The Sanctum Festival completes 2026 line-up with Shields, Hacktivist and Lastelle
WITH CHUGGABOOM, DOWNPOUR, DEFENCES + 15 MORE BANDS
The Sanctum: Modern Metal Festival 2026 lineup poster
The Sanctum Festival has revealed its final line-up for 2026, with Shields, Hacktivist and Lastelle set to headline the three-day Birmingham metal festival.
Taking place at Dead Wax Digbeth from 14-16 August, the 250-capacity festival will feature 21 bands across the weekend.
Shields headline Friday following their return from a six-year hiatus, while Hacktivist take the Saturday headline slot as the band continue work on a new record. Lastelle will close the festival on Sunday.
The Mechanist are the final addition to the 2026 bill, opening the festival after previously headlining The Sanctum’s warm-up show in April.
The full line-up also includes ChuggaBoom, Downpour, Defences, Archives, Alchemize, Andromedous, Cober Mouth, Divinitas, Doomed Cynicism, Meet Your Maker, Rupcha Farms, Scatter The Tribe, Sixth Wonder, Swarm6ix, Take Breath, Tooth & Dagger, Vanitas and Writhe.
Organisers say accessibility has also been a focus as the festival grows. The 2026 event will have a stairs-free ground-floor environment, priority seating areas and hearing protection, alongside developing policies covering personal assistants and Access Cards.
The festival has grown from a 100-capacity pilot event in 2024, with organisers positioning The Sanctum around emerging and grassroots UK metal alongside established acts.
The Sanctum Festival 2026
Friday 14 August: 18:00-23:00
Saturday 15 August: 13:00-23:00, with afterparty until 02:00
Sunday 16 August: 13:00-22:00
Tickets are available through TicketSource and Gigantic
If you’re keeping an eye on rising UK festivals, it’s also worth checking out our coverage of Novacaine Festival 2026, another event pushing the next wave of alternative talent.
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