Torche, A Wilhelm Scream, Sparta & More Announced For 2026 Edition Of ‘The Fest’

The lineup for the 24th annual edition of ‘The Fest’ in Gainesville, Florida is beginning to take shape, with the first wave of artists confirmed for the massive multi-day punk, hardcore, and indie gathering.

Set to take place from October 23rd–25th, this year’s edition will once again transform Gainesville into a hub for hundreds of bands and multiple overlapping performances across the city.

Leading the 2026 bill are headlining sets from The Bouncing Souls and PUP, with the latter also set to perform a special set celebrating their 2016 album ‘The Dream Is Over’.

Alongside the top-tier punk and indie acts, the initial lineup also includes several heavier names, with early confirmations featuring Torche, A Wilhelm Scream, Sparta, Initiate, Spaced, and Flagman, among others.

In total, more than 114 bands have been announced so far, with over 200 additional artists still to be revealed ahead of a full lineup announcement expected on June 5th.

As always, ‘The Fest’ continues its reputation as one of the most diverse underground music festivals in the U.S., blending punk, hardcore, emo, indie, and heavier alternative acts across three days of programming.

More details are available via the official site at thefestfl.com.

If you’re rocking with The Mosh Network, hit the link and add us as a Preferred Source on Google. That’s the easiest way to keep our latest metal, hardcore, and alternative news, tours, and releases showing up directly in your feed.