Upcoming Aftershock Festival dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
What Aftershock is and when it runs
Aftershock is a four-day hard rock and heavy metal festival held each fall at Discovery Park in Sacramento, California. It bills itself as the West Coast's largest rock and metal festival, and the 2026 edition runs Thursday through Sunday, October 1–4, 2026. Recent editions have drawn about 160,000 fans across the four days, according to the festival and local news coverage.
The festival is produced by Danny Wimmer Presents. Aftershock started in 2012 as a one-day show on September 23 that drew close to 13,000 people, with Stone Temple Pilots, Deftones and Bush at the top of the bill. It grew to three days in 2019 and four days in 2021. The 2020 edition was postponed to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The festival sells single-day, two-day and four-day passes, so it works as a full weekend trip or as a single night built around one headliner.
Headliners by year
Aftershock books the biggest names in metal, hard rock, nu-metal and alternative, with a different headliner closing each night. A sample of top-billed acts:
- 2012: Stone Temple Pilots, Deftones and Bush.
- 2017: Nine Inch Nails and Ozzy Osbourne.
- 2018: Deftones and System of a Down.
- 2019: Slipknot, Blink-182 and Tool.
- 2021: Metallica, playing two nights, plus Cypress Hill and The Original Misfits.
- 2022: Slipknot, Kiss, My Chemical Romance and Muse.
- 2023: Avenged Sevenfold, Tool, Korn and Guns N' Roses.
- 2024: Slayer, Slipknot, Iron Maiden and Mötley Crüe.
- 2025: Blink-182, Deftones, Korn and Bring Me the Horizon.
- 2026: My Chemical Romance, Limp Bizkit, Pierce the Veil and Tool, one per night from Thursday to Sunday.
Late changes happen. In 2023, Pantera withdrew and Stone Temple Pilots took the slot, and Corey Taylor canceled after a leg injury. The 2022 bill lost Foo Fighters after the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins. Single-day buyers carry the most risk from a dropout, so check the festival's lineup updates if you are buying for one artist.
Pass types: GA, VIP, Capital Club and camping
The 2026 pass page lists these options:
- General admission (GA) comes as a 4-day pass, a 4-day four-pack, a 2-day pass for the dates you choose, or a single-day pass for Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday. GA covers all five stages.
- VIP, sold as a 4-day or single-day pass, adds dedicated entry lanes, a lounge with seating, live audio and video feeds from the main stages, a water refill station, air-conditioned restrooms and guest services.
- Capital Club, the top tier, adds a raised main-stage viewing platform, an air-conditioned lounge, fast-track entry, daily re-entry, all-inclusive food and drinks, Wi-Fi and a merchandise fast lane.
- Camping is off site at Cal Expo, with car-and-tent or RV options, shuttle service to the festival, re-entry and a Wednesday pre-party.
- Hotel packages are offered through JamPack.
How to choose: VIP is mainly about shorter lines, shade and better restrooms, which matter more on a hot afternoon than at night. Capital Club is the only tier that solves the sightline problem for the headliner, because of the raised platform. Demand is uneven across the four days; the night with the biggest headliner usually sells strongest, so a single-day pass for a lighter night is the most flexible way in.
Getting to Discovery Park
Parking at the park itself is limited to a small number of accessible spaces, so most fans arrive another way. As of the 2026 edition:
- Park and Ride shuttle: a shuttle pass includes parking at Cal Expo (1600 Exposition Boulevard) and a nonstop shuttle to and from the site, entering by the Garden Highway gate. It is the simplest option for anyone driving in.
- Rideshare: the main pickup zone is on Jibboom Street at the south side of the park, near 500 Bercut Drive. Expect a walk across the bridge and surge pricing right after the headliner.
- Transit: SacRT light rail connects with supplemental bus service from the 8th and K stop to Jibboom Street. Gold Runner trains arrive at Sacramento Valley Station (401 I Street), about 1.7 miles from the gate, or a 35–40 minute walk.
- Bike valet: free on site, run by the Sacramento Area Bicycle Advocates, opening about 90 minutes before gates. It also takes skateboards and scooters.
- Park and walk: limited paid lots near Truxel Road and Mill Creek Drive, or West El Camino Avenue and Natomas Park Drive, sit about a 20-minute walk away.
Vehicles in the accessible lot can be held for up to 45 minutes after the show while pedestrians clear, so plan for a slow exit whichever way you travel.
Rules, bags and what to bring
Policies below are from the festival's 2026 information pages; check the current version on the Aftershock festival info page before you go.
- Age: all ages are admitted, but every attendee needs a full-price pass regardless of age, and the festival advises parental discretion because of mature content.
- Bags: clear bags up to 14 by 14 by 6 inches are allowed. Large backpacks, duffel bags and hydration packs such as CamelBaks are not.
- Re-entry: not permitted, except for campers with a camping wristband, JamPack hotel-package buyers and holders of a specific 4-day VIP package sold through Costco. Capital Club includes daily re-entry.
- Seating: no chairs, including inflatable loungers. Blankets are allowed in most areas.
- Water: free refill stations are spread around the grounds. Bring an empty refillable plastic bottle; metal bottles are not allowed.
- Payment: the site is cashless, taking cards, wristband payments and mobile wallets, with no reverse ATMs.
- Hours: gates are scheduled to open at 11 a.m. daily, subject to change.
Weather can swing either way. The 2023 edition ran during a heat wave and the festival added hydration stations, while 2025 brought rain and mud. Pack sunscreen and earplugs, and keep a light rain layer in your bag.
Stages and layout changes
The festival has adjusted its footprint several times. In 2024 it added a fifth stage, which made room for about 30 more bands. In 2025 it removed that stage over congestion and noise concerns and renamed the Jack Daniel's stage the Aftershock stage. For 2026 the five-stage setup returns, with the fifth stage in a separate area west of the Jibboom Street bridge.
For headliners, the crowd in front of the main stage fills hours before the closing set, and getting out of the park afterward takes time. If you want to be close, arrive during the early afternoon sets and stay put. If you would rather move between stages, a spot farther back and to the side keeps your exit path open.
Frequently asked questions
When is Aftershock 2026?
Aftershock 2026 runs Thursday through Sunday, October 1–4, 2026, at Discovery Park in Sacramento.
Does Aftershock sell single-day tickets?
Yes. GA, VIP and Capital Club are each sold as single-day passes, and GA is also sold as 2-day and 4-day passes.
Is Aftershock all ages?
Yes, but every attendee, whatever their age, needs a full-price pass. The festival advises parental discretion because of mature content.
Can you camp at Aftershock?
Camping is off site at Cal Expo, with car-and-tent and RV options. Camping passes include shuttle service to the festival and re-entry.
What size bag can I bring to Aftershock?
As of 2026, clear bags up to 14 by 14 by 6 inches are allowed. Large backpacks, duffel bags and hydration packs are prohibited, so check the current policy before you go.
How do I get to Aftershock without driving?
Use rideshare to the Jibboom Street zone, SacRT light rail with the supplemental bus from 8th and K, or the free bike valet. Park and Ride shuttles run from Cal Expo.