The London Heavy List: Every Metal, Rock & Punk gig you need to see in 2026
London at its loudest — these are the gigs London's metalheads need to be down the front for.
London has always been loud.
Loud in cramped Soho basements. Loud in Camden’s sticky, sweaty floored institutions. Loud in Alexandra Palace’s echoing rafters. And very, very loud inside stadiums where pints of what you hope is beer rain down.
In 2026, the volume only goes up.
Stadium titans return for mammoth residencies. Anniversary tours revive albums that defined entire teenage subcultures. Cult favourites finally get their overdue victory laps. And in between it all, a new generation of heavy bands are turning smaller venues into pressure cookers.
This is The London Heavy List — every metal, rock and punk gig you need to know about this year.
Viagra Boys
- Date: Fri 6th March
- Venue: Alexandra Palace
These post-punk Swedish weirdos (we mean that in the most complementary sense) are bringing their latest album to the heady heights of Ally Pally for what promises to be a sweaty, chaotic show where clothes will be shed and crowd barriers will be crossed.
Shortlist Tip: From their sold-out Adidas trainer collab to ‘80s skate inspired graphic tees, Viagra Boys have some of the best merch in the game. Get there early to grab your size.
Powerwolf, HammerFall & Wind Rose
- Date: Sat 7th March
- Venue: OVO Arena Wembley
If your idea of a good night out involves gothic choirs, werewolf lore and riffs that sound like they were forged in a medieval dungeon, this one’s for you. German power metal maximalists Powerwolf arrive with a bill so gloriously over-the-top it borders on pantomime — and that’s exactly why it rules.
HammerFall brings the classic heavy metal heroics. Wind Rose brings the beards and Tolkien-core theatrics.
Shortlist Tip: Don’t confuse it with Wembley Stadium. One’s a 12,000-cap arena. The other hosts 90,000 people and mild existential dread.
Speed
- Date: Thu 23rd April
- Venue: Electric Ballroom
New Zealand hardcore band Speed have garnered a cult following since their 2019 inception, all thanks to their high-energy shows that invite the crowd to share the mic and stage dive.
Don’t expect them to play venues of this size for very long.
Shortlist Tip: From someone who has attended a Speed show before — their pits are messy. Those who care about their footwear and blood being kept inside their bodies are advised to stand by the bar.
Machine Head
- Date: Sun 17th May
- Venue: O2 Academy Brixton
Machine Head’s blend of groove metal stomp and politically-charged fury has kept them relevant for decades, and Brixton is exactly the kind of room where those riffs hit hardest.
Expect a career-spanning set heavy on crowd favourites, breakdowns you can feel in your ribs, and at least one moment where the entire room screams back at the stage.
Shortlist Tip: Brixton Academy’s sloped floor is your friend — hang midway back for the best balance of sound and survival.
A Perfect Circle
- Date: Thu 4th June
- Venue: O2 Academy Brixton
Tool’s Maynard James Keenan’s art-rock side project isn’t about chaos — it’s about control. Expect precision, atmosphere and songs that build slowly before detonating in your chest.
Shortlist Tip: Whether you’re after Venezuelan or heart burgers, craft wine or local pints, Brixton Village Market is the perfect place to grab some pre-gig scran and bevs.
Social Distortion
- Date: Tue 16th June
- Venue: KOKO
Social Distortion’s first London shows in years land at KOKO, an ideal setting for their blend of Californian grit and barroom melody.
They’re veterans, but they still sound hungry.
Shortlist Tip: Camden is full of alternative bars, so you can’t really go wrong. But if you’re looking for alternative eateries worthy of your Instagram feed, Lost Souls Pizza (a vampire-inspired bar dedicated to ‘80s cult classic The Lost Boys) offers a crypt-like atmosphere with pentagram pizzas.
Metallica
- Date: Fri 3rd July, Sun 5th July
- Venue: London Stadium
Metallica don’t tour — they conquer. The M72 World Tour format means a colossal in-the-round stage and a setlist that spans four decades of thrash domination. Each night features a completely different set list where you won’t hear the same song twice, so die-hard fans will want to do both (don’t worry, you’ve got 24 hours to recover).
This isn’t just a gig. It’s a pilgrimage.
Shortlist Tip: If you’re looking for the perfect spot for a pre-gig pint to meet likeminded metal heads, Stratford’s Cart & Horses (the birthplace of Iron Maiden) offers Trooper on tap and a rock-infused juke box to get you pumped.
Def Leppard & Extreme
- Date: Thu 2nd July
- Venue: The O2
Big choruses. Bigger hair (in spirit, if not reality). Def Leppard remains one of Britain’s most polished arena exports, and with Extreme in support, this is a masterclass in classic rock excess.
Shortlist Tip: The Jubilee line will be rammed before and after. Save yourself the sardine experience and hop on the Uber Boat by Thames Clippers from North Greenwich Pier instead — slower, but infinitely more civilised.
My Chemical Romance
- Dates: Wed 8th, Fri 10th, Sat 11th July
- Venue: Wembley Arena
Twenty years on, The Black Parade still hits like emotional artillery. MCR’s three-night Wembley residency isn’t nostalgia bait — it’s a full-scale resurrection of one of the most theatrical rock albums of the 2000s with a sadistic full-blown stage show from the dark mind Gerard Way, with previous gigs showcasing on-stage executions and a clown with a bomb vest.
Expect uniforms. Expect eyeliner. Expect grown adults crying during “Famous Last Words”.
Oh, and the support is crazy (Joan Jett, Skunk Anansie et al) — so get there early.
Shortlist Tip: Sure, you could slum it with a hot dog inside the arena, or you could visit Box Park (you’ll walk past it on the way from Wembley Park station), which boasts everything from authentic sushi and thai, to wood-fired pizzas and jerk chicken.
Breaking Benjamin
- Date: Fri 17th July
- Venue: O2 Academy Brixton
American post-grunge with riffs big enough to fill arenas but still mean enough for a room like Brixton. Expect thunderous choruses and plenty of mid-2000s catharsis.
Shortlist Tip: Brixton Academy empties fast and the Tube queues get biblical. Skip the Victoria line crush and walk 10–15 minutes to Clapham North or Stockwell to jump on the Northern line instead.
System Of A Down & Queens Of The Stone Age
- Date: Mon 13th, Wed 15th July
- Venue: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
This bill feels illegal. SOAD’s politically charged menace paired with QOTSA’s desert rock sleaze is about as stacked as it gets.
Two heavyweight acts. One stadium. Absolutely no filler. This is an unmissable gig, as who knows when System will grace these shores again. If the band’s ideologies continue to clash the way they have been, they may never will…
Shortlist Tip: Stadiums aren’t really known for their great beer, but Tottenham is an exception to the rule. In the south east corner you’ll find a Beavertown microbrewery, offering staples like Neck Oil as well as experimental concoctions.
Hollywood Vampires & The Jesus & Mary Chain
- Date: Wed 12th August
- Venue: The O2
Rock supergroup (Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper, and Joe Perry) theatrics meet brooding Scottish alt legends. It’s a slightly surreal pairing, but one that spans generations of guitar worship.
Shortlist Tip: It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the food options in the O2. There’s a lot of commercial nonsense, but Thunderbird Fried Chicken is a diamond in the rough. Our go-to: the habanero wings with loaded tots. Chef’s kiss.
Jimmy Eat World
- Date: Sun 16th August
- Venue: Gunnersbury Park
Bleed American anniversary in a London park? Yes please. Jimmy Eat World’s melodic emo-leaning alt-rock feels tailor-made for summer singalongs under open skies.
You will scream “The Middle”. You will not regret it.
Shortlist Tip: Park shows mean unpredictable weather. Bring layers. And sunscreen. Because Britain.
Deftones (All Points East Festival)
- Date: Sun 23rd August
- Venue: Victoria Park
Alt-metal’s most influential shapeshifters headline a stacked outdoor bill featuring support from Idles and Amyl and the Sniffers. Deftones remain one of the few heavy bands who can pivot from crushing to ethereal in seconds.
Shortlist Tip: Pretty Decent, one of East London’s best breweries, is located just two minutes away from the park gates. Sup here before facing festival beer prices.
I Prevail
- Date: Fri 25th September
- Venue: Alexandra Palace
Modern metalcore juggernauts level up to Ally Pally. Big hooks, breakdowns built for arenas, and a crowd that knows every word.
Shortlist Tip: The walk up is a calf workout. The walk down is your reward. Head to Wood Green Tube after the gig instead of queueing at the tiny station by the park — future you will be grateful.
Amon Amarth
- Date: Sat 10th October
- Venue: Eventim Apollo
Viking metal titans bringing riffs, horns (the drinking kind) and theatrical Norse chaos to Hammersmith. Get ready to sit on the floor and row your imaginary longboat during “Put Your Back Into The Oar”.
Shortlist Tip: Don’t default to venue lager. The Dove by the river is a 10-minute walk and does proper pints with Thames views.
Papa Roach
- Date: Sun 8th November
- Venue: The O2
From nu-metal chaos to seasoned arena veterans, Papa Roach knows exactly how to work a crowd. Expect “Last Resort” to shake the building, and your inner teenager.
Shortlist Tip: The O2 is fully cashless. If your mate insists on paying in shrapnell, they’re buying the next round somewhere else.
Black Stone Cherry
- Date: Thu 12th & Fri 13th November
- Venue: O2 Forum Kentish Town
Southern rock grit with metal bite. Two nights at the Forum suggests serious demand, and their live reputation is built on pure volume and sweat.
Shortlist Tip: Grab a pre-gig pint at The Assembly House across the road. The venue bar queues move, but not quickly.
Deep Purple
- Date: Wed 25th November
- Venue: Royal Albert Hall
Rock royalty marking their 100th London show in one of the city’s most iconic venues. “Smoke on the Water” in the Royal Albert Hall feels almost poetic.
This is heritage rock done properly. A gig being described as “once in a lifetime” gets thrown around a lot, but this one is worthy of the title.
Shortlist Tip: If you can get seats in the stalls or front of the circle, do it. The Hall’s acoustics are famously good — but the higher gallery seats are steep. Great view, mild vertigo.
Skip the search — follow Shortlist on Google News to get our best lists, news, features and reviews at the top of your feeds!
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.