Louisville Turns Up The Volume: Louder Than Life Line-up Announced

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (February 23, 2026)— Louder Than Life returns to Louisville’s Kentucky Exposition Center this fall for its 12th edition, with producers Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP) billing the four-day festival as the largest lineup in its history—and the biggest bill ever assembled by DWP.

TOOL and Limp Bizkit join previously announced headliners My Chemical Romance and Iron Maiden for an incredible four days of music at Louder Than Life 2026, taking space September 17-20.

Louder Than Life
draws fans from every state and many countries around the world, so fans are encouraged to buy early to reserve their spot. The 11th edition of Louder Than Life in 2025 brought together over 240,000 fans and continues to retain its title of America’s Largest Rock & Metal Festival more than a decade after debuting in Louisville in 2014, marking a dedicated and ongoing partnership between the city and festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents.

Louder Than Life and DWP’s Louisville companion festival Bourbon & Beyond, which take place on back to back weekends, generated over $43 million in combined local economic impact in 2025 and drew more than 450,000 attendees booking over 60,000 hotel room nights and creating a visitor boom at local restaurants and other businesses, including bourbon distilleries along the Urban Bourbon Trail.

America’s Largest Rock & Metal Festival will feature nearly 200 bands spanning all rock genres across 7 stages, topped by:

Thursday, September 17: Iron Maiden, Pantera, Megadeth
Friday, September 18: My Chemical Romance, Pierce The Veil, A Day to Remember
Saturday, September 19: Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, Sublime
Sunday, September 20: TOOL, Gojira, Danny Elfman

Saturday, September 19 will also feature one of the most prominent all-female-fronted stage lineups assembled at a major U.S. rock festival. The stage lineup will feature Halestorm, In This Moment, Lindsey Stirling, Orianthi, Icon For Hire, Kami Kehoe, and Diamante.

In addition, a Mystery Guest band will make their live debut at Louder Than Life and a Very Special Guest--one of the biggest heavy bands of the modern era--will be announced at a later date.

“Last year, we took over Kentucky Kingdom and broke rock festival records. This year, we’re back to deliver the ultimate rock escape,” says Danny Wimmer of DWP. “Louder Than Life is your playground — ride the coasters, catch legendary and emerging bands, enjoy incredible food and bourbon, and dive headfirst into the rock experience you’ve been waiting for. It’s time to let loose and have fun. We’ll see you soon.”

"Year after year, Louder Than Life raises the bar for what a rock festival can be," added David S. Beck, President & CEO of Kentucky Venues. "Bringing the festival grounds to the heart of the Kentucky Exposition Center last year demonstrated what's possible when a world-class venue and a visionary festival producer share a commitment to the ultimate fan experience."

In addition to the music, all Louder Than Life passholders will receive free access to amusement rides inside Kentucky Kingdom, which became part of the festival footprint in 2025 and will be open exclusively to festival attendees.

New this year, Danny Wimmer Presents is also organizing the Louder Than Life Battle for the Big Stage competition, kicking off on March 1, 2026. Bands can submit entries through March 31, 2026 using this link. Leading up to the festival, viewers will be able to vote for who they want to see play Louder Than Life during Sunday episodes of the Space Zebra Show, airing at 6:30 PM ET / 3:30 PM PT on the DWP Twitchchannel.

Passes are on sale now at https://louderthanlifefestival.com/passes starting at $1 down. A very limited supply of Single and 4-Day Angel’s Envy Top Shelf VIP passes are available for the most exclusive access and rockstar luxury amenities. And for fans who want to celebrate the biggest eight days of music in the United States, an Exacta Pass offers entry to back-to-back weekends in Louisville at both Louder Than Life and Bourbon & Beyond. Starting at $700 plus fees, an Exacta Pass is less than $88 per festival day. Find more info here.

All details on festival passes, including Jampack hotel packages, camping and parking passes can be found here.

While planning a trip to Louisville, guests can download a copy of Louisville Tourism’s annual Visitor Guide to see the city's top attractions and bourbon distilleries. Visitors also can get additional city attraction, lodging and dining assistance at gotolouisville.com.