Desertfest Berlin 2026 Makes First Lineup Announcement
First of all, this art frigging rules. Kuba Sokolski Illustration is apparently the party responsible for the look of Desertfest Berlin 2026, and I dig it. The colors, the theme, the implication of narrative in becoming part of something bigger than yourself. Oh yeah, and the first band announcements are pretty killer too.
Russian Circles, Hermano, The Sword, Acid King, King Buffalo, Truckfighters, Earthless, Crippled Black Phoenix, Pelican, Mother’s Cake, High Desert Queen, Zerre, and Dope Purple comprise the first cohort to join the lineup, and aside from having me at Acid King and King Buffalo — which, yeah; also Hermano — it’s good to see The Sword will take their reunion to Europe next Spring, and Truckfighters will likely be out supporting their new album, which is due around that time as well.
This won’t be nearly all of it, but it’s plenty and it’s a killer start. As with every year, I look forward to seeing how Desertfest and the European underground circuit will shape up for next Spring. Here’s the announce from social media:
BERLIN, THE DESERT IS CALLING! 🌌
We’re beyond stoked to drop the first wave for Desertfest Berlin 2026 // 14.-16. May 2026 – and it’s a riff-heavy ride straight into the void 🌙
Russian Circles will crush you with their cinematic post-metal soundscapes, while desert rock legends Hermano return with John Garcia at the helm. Texas riff titans The Sword are back to shake the ground, and the mighty Acid King keep the doom thick and smoky. King Buffalo invite you to drift away on cosmic psych grooves, while fuzzlords Truckfighters bring the Swedish desert storm with their first new album in 10 years.
Earthless will melt your mind with endless space jams, and Crippled Black Phoenix deliver apocalyptic rock full of grandeur. Expect instrumental heaviness from Chicago pioneers Pelican, plus wild progressive energy from Mother’s Cake. Adding Texan groove power from High Desert Queen, new wave of würzburgs thrash metal Zerre, and psych-doom freakouts from Taiwan’s Dope Purple – the storm is real.
If this line-up speaks to your soul – better grab your tickets now before they vanish into the haze: www.desertfest.de
DESERTFEST BERLIN 2026
14.-16. MAY 2026
COLUMBIA VENUES, BERLIN
WEEKEND TICKETS: 169€ on www.desertfest-tickets.de
⚡FIRST ANNOUNCEMENTS⚡
RUSSIAN CIRCLES
HERMANO
THE SWORD
ACID KING
KING BUFFALO
TRUCKFIGHTERS
EARTHLESS
CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX
PELICAN
MOTHER’S CAKE
HIGH DESERT QUEEN
ZERRE
DOPE PURPLE
AND MANY MORE!
Your Desertfest Berlin Crew!
Join our Facebook Event for all Updates: DESERTFEST BERLIN 2026: https://www.facebook.com/events/2135415456871801/
✨ARTWORK by Kuba Sokolski Illustration
www.desertfest.de
www.instagram.com/desertfest_berlin
www.facebook.com/DesertfestBerlin
