LIVE REVIEW + AFTERMOVIE - SUMMER BREEZE 2026 FESTIVAL

SUMMER BREEZE 2026 was held from Tuesday, August 11 to Saturday, August 15 at Dinkelsbühl in Bavaria, Germany. This was my second visit to the festival, after experiencing SUMMER BREEZE for the first time the previous year, and returning this time felt a little different from the very beginning.

My festival experience officially began on Wednesday, August 12, after a seven-hour drive to Dinkelsbühl. Once the tent was finally up and I had spent some time relaxing at the campsite with some of my German metal family, it was time to head towards the festival grounds. My first stop was the press village, which immediately caught my attention as one of the most noticeable improvements compared with last year.

In 2025, the press area was located together with the VIP area. This year, it had been moved to a completely new location directly to the left of the main stage. The new press village was not only larger but also felt considerably better organized and more relaxed. It was a very welcome upgrade and a great first impression of the festival grounds this year.

Wednesday was also a relatively relaxed day for me, at least compared with what was still to come. I didn't have an enormous list of bands to catch, which gave me some time to take in the atmosphere and enjoy the festival without constantly running from one stage to another.

My first band of the day was THE NARRATOR, playing the T-Stage. The German metalcore band were presenting their debut album Phosphor, released earlier this year via Arising Empire. Their appearance was particularly interesting for me because I had already been following their SUMMER BREEZE journey.

Last year, THE NARRATOR had played during the first day of the warm-up programme on the smallest stage at the Campus area, a performance I unfortunately missed. One year later, things had changed considerably. This time, they were standing on a much bigger stage in front of a substantially larger audience, and they proved that the upgrade was absolutely deserved.

The band delivered a powerful and confident set, showing that Phosphor has given them something substantial to build on. There was a noticeable sense that this was a band moving forward, and seeing them go from the smallest stage at the festival to a much larger one within a year made their performance even more satisfying to watch.

From there, I headed to the Campsite Circus Stage for BACKSTABBED, another German act, this time bringing their hardcore attack to the smallest fourth stage. And with BACKSTABBED, there was really only one guarantee: a mosh pit was going to happen.

The band opened with a short introduction featuring the Backstreet Boys classic “Everybody (Backstreet's Back),” and from that moment the party was on. It was a completely different atmosphere from the bigger stages, but exactly the kind of chaotic, intimate festival experience that makes the smaller stages at SUMMER BREEZE so much fun.

BACKSTABBED have continued building their name with their Self-Fulfilling Tragedy EP, released last year, while this year they followed it with the single “Spring Inside My Grave.” Their set was all about energy, movement and crowd interaction, and the small stage only amplified that feeling.

Then it was time to head to the main stage for IN FLAMES, one of the festival's major names. I had already seen the Swedish veterans three or four times before, but they once again demonstrated why they remain one of the biggest names in metal.

They opened with “Colony,” immediately taking control of the enormous stage. The set moved through different eras of their catalogue, including “Trigger,” “The Quiet Place,” “Cloud Connected” and “Meet Your Maker,” among others. The complete set also featured “Deliver Us,” “In the Dark,” “Voices,” “Paralyzed,” “The Chosen Pessimist,” “Artifacts of the Black Rain,” “Only for the Weak,” “Foregone Pt. 2,” “State of Slow Decay,” “Alias,” “The Mirror's Truth” and “I Am Above,” before closing with “Take This Life.”

Andreas Fridén remains a great frontman, capable of commanding a festival crowd without making the performance feel forced, while the rest of the band follows him with the same level of confidence. Even after seeing IN FLAMES several times, there is still something satisfying about watching them take over a festival main stage.

The night then came to an end with HATEBREED, and they certainly didn't intend to let the energy drop. They opened with “I Will Be Heard,” a song that normally appears much later in their set, immediately setting an aggressive tone for the headline-level performance.

Jamey Jasta repeatedly reminded the crowd throughout the show that the band's new album Fatal Paradox is coming on November 6, keeping the upcoming record firmly in the conversation. The set also delivered several of the HATEBREED essentials, including “Destroy Everything,” “This Is Now,” “Live for This,” “A Call for Blood” and “Looking Down the Barrel of Today.”

It was a suitably explosive way to finish my first proper festival day. From watching THE NARRATOR take a major step up from the smallest stage to getting caught in the chaos of BACKSTABBED, followed by two completely different but equally commanding main-stage performances from IN FLAMES and HATEBREED, Wednesday had already delivered a pretty good indication of what the next few days were going to look like.

Day Two started at the Main Stage at 1 PM, with the sun already burning down on the festival grounds. The opening slot went to German six-piece Our Promises, who brought a modern metalcore attack built around two vocalists. One handled the clean vocals while the other switched between screams and growls, giving the band a strong contrast throughout their set.

Our Promises first appeared in 2021 with their debut EP Unbreakable and have since followed it with a series of individual singles. Their Summer Breeze appearance delivered 40 minutes of a lethal modern metalcore dosage — an energetic way to start a long day of running between stages.

Our Promises first appeared in 2021 with their debut EP Unbreakable and have since followed it with a series of individual singles. Their Summer Breeze appearance delivered 40 minutes of a lethal modern metalcore dosage — an energetic way to start a long day of running between stages.

The Main Stage stayed in German territory for the next set with nu-metal outfit From Fall To Spring. Fronted by identical twin brothers Philip and Lukas Wilhelm, the band brought material from their latest album Entry Wounds, released last September through Arising Empire. Their set also included a cover of Papa Roach's Last Resort, immediately turning the festival field into a giant singalong.

After taking some time to relax and get some work done at the press centre, it was back to the Main Stage for Northlane. Having seen the Australian band a couple of times before, I already knew they were unlikely to disappoint — and they once again delivered. Northlane are preparing to release their new album Anemoia on October 30, and the set gave us the chance to hear the newest single CUT IT live, offering a taste of what is coming next. The nine-song performance also included 4D, Bloodline, Dante, Welcome to the Industry, the Worldeater / Dispossession / Jinn / Solar combination, Talking Heads and Clockwork.

The Main Stage was once again the destination for Imminence, marking my fourth visit to the stage that day and, more importantly, my first time seeing the Swedish band live. Their combination of modern metalcore and the dramatic presence of violin makes them stand apart from many of their peers. Vocalist Eddie Berg not only delivered the band's heavy vocals but also played violin, while one of the guitarists incorporated the instrument into parts of the performance as well.

The set moved through songs including Temptation, Desolation, Beyond the Pale, Erase, Death by a Thousand Cuts and False Light, eventually reaching L'appel du Vide, Crestfallen, God Fearing Man and The Black. The final moments were particularly striking, with Berg screaming into a microphone attached to his violin before the performance ended with a violin solo. The rest of the band had already left the stage, leaving the violin to deliver the final word.

Unfortunately, the festival timetable meant a clash with Filth, who were playing at the same time with a shorter, half-hour set. I couldn't properly catch their performance, managing only a brief glimpse of Saxon on the Main Stage while making my way toward the second T-Stage.

That was where the evening took a considerably heavier turn. The second T-Stage was hosting deathcore heavyweights Fit For An Autopsy, and they started strong with Lower Purpose. The set maintained that crushing intensity throughout, with The Sea of Tragic Beasts becoming my personal highlight of the performance. It remains one of my favorite tracks from the band, and hearing it live in the middle of a festival crowd was an easy standout moment.

From there it was over to the third Rebel Stage for Cryptopsy, the Canadian technical death metal veterans. After Fit For An Autopsy's crushing deathcore, Cryptopsy brought a completely different kind of brutality. The speed of the drumming and the technical execution were absolutely relentless, with the musicians tearing through their material at a pace that left little room to breathe.

For the final band of the night, I returned to the second T-Stage for Mushroomhead — a band that had been on my must-see list for a long time. The masked nu-metal veterans brought their unmistakable visual identity to the stage and delivered the songs that longtime fans had been waiting for, including Sun Doesn't Rise and Solitaire/Unraveling. They also paid tribute to Ozzy with a cover, adding another memorable moment to the final set of the night.

The day was not quite finished when I left the stage. On the way back toward the camp, I caught a glimpse of German industrial metal veterans Eisbrecher. It was only a brief encounter, but after an entire day of moving between stages, it was a fitting final sight before finally calling it a night.

Day Two had everything from the heat of the Main Stage afternoon to modern metalcore, nu-metal nostalgia, violin-driven heaviness, crushing deathcore, technical death metal and the theatrical world of Mushroomhead. Another Summer Breeze day survived — and barely a stage left unexplored.

The first band I caught on the third day was Future Palace on the Main Stage, and this was another one of those bands I had been meaning to see live for a while. The German post-hardcore trio had been on my radar, but Summer Breeze was my first opportunity to finally experience them in person. Their performance showed why their blend of atmospheric melodies, emotional intensity and heavier post-hardcore passages works so well on a festival stage. Rather than simply relying on volume and aggression, Future Palace created a set with plenty of dynamics, moving between more melodic moments and heavier sections without losing the emotional core of their music. Seeing them live for the first time made it clear that they have the presence to command a large stage, and it was a very strong way to begin another long day at the festival.

It was a strong way to begin the day, but there was already another stage waiting, so I headed over to the third stage for Finnish alternative metal band Luna Kills. Fronted by a female vocalist capable of switching between clean vocals, screams and growls, the band brought plenty of intensity to their set and showed exactly why their heavier approach works so well in a festival environment.

Next came Australian hardcore outfit SPEED on the second stage. This was one of those performances where the band seemed determined to bring the intimacy and chaos of a club show onto a much larger festival stage. The members constantly switched roles, with the guitarist and bassist taking over vocal duties for individual songs while the vocalist stepped into their roles. It gave the performance a spontaneous, unpredictable feeling that suited SPEED perfectly. Even the ending was unusual, with the vocalist picking up a flute as the show came to a close. Setlist.fm currently has no completed song list for the Summer Breeze performance, so rather than inventing one, I'll leave the exact songs aside.

Back to the Main Stage for The Ghost Inside, a band whose story is unfortunately inseparable from the devastating bus crash that nearly ended their career. The tragedy was referenced during the set, but what stood out most was how powerful the band sounded in the present. They delivered a strong performance backed by pyro, moving through songs such as Avalanche, The Outcast, The Great Unknown, Going Under, Dark Horse, Out of Control, Light Years, Wash It Away, Mercy, Dear Youth (Day 52), Aftermath, Engine 45, Earn It and Death Grip. It was one of those sets where the history behind the band adds emotional weight, but the music itself still has to carry the moment — and The Ghost Inside absolutely did.

Then came Lamb of God, and for me this was a long-overdue first time seeing the American metal giants live. I had somehow never managed to catch them before, so I was especially eager to finally experience the band from the festival pit. They came equipped with pyro and a massive stage presence, moving through a set that included Ruin, Laid to Rest, Now You've Got Something to Die For, Resurrection Man, Grace, 512, Walk With Me in Hell, Omerta, Memento Mori and Redneck. Midway through the performance, the band briefly left the stage to catch their breath before returning with only two guitarists, who played a short musical passage. Randy Blythe also took a moment to give shout-outs to three bands playing around the festival — SPEED, Terror and Deafheaven — a nice acknowledgement of the hardcore and heavy music community surrounding them.

There was no time to rest after that. I headed straight to the second stage for hardcore legends Terror, and the set immediately turned into one of the most memorable crowd moments of the day. By the second song, a guitarist from SPEED had joined Terror on vocals, bringing an extra dose of chaos to the performance. The guest appearances continued toward the finale, with two guest vocalists joining the band, including the SPEED member. Terror also reminded the crowd that they normally play much smaller rooms than a festival stage of this size, making the scale of the performance feel even more significant. The set itself included staples such as Pain Into Power, Spit My Rage, Stick Tight, Still Suffer, One With the Underdogs, Overcome and Always the Hard Way.

From there, I moved to the third stage for Danish death metal force Illdisposed. I couldn't stay for the entire performance, however, because there was another major Main Stage clash waiting. After less than half an hour, it was time to move again for Arch Enemy and their new singer. The band were playing their Back to the Root of All Evil set, and the performance drew heavily from their classic material while also incorporating songs such as Blood Dynasty. The set included Yesterday Is Dead and Gone, The World Is Yours, Ravenous, War Eternal, Blood Dynasty, My Apocalypse, The Eagle Flies Alone, We Will Rise and Nemesis.

Later in the day, I headed over to the packed third stage for ten56., and the atmosphere was completely different. The French metalcore/deathcore outfit brought an intense, chaotic energy that immediately pulled the crowd toward the stage. The area was packed, and the response from the audience kept getting more aggressive as the set progressed, with bodies constantly moving and the pit opening up in front of the stage. One particularly memorable moment was a girls-only mosh pit, which quickly became one of those spontaneous festival scenes that you don't forget. It was a great example of the community side of heavy music — intense, chaotic and physical, but still full of people simply having a great time together. With the third stage completely packed and ten56. feeding the crowd exactly the kind of brutal energy they had come for, this was easily one of the more memorable sets of the day.

Skindred were running about eight minutes late, and honestly, being scheduled to play at 1 AM already feels like a challenge after an entire festival day. But once the band finally hit the stage, nobody seemed particularly interested in complaining. This is a pure party band, and Benji Webbe is one hell of a frontman when it comes to entertaining a festival crowd. The set turned into a giant celebration, with the band jumping between their own material and unexpected snippets and mashups ranging from Metallica and Papa Roach to Van Halen and House of Pain. Setlist.fm confirms the medley included Master of Puppets, Last Resort, Jump and Jump Around, while the set also featured This Is the Sound, Rat Race, That's My Jam, You Got This, Kill the Power, Nobody and Gimme That Boom.

The bassist also got his own moment with a bass solo, during which we could hear Queen's Another One Bites the Dust. Benji then returned to add his vocals, keeping the party moving despite the ridiculous hour. And there was one tribute that absolutely couldn't be missed: Ozzy. With the metal world still mourning his passing, the moment served as another reminder of just how much the festival community had lost.

By the time Skindred finally brought the night to an end, it was well past midnight and the festival grounds had transformed from the daytime metal marathon into one enormous party. Day Three had managed to cover almost everything — post-hardcore, alternative metal, Australian hardcore, metalcore, classic metal, death metal, deathcore-adjacent heaviness and finally a reggae-metal party at 1 AM. Three days in, the legs were getting tired, but the festival clearly had no intention of slowing down.

The final day of Summer Breeze 2026 started for me at the Main Stage with Kadavar, the Berlin-based rock trio bringing their psychedelic and stoner rock sound together with hard rock and a strong retro 1970s proto-metal influence. It was a completely different way to begin the final day compared with the heavier acts that would follow, with Kadavar creating a hazier, more vintage atmosphere on the Main Stage. Their sound carries that unmistakable old-school character without simply becoming a nostalgia trip, making them a fitting choice for an early afternoon festival slot.

After that came one of the rising names in modern metal, Sweden's Orbit Culture. Their Main Stage performance showed exactly why the band has been gathering momentum over the past few years. The set included Death Above Life, The Storm, The Tales of War, North Star of Nija, From the Inside, Bloodhound, Rasen, While We Serve, Hydra and Vultures of North, giving the crowd a solid run through their heavier material.

From there I moved to the Rebel Stage for Danish deathcore outfit Cabal. Sadly, they only had half an hour, which felt far too short for the amount of brutality they were capable of delivering. They wasted no time getting straight into their lethal modern deathcore attack, turning the relatively short slot into a concentrated burst of heaviness. Once again, the festival produced one of those memorable crowd moments with a girls-only mosh pit, proving that the pits at Summer Breeze could appear almost anywhere and at any time.

Next up was Decapitated on the T-Stage. Seeing a death metal vocalist smiling as much as they do is always slightly amusing, especially when the music itself is anything but cheerful. The Polish technical death metal veterans brought their usual precision and brutality, celebrating their 30th anniversary with a set drawn heavily from across their career. I unfortunately had to leave after around half an hour, with another band waiting elsewhere, but what I caught was enough to make the short stay worthwhile.

The next stop was the fourth stage, the Circus Camp Stage, for young German metalcore act Lost in Hollywood. They had a 45-minute set and immediately gave me the impression of being something like a baby Bad Omens — and I mean that in a good way. There were obvious similarities in the overall presentation and modern metalcore approach, while the vocalist even had a visual resemblance that made the comparison even harder to ignore. More importantly, though, the band had enough energy and confidence to make the stage feel like theirs, despite being one of the younger acts on the festival.

After another half hour of chilling, it was time for Soulfly on the T-Stage. Max Cavalera and company delivered a set that leaned heavily into the band's early material, which was exactly what I wanted to hear. The performance included Back to the Primitive, Seek 'n' Strike, No Hope = No Fear, Prophecy, No Pain = No Power, Fire, Bring It, Bumba, Downstroy, Favela/Dystopia, Bleed, Headup, Jumpdafuckup and Eye for an Eye. The appearance of Richie Cavalera for Bleed was another highlight, especially considering the Cavalera connection and the fact that Soulfly were digging deep into those early records. The set felt like a celebration of the band's roots, and for me that was exactly the right approach.

Then came Paleface Swiss, and this was pure mayhem. The T-Stage was packed, and the band delivered absolutely everything you could expect from a Paleface show — pyro, crowd surfers, mosh pits and an audience that looked ready to completely destroy the place. The set included I Am a Cursed One, Hatred, ...and with hope you'll be damned, Nail to the Tooth, The Orphan, Everything Is Fine, Love Burns, Let Me Sleep, Please End Me and The Gallow. The combination of the packed stage area and the band's relentless delivery made this one of the most physically intense performances I caught during the entire festival.

The final Main Stage band for me was Thy Art Is Murder, and there was already a major point of interest before they even started: the band had changed vocalists yet again, with Jerry Grimfiled stepping into the role. And what a presence he brought. He was bouncing from one side of the stage to the other like he was running on springs, while his vocal delivery was completely on point. The set opened with Blood Throne, followed by The Purest Strain of Hate, Shadow of Eternal Sin and Death Squad Anthem before everything suddenly stopped.

We were only four songs into the performance when the show was interrupted because a fan in the crowd had become sick or injured. The stoppage lasted around 20 minutes. Credit where it is due: the medics were quickly on the scene, and the area was secured so they had enough space to work without the crowd pressing in around them. At a festival this size, these situations can become chaotic very quickly, so seeing the response handled efficiently was important. Hopefully, the person involved was okay and made a full recovery.

Once the situation was under control, the show resumed and Thy Art Is Murder picked up where they had left off. The interruption didn't take the energy out of the performance, and Grimfiled was soon back to flying across the stage while delivering the band's crushing vocals. The crowd also quickly returned to the pits and movement, making it clear that everyone was ready to continue the final Main Stage assault.

And with that, my Summer Breeze 2026 journey was essentially over. Four days of stages, crowds, heat, rain, press work, constant walking and an almost ridiculous number of bands had come down to this final evening. From Kadavar's psychedelic rock atmosphere to Orbit Culture, Cabal's deathcore assault, Decapitated's technical brutality, Soulfly's old-school Cavalera energy, Paleface Swiss turning the T-Stage into complete chaos and finally Thy Art Is Murder's unexpected interruption, the final day was another reminder of just how much this festival manages to pack into a single day.

Summer Breeze 2026 was exhausting in the best possible way. There were bands I had never seen before, performances I had been waiting years to experience, unexpected guest appearances, massive crowds, tiny-stage discoveries and plenty of moments that simply could not have been planned. After four days, the legs were destroyed, the camera was probably begging for mercy, and the amount of material collected for the blog was ridiculous. But that's Summer Breeze — you don't come here expecting to rest. You come here to experience as much as humanly possible, and somehow, by the end of it, you are already thinking about the next one.