Another record falls in Columbus. Sonic Temple 2026 drew more than 184,000 fans across four sold-out days, the biggest crowd in the fest's history, and the lineup earned every one of them.
Thursday belonged to My Chemical Romance and The Black Parade in full for its 20th anniversary. Gerard Way even shouted out Napalm Death from the stage, which tells you exactly what kind of festival this is.
Friday was Shinedown's night, and they made it emotional. Guitarist Zach Myers stepped up to sing Kryptonite in honor of the late 3 Doors Down singer Brad Arnold, rolling it into Simple Man, and Daughtry joined them as a special guest.
Saturday, Bring Me The Horizon brought out Maphra for Doomed and pulled a fan named Jacob onstage to scream Antivist. Sunday brought 90-degree heat and Tool, who played ten songs from Stinkfist to Vicarious and sent everyone home wrecked in the best way.
Around the edges:
Public Enemy made their DWP debut with Fight the Power. Motionless in White made their main-stage debut with a fire-heavy 20th anniversary set. Marilyn Manson closed with The Beautiful People looking revitalized. Mike Muir dove into the crowd during Suicidal Tendencies. Amon Amarth brought the Viking ships. All Time Low played without their guitarist, replaced by a cardboard cutout. Pierce the Veil dedicated Hold On Till May to a fan battling cancer.
Nearly 145 bands, five stages, and nobody held anything back. Columbus, take a bow.
Photo: Photo by Sharing Festival via Pexels
Source: Metal Injection
