Old Man’s Child unveiled as Fortress Festival 2026 headliner

Old Man’s Child, the project of longtime ex-Dimmu Borgir guitarist Galder, has been revealed as the first headliner of next year’s edition of Fortress Festival. 

This UK exclusive performance will be the band’s first in the UK since the 1990s. 

Fortress Festival will take place on 30-31 May 2026 at Scarborough Spa in Scarborough, North Yorkshire. 

Early bird tickets are now available to purchase: 
https://reaperagencyuk.bigcartel.com/

The news follows the sold-out third edition of the festival this weekend, which boasted a headline and European exclusive performance from American atmospheric black metal band Agalloch. The black metal weekend in Scarborough also included performances from 1349, RUÏM, Forteresse, Fen, The Great Old Ones and Ulcerate among many others.

Founded in 1993 by mastermind Galder, Old Man’s Child quickly carved out a distinctive niche in the black metal scene. From their early demos to their full-length albums, the band’s sound evolved to incorporate rich symphonic elements, intricate melodies, and Galder’s characteristic blend of raw aggression and atmospheric grandeur. While often associated with a rotating cast of musicians, Galder has remained the constant creative force, penning the vast majority of the band’s material and driving their unique artistic vision. Their discography, including seminal works like “Ill-natured Spiritual Invasion” and “In Defiance of Existence” showcases a relentless pursuit of musical evolution, consistently pushing the boundaries of the genre while maintaining a core identity rooted in darkness and epic scope.