The Loud As Hell Open Air Festival will return to Drumheller, Alta., from July 31 to Aug. 2, 2026, with a lineup organizers say reinforces its position as a cornerstone of Canada’s extreme-music economy and a growing draw for tourism in the province’s Badlands.
Now entering its 14th edition, the outdoor heavy-metal gathering combines live music with camping, performance art and on-site vendors, attracting fans from across Canada and abroad. Set at the Dinosaurs Down Stampede grounds, the festival contributes to the local visitor economy through accommodation bookings, food and beverage sales, and related spending in the region.
Festival organizers announced that U.S. progressive death-metal band Fallujah will headline the closing night. The group is touring behind its sixth studio album, Xenotaph, released in June 2025. Colorado’s Allegaeon will close the second night, while Missouri-based Summoning the Lich is slated to headline opening night.
Other featured acts include Canadian performers such as Crimson Shadows and international touring artists like Edge of Paradise, alongside dozens of emerging bands. Organizers say the mix reflects the festival’s dual role as both a showcase for domestic talent and a platform for international touring circuits.
“Renowned for unleashing one of Western Canada’s most punishing festival experiences, Loud As Hell Open Air Festival returns with another year of crushing performances, freak shows, burlesque acts, clinics, vendors, and, naturally, dinosaurs,” organizers said in the announcement.
They added: “Loud As Hell isn’t just a festival; it’s a full-throttle celebration of metal chaos.”
Economic and cultural impact
Since launching in 2012, Loud As Hell has hosted hundreds of bands, helping build Canada’s reputation in niche global music markets such as technical death metal and underground heavy music. The event paused briefly in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but has since resumed annual operations.
Events like Loud As Hell play a key role in sustaining independent music ecosystems by providing performance opportunities and revenue streams outside major urban centres. Drumheller, located about 135 kilometres northeast of Calgary, is better known for its dinosaur fossil beds and tourism attractions, making the festival an example of cultural diversification for rural economies.
Weekend passes for the 2026 event are currently on sale through the festival’s website, granting access to all performances and on-site camping.
Beyond headliners, the festival will feature more than 40 acts across multiple days, including Vancouver’s Iron Kingdom, Toronto’s Selias, and international performers such as Austria’s Hog Meets Frog. Organizers say the programming strategy balances established names with developing artists, helping build career pathways in the independent music sector.
In addition to concerts, Loud As Hell includes burlesque shows, circus-style performances and merchandise vendors — creating multiple revenue streams and extending visitor dwell time.
Tourism draw and industry recognition
The festival has gained recognition in both music and mainstream media, reflecting its economic and cultural footprint.
“Located an hour and a half east of Calgary is the town of Drumheller, Alberta. With a population in the neighborhood of 8000 and existing smack dab in the middle of Canada’s desert and dinosaur country, it’s not a place one would immediately associate with any sort of metal scene, let alone a big-ass outdoor metal fest. But that’s where you’d be wrong. Going into its 11th year, the Loud as Hell Festival is set to roll on August 4-6th with the likes of Narcotic Wasteland, Jungle Rot and Incite headlining three days of metallic fun featuring 40 or so bands, including The Convalescence, Gorgatron, Necronomicon, Untimely Demise, Eyes of Perdition and more.” – Decibel Magazine
“Western Canada’s loudest heavy metal festival brings fans to town more known for dinos than drum solos.” – CBC Calgary
“What’s more metal than the badlands? Drumheller, AB, is known for being the dinosaur capital of the world — but it’s also the home of the Loud as Hell festival, an event celebrating none other than the loudest music known to man (and, by proxy, prehistoric reptile).” – Exclaim!
“Loud as Hell – one of Canada’s top underground metal festivals – was a metal family reunion. If you walked around the grounds, where tents covered the landscape like flowers, you would experience concert goers laughing, hugging and just enjoying the moment. The music played non-stop and the people were some of the best you’ll meet. What else do you need? If you’re a metalhead fan, mark it down for next year because this is a concert you don’t want to miss.” – Blackfalds Life
“Headbanger alert: Loud As Hell festival to ramp up the volume” – Calgary Herald
“Nevermind the bug spray and sun tan lotion, as August approaches Drumheller residents should stock up on earplugs.” – Calgary Herald
“Loud As Hell returns to the southern Alberta city for its seventh year and as its name implies, will rock the city to its core.” – Calgary Herald
“Loud as Hell has celebrated eight years in the Badlands to date, with acts from all over the world-shattering the peace and quiet of the hills in a camping and music extravaganza.” – Hanna Herald
“Drumheller with its dinosaur bones is the site of the annual Loud as Hell heavy metal festival Friday through Sunday. Dozens of the heaviest bands known to Man will be taking the stage, many of them Canadian” – Gig City
Outlook
With its blend of international touring acts, Canadian performers and destination tourism appeal, Loud As Hell continues to illustrate how niche cultural events can deliver economic impact beyond major metropolitan centres. For Drumheller and Alberta’s Badlands, the festival represents both a tourism driver and a key fixture in Canada’s independent music business calendar.