Hellfest 2026 (Sunday): The Offspring bring an unforgettable edition to a close as Hellfest unveils its biggest plans yet for its 20th anniversary
- The Riff Collective
- Jun 30
- 9 min read
All good things must come to an end, and Hellfest 2026 was no exception. After three unforgettable days, Clisson was preparing to bid farewell to another remarkable edition of Europe's biggest rock and metal gathering. The final day's line-up leaned heavily towards metalcore, alternative metal and punk rock, but before the curtain finally fell, there were still plenty of memorable performances ahead—and one last surprise waiting for those who stayed until the very end.
There was one clear headliner away from the stages that Sunday: the heat. While soaring temperatures had accompanied the festival throughout the weekend, the final day pushed conditions to the limit, with the mercury flirting with 40°C at times. The organisers reacted quickly by expanding hydration points, providing free water at every bar and restricting the sale of spirits to prioritise the safety of the audience. More than ever, staying hydrated became essential for anyone hoping to make it through to the festival's closing moments.
With the afternoon sun beating relentlessly onto the Main Stages, Black Veil Brides were tasked with opening the day's proceedings. Led by Andy Biersack, the Americans once again demonstrated why they remain one of the defining bands for a new generation of modern metal fans. Their blend of soaring melodies, crushing guitars and contemporary production continues to resonate with younger audiences.
The set focused primarily on Vindicate, released only a few months ago, although opening with "Knives and Pens"served as a welcome reminder of the band's origins. From there, tracks such as "Bleeders," "Hallelujah," "Vindicate"and "Certainty" showcased thunderous riffs, crushing breakdowns and Biersack's versatility, effortlessly switching between melodic passages and his trademark screams. Closing with "In the End", Black Veil Brides left a sea of devoted fans in the front rows completely satisfied.
The crowd itself provided one of the afternoon's more amusing images. Crowd surfers appeared constantly throughout the performance, although this time they seemed to have an extra incentive: reaching the photo pit meant enjoying a few precious seconds of shade before being greeted with bottles of water by Hellfest's outstanding security team, whose efforts throughout the day deserved enormous praise.
Next up came Three Days Grace, who arguably faced the toughest slot of the entire festival. Temperatures were still brutal as the Canadians kicked things off with "Dominate," taken from last year's Alienation. However, the backbone of the performance naturally came from One-X, the record that established them as one of alternative metal's defining bands of the 2000s.
One of the band's greatest strengths today lies in the chemistry between its two vocalists. Returning founding member Adam Gontier once again delivered the unmistakable voice that defined so many of the band's biggest songs, while Matt Walst added extra aggression to the heavier sections, creating a dynamic partnership that works remarkably well live. Guitarist Barry Stock was equally outstanding, delivering every riff and solo with his usual class and precision.
The oppressive heat was clearly beginning to affect everyone. Both the audience and the musicians were battling the exhausting conditions, yet Three Days Grace never eased off. Rather than conserving energy, they delivered an honest, committed performance that reaffirmed why they remain one of the most dependable names in modern alternative metal more than twenty years after first breaking through.
Punk rock began to take centre stage with Rise Against, one of those rare bands capable of blending the intensity of melodic hardcore with socially conscious lyrics and a catalogue packed with generational anthems. The Chicago outfit, now seasoned Hellfest regulars, opted for a festival-friendly setlist, placing the spotlight firmly on the songs that made them one of the biggest names in modern punk while largely leaving their more recent material aside.
Opening with "Re-Education (Through Labor)", Rise Against wasted no time in reminding everyone why Tim McIlrath remains the driving force behind the band. His raw, unmistakable voice and relentless stage presence continue to define Rise Against more than two decades after their formation. Much of the set revolved around The Suffer & The Witness (2006), an album that still stands as one of the defining records of 21st-century melodic hardcore and continues to resonate powerfully with audiences.
Without relying on elaborate production or visual spectacle, Rise Against delivered exactly what fans had come to see: an honest, energetic and uncompromising performance built on great songs. They signed off with the inevitable "Savior,"sending thousands of voices into unison for one final chorus.
Metalcore returned immediately afterwards as Architects took over the Main Stage. The British band, no strangers to Hellfest, arrived in Clisson on the back of The Sky, The Earth & All Between, and made it clear from the opening moments that they are enjoying one of the strongest periods of their career.
No fewer than seven songs from the new album found their way into a set that began with "Elegy." Once again, Architects demonstrated the balance they have developed between crushing heaviness, memorable melodies and increasingly ambitious songwriting. Sam Carter was outstanding throughout, effortlessly switching from soaring clean vocals to ferocious screams while constantly covering every inch of the stage.
Architects are renowned for creating enormous mosh pits wherever they play, but even the ever-reliable French crowd seemed to be feeling the effects of the relentless heat. The enthusiasm was still there, yet many fans were beginning to conserve what little energy they had left for the festival's closing hours. Even so, the customary finale of "Animals" once again proved to be a devastating way to end an impressive performance.
As the sun finally began to lose some of its strength, one of the most entertaining sets of the day got underway. The Hives once again proved that few bands understand the art of playing festivals quite like they do. With more than three decades of experience behind them, the Swedes transformed the Main Stages into one huge celebration through a perfect mix of garage rock, punk attitude and infectious humour.
The sound wasn't quite perfectly balanced during the opening songs, but that minor issue quickly became irrelevant as the performance gathered momentum. Opening with "Enough Is Enough," from their excellent latest album The Hives Forever Forever The Hives, the band immediately demonstrated that their newer material sits comfortably alongside their biggest classics.
Much of that success comes down to Pelle Almqvist. The frontman once again reminded everyone why he remains one of rock's greatest entertainers. Tireless, charismatic and constantly interacting with the audience, he repeatedly addressed the crowd in delightfully broken French, drawing laughter from thousands gathered in front of the stage.
During "Hooray Hooray Hooray," Pelle climbed down from the stage several times to get closer to the front rows before joking, "We're here to bring a little rock into your metal." That single sentence perfectly summed up The Hives' role that evening. Just as four days of relentless music and brutal temperatures were beginning to take their toll, the Swedes injected a fresh burst of energy into the festival.
The explosive "Come On!", barely ninety seconds long and dedicated to bands including The Offspring, Pennywise, The Adicts, Napalm Death and Mayhem, seemed to wake the audience up all over again. That momentum carried seamlessly into a thunderous "Tick Tick Boom," accompanied by towering flames surrounding the Main Stages while Pelle once again climbed down into the pit, ending up almost above the front rows, supported by the security staff.
The finale came with "The Hives Forever Forever The Hives," sung back word for word by thousands of fans, confirming once again that the Swedish rockers remain one of the finest festival bands on the planet.
As sunset approached came one of the inevitable dilemmas every Hellfest attendee knows all too well. With nearly 200 bands spread across six stages, impossible choices had to be made. On one side, Bad Omens, one of modern metalcore's fastest-rising acts, took over Main Stage 2. On the other, the legendary Napalm Death were laying waste to the Altar stage. Two completely different worlds, two equally tempting performances—and no way of seeing both in full.
Strict photography restrictions imposed by Bad Omens ultimately tipped the scales towards Altar, although there was still enough time to admire the Americans' impressive visual production from a distance. Suspended lighting rigs, massive LED screens and a spectacular light show framed a band whose popularity continues to grow at an astonishing pace. Among the songs we caught was "The Death of Peace of Mind," one of the defining tracks of their current era.
The most surreal moment, however, came from the audience. Hellfest's now-famous "Jesus"—a character who had become something of a festival mascot throughout the weekend—made another appearance, carried aloft by four friends while holding a sceptre topped with the iconic devil horns and a pint of beer. Slowly "floating" above the crowd until reaching the front barrier, he drew laughter and dozens of raised phones from those around him. Remarkably, Noah Sebastian never once lost focus, delivering the song flawlessly despite the wonderfully bizarre spectacle unfolding just metres away.
A completely different atmosphere awaited inside Altar. There were no elaborate visuals or towering LED screens here—just pure, uncompromising extreme metal. Napalm Death once again reminded everyone why they remain one of grindcore's most influential bands more than four decades after their formation. Arriving for the closing part of their set, we were still able to witness a blistering cover of Slaughter's "Incinerator" before the always ferocious "Nazi Punks Fuck Off," originally by Dead Kennedys.
As ever, Barney Greenway was a whirlwind of energy, barely standing still for a second as he tore across the stage delivering one of extreme metal's most recognisable vocal performances while the packed Altar tent responded in kind.
The next dilemma arrived almost immediately. Down, Mayhem and The Offspring were all performing within minutes of one another. This time, however, the decision felt obvious. Missing the opportunity to photograph Phil Anselmo up close simply wasn't an option.
The Valley stage welcomed Down with plenty of room in the pit, allowing photographers to work comfortably in front of one of heavy music's greatest supergroups. From the opening notes of "Lysergik Funeral Procession," it became clear that choosing Down had been the right call.
The New Orleans outfit delivered one of Sunday's strongest performances, drawing heavily from the timeless NOLA(1995). Classics such as "Lifer," "G
hosts Along the Mississippi" and "Stone the Crow" sounded every bit as powerful as they did decades ago, driven by the unmistakable guitar pairing of Kirk Windstein and Pepper Keenan.
Special mention must go to Phil Anselmo, who also became one of the standout stories of the day by performing twice at Hellfest—something rarely seen at a festival of this scale. Earlier that afternoon he had fronted Scour on the Temple stage, unleashing his most extreme black metal vocals. Just a few hours later he returned with Down, revealing the very different side of his musical personality that made him one of metal's most respected frontmen. Barefoot for much of the set, relaxed, confident and without forcing his voice, Anselmo commanded the stage through sheer charisma and presence rather than theatrics. It was a reminder that, even after all these years, he remains one of heavy music's most magnetic performers.
One final sprint across the festival site led back to the Main Stages, where The Offspring were preparing to bring Hellfest 2026 to a close.
The Californian punk rock veterans embraced the responsibility with the confidence of a band that has spent decades headlining festivals around the world. After a brief introduction featuring material from Supercharged, they quickly made it clear that this would be a celebration of their entire career. Opening with "Come Out and Play" and "All I Want,"they immediately transformed the Main Stages into one enormous party as thousands of exhausted but exhilarated fans found enough energy for one final round of circle pits and singalongs.
One of the night's most memorable moments arrived during an affectionate tribute to Black Sabbath. Noodles joked that he knew plenty of Sabbath songs—but only bits of them—before teasing the crowd with a few bars of "Paranoid." The joke soon gave way to a full-throttle rendition of Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train," a fitting tribute only days after Hellfest had unveiled its towering statue of the Prince of Darkness at the festival entrance.
If that wasn't unexpected enough, Dexter Holland then claimed they were about to play a Taylor Swift song because she was "super punk," encouraging the crowd to create the biggest mosh pit ever seen during one of her songs. What followed was an irresistibly fun punk rock version of "Love Story." Dexter first asked the audience to split down the middle before unleashing one of the weekend's most unlikely mosh pits, later escalating it into a full-blown wall of death. It may not have been Hellfest's wildest pit—but it was almost certainly the wildest one Taylor Swift has ever inspired.
From there, the celebration never slowed. Drawing heavily from landmark albums such as Smash and Americana, The Offspring fired one classic after another while giant inflatable balls bounced across the crowd and towering flames lit up Clisson's night sky for one final time. After a short break, "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" paved the way for the inevitable finale of "Self Esteem," with thousands of voices singing every word despite having already survived four exhausting days of music.
There is no doubt that The Offspring have become an even stronger live band over recent years. Their sound has never been tighter, their chemistry more effortless, and they delivered exactly the kind of headline performance a festival of Hellfest's stature deserved. Fire, confetti and flying Frisbees marked the official end of Hellfest 2026.
Or so we thought.
With the stage lights already on, organisers asked the audience to remain in front of the Main Stages for one final announcement. The reward was huge: Hellfest's 20th anniversary edition in 2027 will be the biggest in the festival's history.
The site will expand from six to ten stages, adding Riot, Abyss, Forge and Crypt while hosting more than 300 bands across four days. Many details remain unknown, but one thing already seems certain: if choosing which band to watch has always been one of Hellfest's greatest challenges, the 2027 edition will make those impossible decisions even harder.
Fortunately, there is one decision we at The Riff have already made.
After four unforgettable days in Clisson, countless kilometres walked between stages, relentless heat and nearly two hundred bands providing the soundtrack to another extraordinary Hellfest, we already know one thing for certain.
We wouldn't miss Hellfest's 20th anniversary for the world. See you in Clisson in 2027.
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