News

Roadburn returns in 2027 on 15 – 18 april.

Whilst we’re still in the midst of Roadburn 2026 , tickets for Roadburn 2027 are on sale now.

For those of you who already know that you want to be in Tilburg with us next April, you can pick up your 4-day ticket between now and June 2 for the same price as 2026 (including service fees). Other ticket options will come later.

 A – ACCESS
When you arrive in Tilburg, you can exchange your ticket for a festival wristband and also pick up a programme booklet. In the centre pages there you’ll find the Roadburn map that lays out where the venues are, plus the timetables and other useful info.

The ticket exchange is halfway between the 013 and The Spoorzone (where you’ll find The Terminal and The Engine Room) – it will be signposted and you can’t miss it! Wristband exchange will be open at the following times and we encourage you to collect your wristband on Wednesday night if you’re already in town so don’t have to queue on Thursday afternoon!

Wednesday – 15.00 – 21.00
Thursday 11:00 – 21.00
Friday 12:00 – 20:00
Saturday 12:00 – 19:00
Sunday 12:00 – 17:00

Please note: backpacks are not allowed into the venues – totebags and similar are okay. See L for info on lockers and luggage storage.

B – BUSES & TAXIS
There are buses going to Eindhoven and to Beekse Bergen, the bus stops for both are marked on the map.

Buses between Beekse Bergen and 013 are operated by Taxi Korthout and will depart approximately every 30 minutes between the times stated below. To purchase just one trip you will need to pay in cash, to purchase a multi-trip wristband, cards are accepted.

Beekse Bergen to 013:
12.00-16.30

013 to Beekse Bergen (bus stop at Sint Josephstraat 106):
23.30-02.30

Cost:
€7,50 single trip (cash only)
3 days €37,50
4 days €45 

Night bus to Eindhoven
If you purchased a ticket for the night bus to Eindhoven these are the approximate times they will run: 

Thursday & Sunday: 01.00/2.30
Friday & Saturday : 01.30/03.00

Buses will depart when full. You can exchange your weekend bus ticket for a wristband at the Info points. 

The departure area for this night bus is located at the Interpolis building, near the Tivoli Parking – just around the corner from the 013 (marked on the map). The drop off is at the Holiday Inn only. If you don’t yet have a ticket but want to use the night bus to Eindhoven then bus tickets can be bought each day at the info point next to main entrance and the infopoint in the Spoorzone but please note, these are in a limited quantity.

The closest taxi point is Heuvelstraat. Be careful that you use a licensed taxi only! 

C – CASHLESS
Your bank or credit card will be accepted at bars, food vendors, and merch stalls – keeping things simple and quick (cards accepted include: Visa, Visa Electron, V Pay, Mastercard, Maestro, American Express, Union Pay, JCB, Bancontact, Ideal, Apple Pay and Google Pay). If you don’t have a bank or credit card you can use for this, you will be able to deposit cash on an 013 card that you can use instead. You can do this at the info points at the 013 and Spoorzone.

D – DRINKING & EATING
As always, there’s plenty of choices for food  at the 013 and Spoorzone – including plenty of vegan options. The food court opposite the 013 is entirely vegan! There are also dining options throughout the city that are part of our OFFROAD programme – meaning special offers and menus for Roadburners! For the beer drinkers amongst you, this year’s official Roadburn beer – The Explorer – is a 6.8% red IPA! There’s also a wide range of craft beers available throughout the festival bars.

E – EXHIBITIONS
Make time to stop by the NS16 (across the street from the Spoorzone) to catch a presentation by the Italian art collective Malleus, titled Magick.  Their incredible work has adorned countless iconic posters over the years, and gathered here at Roadburn, we’re afforded the opportunity to go deep into the Magick of Malleus. 

Elsewhere, at the 013, you’ll find photography from For The Outcasts zine in frames around the venue. As women, non-binary, queer, and trans artists, they are united in their struggle and their determination to embody the spirit of punk; through their photography and their work out there in the world.

Opening Times
Daily from 12.00 till 17.00

F – FIRST TIMERS & SOLO ‘BURNERS
If this is your first time at Roadburn, or if you’re coming solo then join us on Thursday afternoon at the downstairs bar in the 013 from 1.30pm where others in the same boat as you will be gathering to get their bearings! We’ll be around to answer your questions and help make you feel at home. Come say hi – don’t be shy! It would be great if you would register your interest here: https://forms.gle/iyXXsxGXKyyTMTMu9

So we know how many of you to expect!

G – (THE) GRASS COMPANY
Whether you’re from the Netherlands or abroad, Roadburn visitors who are over the age of 18 (and with valid ID) can enter Tilburg’s coffee shops and purchase cannabis products. The Grass Company is one of the bigger outlets in the city of Tilburg, and the first one you’ll come across when making your way from the station. We encourage anybody who chooses to partake, to do so responsibly, of course!

H – HOW TO KEEP TRACK OF EVERYTHING!

We strongly recommend you download the TMSQR app and then add Roadburn to your favourites from there. This app version of our schedule is customisable, meaning that you can mark your favourites and be reminded of upcoming shows you don’t want to miss. You can plan your day from the very beginning right through to the afterparties. On the off chance that we have to make any last minute changes to the schedule then the app will be updated accordingly. We can send push notifications via the app in situations like this so ensure you have this option switched on if you want to be kept up to date. We will also post important announcements to our socials.

 I – INFO POINTS
There is an info point close to the 013 and another at Spoorzone. If you get lost, confused, need medical help or simply have a question that you can’t find the answer to – head to one of the info points where you will be pointed in the right direction! Don’t be shy – we’re a friendly bunch. If you feel unsafe or unwell at any time during Roadburn, please speak to any member of staff and we’ll help you.

J – JAZZ & AVANT-GARDE

We’ve got the Paradox as a Roadburn venue once again on Friday and Saturday. This renowned venue is intimate and will be host to some very special performances. The capacity is just 175 – so if something is on your must-see list then make sure you’re there nice and early!

K – KEEP GOING, LONG INTO THE NIGHT
On Friday night, Bound By Endogamy and NGHTCRWLR will perform, and on Saturday, aya will issue an uncompromising invitation to her table-stompin’ grind-rave before Parrish Smith takes to the stage – and between all these acts (and then long into the night) you’ll be spoiled by sets from TCR Collective DJs who have a steady supply of industrial, death rave, post-metal, witch-house, digi-dub, and deconstructed bass to keep the mood high.

For those who would rather bang their head in a more traditional manner, you will find our resident DJs in the Foyer bar for all your metal disco favourites. 

L – LOCKERS & LUGGAGE
There are multiple options for storing merch and personal items throughout the festival. Work out which suits you best, based on what it is you need to stash away.

There are lockers at the 013 venue and at Spoorzone which will be perfect for coats and small bags. These cost €5 and are operated via a QR code.

The only downside to these lockers is that if you’re buying lots of vinyl or are arriving straight from the airport with your luggage – you’re going to struggle to squeeze your stuff in. Fortunately, there are designated large item lockers – check the map for the location. These XXL lockers cost €7,50. 

Opening times 013
WED 15:00 01:00
THU 13:00 01:30
FRI 13:00 03:00
SAT 13:00 03:00
SUN 13:00 01:30

Opening times Spoorzone
THU 12:00 00:00
FRI 12:00 01:00
SAT 12:00 01:00
SUN 12:00 00:00

The locker cost is per day. 

You can reserve a locker in the Spoorzone online using this link

For suitcases, there are even bigger lockers at the train station.

M – MERCH
All the band merch and festival merch can be found at Spoorzone – this is a cashless area. Typically bands only sell their merch on the day they perform, so you may be visiting this area quite regularly to check for new items! Roadburn merch usually sells pretty quickly, but if we run low we will let you know via our socials.. 

There will also be a few stalls so you can stock up on vinyl and your usual Roadburn necessities! Go wild, your record collection will thank you!

N  – Not On The Schedule
The eagle-eyed amongst you may have noticed a couple of suspicious gaps in the timetable, and we are not in a position to either confirm or deny that something exciting may take place in those gaps. It is entirely possible that other events and happenings may pop up at short notice over the course of Roadburn which might throw your carefully considered schedule off course. The best way to stay informed about such things is to have TMSQR app notifications switched on so you’ll always be on top of breaking news.

However, a word of caution – as tantalising as a secret show may be, don’t let FOMO derail your weekend. Sometimes throwing a caution to the wind and queuing up pays off and you get to see an incredible, impromptu show. But if the pull of another performance makes the idea of queuing too painful, then go with your gut. There’s no “correct” way to do Roadburn, so follow your heart.

O – OFFROAD
OFFROAD returns for 2026! A number of venues throughout the city will participate in OFFROAD, offering discounts, performances, activities, special menus and more to visitors. Tilburg residents and visitors from all over will get a taste of what Roadburn is about, whilst Roadburn attendees can explore the city and add a little extra to their usual Roadburn experience if they wish. You can find out more about the OFFROAD programme on the Roadburn website or via the Timesquare app. 

There’s lots to discover, however, we’d like to point out that from 7pm on Thursday evening, Het Concreet will perform a tribute to minimalist composer and Fluxus proponent La Monte Young in the St. Joseph Church, and there will be a premiere screening of a new film, WOLVES, at Cinecitta from 4pm on Saturday, followed by a Q&A with director Jonas Ulrich and Colin H. van Eeckhout of Amenra (who pops up in the film).

P – PLAYLIST
There are dozens and dozens of bands playing Roadburn. We don’t expect you to necessarily know them all, but why not check out as many as possible? There will be a test afterwards… only kidding, but if you give our official playlist a spin you may find yet more bands to add to your “must watch” schedule. 

As for the playlists you hear between bands, we spend hours putting those together so that the atmosphere is just right as you await your favourite artists.

Q – QUESTIONS
We’re always here to answer your questions but please be aware that there may be a bit of a delay in getting back to you online during the festival itself if you message us via our socials. If your question is urgent or if you feel unsafe please speak to a member of staff or security at any of the venues. If your question is not life or death feel free to message us!

A question we get quite often is about cameras and photography. Unless you are attending as a professional press and have been granted a photo pass then you won’t be able to bring a camera with a lens of over 35mm. However, any photos that you do take with your phone / non-professional camera we’d love to see, so please tag us on Facebook, Bluesky, or Instagram so we can see what your weekend looked like or use #RB25

R – RECYCLABLE CUPS & CANS
For the last few editions of Roadburn we have served your drinks in recyclable hard cups – to help reduce single use plastics and raise some money along the way. All visitors will receive their drinks in these reusable cups and pay a €1 deposit. 

When you’ve finished your drink these are your options:

– re-use the cup

– return your cup and claim your deposit back

– leave your cup at a designated collection point and donate €1,-. 

If you donate the €1, we will pass it along to No Guts No Glory. This foundation fulfills the musical wishes of people with cancer – young and old – and their caregivers. Because we believe in the power of music.  Read more about this amazing foundation on www.stichtingngng.nl/english

S – SIDE PROGRAMME
This year, we’ll host four “In Conversation” artist talks – one with Cult of Luna, one with commissioned artist Kim Hoorweg, and one with commissioned artist and Triennium Artist in Residence Lane Shi. The art collective Malleus will be talking about their working practice that stretched back over two decades.

We’ll also have a panel discussion on the benefits (and potential pitfalls) of going against the grain as artists operating within the music industry. Featuring Lev from Krallice, Matt from Portrayal of Guilt, Sam aka Lana Del Rabies, and Leo from Street Sects this panel will be less of a “how-to” guide and more of a jumping off point for creative possibilities.

 Andreas Kohl will be prising open the Vinyl Veda Vault once again, to rattle a few crates and dissect the latest advancements in the world of vinyl. And, last but not least, Roadburn’s artistic director, Walter, will be fielding your questions on Sunday afternoon –  nothing is off limits! 

 T – THE SPARK
Roadburn starts for many of us on Wednesday night; The Spark kicks things off in style. No ticket is needed and the event is free to enter – so what better way to get your Roadburn experience off to a memorable start? The Bird Experience will be a mind-blowing place to start your Roadburn as this will be a big band version – adding a brass section and gospel singers to the fold so they’ll total 12 people on stage. The European debut of Crippling Alcoholism and a blistering return from Bad Breeding is exactly the welcome we all deserve.

Doors – 19.00

19.40- 20.40 – The Bird Experience

21.30 – 22.20 – Crippling Alcoholism

22.50 – 23.30 – Bad Breeding

U – UNDERGROUND
As always, we like to shine a light on underground bands and scenes. These artists are so important to what we do at Roadburn and we hope that some of them will be the main stage bands of the years to come. So, whilst we are extremely proud of the bookings we’ve made on the bigger stages, we wholeheartedly encourage you to pay a visit to some of the smaller venues or take a gamble on an unknown name here and there. There’s so much to discover, and we’re thrilled to share this with you!

V – VOLUNTEERS & VENUE CAPACITIES
Did you know that a lot of the people working at Roadburn are volunteers? The person pouring your beer, giving you directions or scanning your ticket is very likely to be one of our wonderful team of volunteers! Give them a hi-five and show them some love – Roadburn relies on their hard work. 

A quick note about venue capacities… as we said above, Paradox is a very small venue! If you really want to be there for a specific show, please do get there early. We have worked hard to eliminate queues and a big part of that is down to scheduling and ensuring the flow of people through the festival is smooth. If you do encounter a queue, we hope it will be only a very brief stall in your day. But if missing a particular band would derail your enjoyment just make sure you’re there with time to spare.

W – WHAT DOES ROADBURN MEAN TO YOU?
Having collected memorabilia as well as oral histories relating to the festival, the Archiving Heaviness project – which is led by a heritage researcher and enthusiastic Roadburner – will evolve further this year, seeking to further capture the essence of Roadburn. If you’d like to contribute your thoughts, then you’ll find the crew posted up in the Spoorzone where they invite you to ponder on such questions as:

• What is Roadburn? Is this where you feel ‘belonging’?
• How does ‘heaviness’ strengthen this feeling?
• What do you make of this combination of ‘belonging’ and ‘heaviness’ as a form of mental, possibly spiritual, wellbeing?

Add your voice to the archive.

X – ?
Okay look, X is really difficult every year that we don’t have Xiu Xiu playing, and it makes us curse doing this guide in an A-Z format, and yet here we are again.

Y – YOUR ROADBURN
We love to see and hear about your Roadburn experience – this year and every year!. Please tag us in pictures and share your experience. We welcome feedback so let us know what’s on your mind.

Z – ZU
Obviously. Make the trip to Paradox, squeeze in, and get transported somewhere entirely other… 

Roadburn’s side programme is designed to complement the main musical programming and offer you a glimpse behind the curtain of the workings of some of the wonderful folk that make Roadburn what it is. 

This year we’ll host four “In Conversation” artist talks – one with Cult of Luna, one with commissioned artist Kim Hoorweg, and one with commissioned artist and Triennium Artist in Residence, Lane Shi. The art collective Malleus will be talking about their work which will be on display at the NS16 throughout the festival. We’ll also have a panel discussion on the benefits (and pitfalls!) of going against the grain as artists operating within the music industry, featuring Lev from Krallice, Matt from Portrayal of Guilt, Sam aka Lana Del Rabies and Leo from Street Sects. Andreas Kohl will be prising open the Vinyl Veda Vault once again, to rattle a few crates and dissect the latest advancements in the world of vinyl alongside guests Marika Zorzi (The Flenser), Ruben Planting (Tiny Vinyl, Good Neighbor Music) and Jens Prüter (Nuclear Blast). And, last but not least, Roadburn’s artistic director, Walter, will be fielding your questions on Sunday afternoon –  nothing is off limits!

The experience of discovering an exciting new band only to realise minutes later they already played Roadburn before you knew them is common to most of us. It’s no shame to find out that The Neon Pickle Conspiracy Overload whose new album you’re really enjoying actually played a 45 minute set at the Hall of Fame at 3.45pm on Thursday two years ago when they just had an EP out. To help minimise that very specific pain, here is a little fun guide to what could be the hidden gems of Roadburn 2026, some alternative-to-the-alternative suggestions among the almost hundred performances that will take place:

• Elucid (Next Stage, 16:30)
  Billy Woods’ comrade in Armand Hammer is also visiting Roadburn on his own, showcasing a very unique solo work which arguably occupies an even more abstract and uncompromising space than that of the duo, one that feels perfectly at home within Roadburn’s more exploratory fringes. His music moves in dense, impressionistic layers: fractured beats, uneasy loops, verses that feel almost unearthed. It draws from the most adventurous forms of hip-hop, but pushes things far beyond any comfortable genre categorisation. Elucid is indeed elusive, the kind of artist that ultimately helps expand Roadburn’s reach and inspires us to discover new territories. Come celebrate that with us.

• Fauna (Next Stage, 18:20)
  Our beloved and much missed 2019 curator Tomas Lindberg was one of the main instigators for us to dig a little more into the strange psychedelic underbelly of Gothenburg (we will never forget Uran GBG’s show that year), so we’ve been taking his advice ever since, and Fauna are one of the most fascinating oddities to bubble out of that wonderful factory of weirdness lately. It says on the schedule that their show will physically take place at the Next Stage, but honestly, our minds will be soaring far above it, carried on motorik beats and esoteric vibes.

• Habak (The Engine Room, 17:40)
  There’s an explosion of amazing punk bands in several corners of the underground right now, and obviously Roadburn 2026 reflects that. Habak, from Tijuana, are one of the first to take to the stage, and even a cursory glance at any past video of theirs will show you how their melodic yet furious crust punk goes down in a live setting. Some artists walk off stage holding pieces of your soul, but Habak’s Alejandra Valdez will surely tear chunks of flesh off you with her whirlwind vocal performance alone. If there’s still enough of you left, why not subject yourself to World Peace at the Hall of Fame later to finish the night off?

• All Men Unto Me (performing ‘Requiem’) (Next Stage, 15:00)
  Time to go big, right at the beginning of Roadburn Friday. The central figure of All Men Unto Me, Rylan Gleave, is no stranger to Roadburn, having performed with Ashenspire in 2023, but this is a very different world he will be creating for us this time, performing the entirety of ‘Requiem’, an intriguing and quietly revolutionary highlight of 2025. A theatrical opus situated at the intersection of metal ferocity, industrial weight, and the evocative nature of ambient, choral, and devotional music, it’s at the same time a profoundly personal piece about Rylan’s own transitional journey, but also a mordant look at the patriarchy that will resonate with many.

• Milkweed / Haress (Hall of Fame, 15:50 / 17:40)
  Of course, the intimacy of the Hall of Fame makes it the ideal spot for a lot of these hidden gems, so you can proceed your exploration of the less beaten path with the first acts playing there on Friday. It’s generally not cool to group bands together, but Milkweed and Haress are not just playing back to back, they’re also somewhat connected in the ways they take pastoral English folk and twist it into something quite otherworldly. A more out-there, mindbending approach for Milkweed, and a more psych, hypnotic vibe for Haress, and when taken consecutively, surely a complete consciousness-expanding experience.

• Backengrillen (Next Stage, 20:30)
  We haven’t seen huge riots and thousands of comments on the Roadburn pages after Backengrillen were announced, so allow us to make this clear in big letters for those who haven’t paid proper attention yet: IT’S DENNIS AND MAGNUS AND DAVID FROM REFUSED! WITH MATS GUSTAFSSON PLAYING SAXOPHONE! What else does anyone need, right? Maybe their own description of the racket they play? “The basic idea is to take a death/doom metal, or noise rock riff and play it until it loses meaning and then break it apart.” So yeah, see you down the front.

• 137 (Paradox, 21:15)
  Bands named after numbers, they’re always a little mystery, aren’t they? If you don’t know the exact meaning (it’s a physics thing, in this case), it’s hard to imagine what they sound like. On top of it, 137 are part of the Paradox lineup, which is typically a whole hidden gem unto itself. But if you make your way to the cosy club to watch these fine gentlemen (who have played with people like Portishead or Patti Smith, mind you) you’ll enter a brain-frying noise-jazz jam that will have your mind strangely oscillating somewhere around Jupiter’s many moons.

• Bound By Endogamy (Next Stage, 23:40)
  The Next Stage will turn into a wild party on Friday night, and Bound By Endogamy are the perfect gateway from daytime Roadburner to night crawler, pun intended. Based as much on sharp beats and rhythms as on industrial power and a very punk kind of harshness, the Swiss duo are equally at home operating for a sweaty dancefloor or a boozy moshpit, and we suspect this particular set they have prepared for us will feature all the best characteristics of both scenarios. Join us there to find out!

• Aho Ssan & Asia (Next Stage, 15:00)
  Kicking off the Next Stage on Saturday is one of the collaborations we are most looking forward to. It does make sense that Aho Ssan – aka, French electronic musician Niamké Désiré – comes to Roadburn with company. It is precisely that collaborative nature that made us aware of his dense and finely sculpted electronic sounds in the first place, having previously worked with clipping. or Moor Mother for instance. ASIA is far more than just “company”, however – a lauded violinist, the precision and physicality of her instrument will complement Aho Ssan’s digital textures in unpredictable ways. It’s easy to imagine this as a set where the boundaries dissolve entirely – less of a performance to follow, and more like an experience to step inside and feel it as it unfolds.

• Róis (Next Stage, 16:40)
  Considering the recognition this Irish singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has been getting (she won Best Original Folk Track and Best Emerging Artist at the prestigious RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards last year), this might be the very last time we get to speak of her as a “hidden gem”. Her ghostly songs and her keening (a traditional vocal lament for the dead) style of singing are absolutely haunting and we suspect lives will be changed by the end of this show.

• These New Puritans (Main Stage, 17:20)
  Featuring a Main Stage act here might feel counterintuitive, but These New Puritans have always existed slightly out of step. Even by Roadburn’s famously open-minded standards, they remain something of an oddity, an act that seems to have slipped under the radar for many. Difficult to pin down stylistically, their music carries a shadowy elegance, drifting between genres and influences: the art-pop grandeur of David Bowie, the nocturnal textures of Miles Davis, the industrial edge of Einstürzende Neubauten, the introspective depth of Talk Talk, and the cinematic atmospheres of Massive Attack and Sigur Rós – yet they always emerge sounding unmistakably like themselves. All the ingredients are there for something quietly spectacular to unfold on Saturday afternoon.

• Traidora / Ameretat (Hall of Fame, 16:10 / 19:40)
  Again with the pairings, but it makes sense again. Technically back to back on the Hall of Fame Saturday afternoon (though, no spoilers, but a three-hour gap in the schedule might mean something is up during that period, right?), Traidora and Ameretat are substantially different, but they are also two of the most exciting new punk bands to appear in the last couple of years. Both with staggering debut albums put out on the wonderful La Vida Es Un Mus label in 2025, Traidora are a raging transfeminist raw punk band singing about gender, morality, borders and the Mapuche people, while Ameretat channel traditional Iranian influences, mixing them with crusty hardcore punk to traverse war, power, love, despair, kindness, and shared humanity. Both offer different sides of the accurate picture of what it means to resist and to revolt against the many forms of oppression in our modern world.

• Truck Violence (The Engine Room, 23:55)
  If you only know the name, whatever you think Truck Violence sound like is probably way off. A folky, surprisingly sensitive mix of noise rock and hardcore with some country thrown in for good measure, they will disorient, excite and inspire in equal measure anyone with the strength to still make it to the Koepelhal around midnight after three full days.

• Tomo Katsurada & Jonny Nash (Hall of Fame, 16:20)
  Sunday is typically the chillest day, with less bands and a more laidback “if I make it, I make it” sort of approach to catching shows. Nothing more appropriate, then, than the former Kikagaku Moyo lead singer and the gentleman who founded the Melody Is Truth label dreamily jamming it out, lifting your spirits as if the last remnants of the 2018 San Diego takeover are still echoing around in the building.

• Kiss The Anus Of A Black Cat (The Engine Room, 18:10)
  Even if there was no music available, we’re sure some would show up out of curiosity for the band name alone. Fortunately, despite a recent hiatus, Kiss The Anus Of A Black Cat have plenty of past releases to show for themselves, and to be honest, a lot of their unsettling sombre take on folk is even creepier and more uncomfortable than their, ahem, unique name. With Stef Heeren (also of Use Knife, who tore the Next Stage down two years ago) at the helm, you can expect an immersive and memorable ritual to take place at Roadburn, even if without any literal feline backsides involved. Hopefully.

• Sanam (Next Stage, 18:40)
  Not that Roadburn has explicit headliners as such, but in a just world, Sanam would be one of the most captivating and talked about names. The Beirut-based collective carve out a sound that feels both immediate and disorienting, threading together free improvisation, noise, Egyptian traditional songs, Arabic poetry, and the raw energy of underground rock, all anchored in Sandy Chamoun’s heart-wrenching voice. This will be one of those sets that we know will catch people off guard – the kind you stumble into out of curiosity but leave thinking about long after the weekend is over.

• Orcutt Shelley Miller (Next Stage, 20:20)
  We suspect that if the band name had been Harry Pussy Sonic Youth Howlin Rain Comets On Fire, more people would be making a fuss about the trio’s appearance at Roadburn 2026. Those bands are, after all, the main reason why we are excited that guitarist Bill Orcutt, drummer Steve Shelley and bassist Ethen Miller got together to make music. Still, it would be reductive – what comes out of Orcutt Shelley Miller, the three-headed beast, is far, far more than a mere amalgamation of their past glories – as fearlessly experimental and innovative as they have been before, so they continue to be now, and the colossally psychedelic alternative world they create together will be a perfect escapism for the Roadburn day that needs it the most. Come climb this hazy mountain with us!

• Kollaps (Hall of Fame, 21:40)
  On Sunday, at the tail end of Roadburn, with reality’s ugly mug fast approaching once more, the tendency to drift towards sonic violence might strike you. If it does, come along to Kollaps. Becky used the expression “cathartic purge” on her wonderful text about the band on the Roadburn site, and we really couldn’t describe the mechanical, industrial, apocalyptic harshness these Australians – via Iceland – get up to in a better way. A perfect soundtrack for a Sunday evening, the time when we begin to realise the next Roadburn is an entire year away.

For several years now, Roadburn has collaborated with the music education institute Metal Factory. The goal is to provide a stage for the burgeoning talents of the students, to enhance their classroom-based learning with an opportunity to present their work in front of a curious, open-minded audience at Roadburn, developing real-world skills as they do so.

This year’s students will perform under the name Tria Nema, with a powerful vocal trio as the focus of the musical endeavour. Citing exploration of challenging emotional circumstances as the catalyst for their collaboration, they detail the hardships of being a woman in modern society through an extensive emotional spectrum as they move towards healing, health, and happiness.

Leaning towards a singer-songwriter approach to composition, the students are inspired by the work of Marissa Nadler, Anna Von Hausswolff and Emma Ruth Rundle. The trio of female voices are backed by a three piece band who provide a foundation upon which their harmonies soar. Tria Nema aims to embody the inherent value of femininity as they aspire to create a powerful resonance with the Roadburn audience.

Roadburn’s artistic director Walter Hoeijmakers comments: “I’m overwhelmed by this year’s education project. It’s not riff-heavy, instead it is centred around three beautiful voices that take our collaboration with Metal Factory in a whole different direction. The human voice, I think, is the most powerful instrument that there is, and having seen Tria Nema perform already, I am confident that the sheer intensity will captivate everyone who watches their show at Roadburn.”

Tria Nema is:
Nina Grimm – vocals
Nina Boele – vocals
Indy Guns – vocals
Merlijn van Minderhout – guitar
Jay de Bruijn – bass
Roel van Ellinckhuijzen – drums

Our third and final commissioned project for Roadburn 2026 features some homegrown Dutch talent, spearheaded by Kim Hoorweg. Kim first performed at Roadburn in 2023 with their band VULVA, a project that spawned the Rotterdam-based Vulvaverse festival – an event designed specifically with community and communication at its heart. Kim is an artist with classical training, a social conscience and a singular vision for their work. They will present their commissioned project, titled I Hope This Hurts, with their band Teardrinker – a post-metal ensemble who made their Roadburn debut last year with a secret show at the skatepark.

Kim comments:

“This commissioned piece is meant to hurt, scratch and itch, and it is meant to be uncomfortable, mirroring the horrors of living in a persecuted body under patriarchal, colonialist, white supremacist and capitalist rule. Simultaneously it is meant to connect and radiate compassion, healing and a manifesto for choosing kindness collectively, by remembering on whose shoulders we proudly stand. I can’t emphasize enough how eternally grateful I am to have been given the space and platform to share our music and my story. Thank you, Walter and Becky, for your trust in me.

I hope this hurts.”