderate messing around, is a man who hardly needs any introduction to the Finnish rock music audience… There is certainly enough danger, and tons of emotion… This cross-section of Mr. Ylppö’s distinguished career spanning more than 30 years will surely contain—without knowing anything about the content yet—beautiful images of life, people, and existence, and above all, warmth and gentleness… If you want to see what stage presence means, you have to catch Herra Ylppö.

Just in time, after cooling down since their last visit, one of Sweden’s hottest hard rock bands, H.E.A.T., is back to heat things up again! If sadness constantly weighs on your heart, then surrender to defeat for an hour! The cheerful guys entertaining the John Smith Rock Festival’s “Feel good, even if just for a moment, even if by force” moment will blow away your worries and fill the area with pure joy.

Lady in red? Nope, Beast in Black!

The band, which played its first festival gig seven years ago at the John Smith Rock Festival, will be reminiscing about its roots, and we think that’s more than okay!
With danceable rhythms and a tight metal sound, the rhythm section seamlessly melts minds and mitochondria with its presence, bringing a breath of fresh air into the midst of all the darkness.

So if you’re interested in having fun, then…

We went fishing. A black star shone in the sky. We didn’t catch anything. Run away. But if you trust your heart, then heartwork and hard work will pay off. This time, as a reward for our long and tiring work, our trap is filled with Carcass, who entered the heavy metal scene 40 years ago! How excited a little fisherman can be…

The legendary British band serves up a hefty dose of itself – the world’s best music, with grind and death, speed and death as its frame of reference! So come fishing and put your remains to work! Let’s grind! You don’t see this kind of disco too often in the Finnish summer, so if you’re interested in this kind of thing, this is the place to be.