Mikael Åkerfeldt of Opeth is working on new projects
Author Benedetta Baldin - 21.2.2026
Mikael Åkerfeldt, the guitarist and frontman for Opeth, has scheduled studio time for May, but not with his previously rumored progressive metal band, as per theprp. Rather, the renowned Swedish musician is working on some unidentified projects.
I cannot say much, but I have a project that I’m doing in May. Hopefully, it will materialize, but I am doing something in May. That’s going to be fun. Then, I might have some projects as well, like, for me, not for the band. I’m a bit burned out, as you can probably tell. I would really need a break from the band and be regular Mikael, not band Mikael.
Upcoming shows:
- Saturday, February 21, 2026 – Riverside, CA, USA – Riverside Municipal Auditorium
- Sunday, February 22, 2026 – Sacramento, CA, USA – Channel 24
- Tuesday, February 24, 2026 – Seattle, WA, USA – Paramount Theatre
- Wednesday, February 25, 2026 – Vancouver, BC, Canada – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
- Thursday, June 11, 2026 – Zamora, Spain – Z! Live Rock Fest 2026
- Friday, June 19, 2026 – Clisson, France – Hellfest 2026
- Friday, July 10, 2026 – Pompei, Italy – Amphitheatre of Pompeii
- Saturday, July 11, 2026 – Bologna, Italy – Sequoie Music Park
- Thursday, July 30, 2026 – Antwerpen, Belgium – OLT Rivierenhof
- Saturday, August 1, 2026 – Halifax, United Kingdom – The Piece Hall
- Sunday, August 2, 2026 – Dublin, Ireland – Bord Gáis Energy Theatre
- Wednesday, August 5, 2026 – Utrecht, Netherlands – TivoliVredenburg
- Friday–Saturday, August 7–8, 2026 – Helsinki, Finland – Hellsinki Metal Festival 2026
- Friday, August 7, 2026 – Gelsenkirchen, Germany – Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen
- Saturday, August 29, 2026 – Rättvik, Sweden – Dalhalla
- Sunday, November 1, 2026 – Santiago, Chile – Movistar Arena
- Friday, November 6, 2026 – São Paulo, Brazil – Espaço Unimed
- Sunday, November 8, 2026 – Bogotá, Colombia – Royal Center
- Wednesday, November 11, 2026 – Ciudad de México, Mexico – Arena CDMX
After more than thirty years in the business, Opeth have taught their fans to anticipate the unexpected. However, even by their own standards, the Swedish progressive titans have created something truly remarkable this time. “The Last Will & Testament”, the band’s fourteenth studio album, is the most daringly progressive and darkest record they have released in decades. This concept album, which tells the story of a recently deceased man’s will being read to his surviving family members, is filled with eerie melodrama, startling disclosures, and some of the most bizarre and unpredictable songs that frontman/songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has ever composed.
