New England Metal & Hardcore Festival will not return in 2026. Organizers for the festival issued a brief statement online, saying :”After a great run, we’re taking 2026 off. This isn’t goodbye – it’s just a breather. [New England Metal & Hardcore Festival] will return. Thank you for always showing up and making this fest what it is.”
New England Metal & Hardcore Festival originally ran between 1999 and 2016, and then again from 2023 to 2025 – with the latest iteration being headlined by Lorna Shore, Cannibal Corpse, and Kublai Khan TX. The festival has historically been held at the Worcester Palladium in Worcester, MA. No other information about the festival’s absence in 2026 is available at this time.
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