Two-day festival returns to Armstrong on July 17–18 with Rivers of Nihil, Dying Fetus, Into Eternity and more
Armstrong MetalFest is set to return to British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley this weekend, with organizers preparing to welcome metal fans from across Canada and the United States for what is being billed as the festival’s most powerful lineup to date.
Now in its 16th year, the annual event will take place July 17–18 at Hassen Arena in Armstrong, B.C., featuring co-headliners Rivers of Nihil and Dying Fetus alongside a roster of established and emerging acts from across North America. Organizers say the festival will once again combine live music, camping, community activities and fan experiences that have helped transform the event into one of Canada’s premier heavy metal gatherings.
Festival passes provide access to the grounds, arena and camping area from Friday morning through Sunday morning, with free camping included for attendees.
Progressive and Technical Metal Take Centre Stage on Opening Night
Friday’s program will be headlined by Reading, Pennsylvania-based progressive death metal group Rivers of Nihil. The band has become one of the most influential names in modern extreme metal, earning widespread recognition after the release of Where Owls Know My Name, which charted on the Billboard 200.
Their latest release, the self-titled Rivers of Nihil (2025), marks a new chapter for the band with an updated lineup and an evolving musical direction.
Joining them on the opening night bill is San Francisco’s Cyborg Octopus, known for blending progressive metalcore with jazz, funk, electronic music and experimental rock influences. The group has built a reputation for technically demanding performances and genre-defying songwriting.
Also featured on Friday is Fervence, a progressive metalcore act originally formed in Reno, Nevada, and now based in Austin, Texas. Following a recent signing with Metal Blade Records, the band continues to gain momentum through a combination of atmospheric soundscapes and emotionally driven songwriting.
Other performers scheduled for Friday include Iron Kingdom, Lycanthro, W.M.D., Syryn, Nameless King, Frosthymn, Die Another Day, Pharm, Muscle Crowe, Shotgun Divine and Skeksis.
Dying Fetus Headlines Saturday’s Closing Program
Saturday’s lineup will culminate with a headline performance from American death metal veterans Dying Fetus. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in extreme metal, the band brings a catalogue spanning nine studio albums and a reputation for intense, technically precise live performances.
Supporting the second day of the festival is Regina-based Into Eternity, one of Canada’s most recognized progressive and melodic death metal bands. The group is currently completing a new studio album, its first with returning vocalist Stu Block since rejoining the band.
Also appearing Saturday is Oregon’s Vintersea, whose music combines melodic death metal, atmospheric post-metal elements and blackened influences inspired by the Pacific Northwest landscape.
Additional performers on day two include Odinfist, Wych, Art of Attrition, The Judge The Juror, Brain Stem, Gregorious, Empalement, Broken Crow, Daniel Martin & The Infamous and The Collapse.
More Than Music: Festival Activities and Community Experience
Beyond the concert stages, attendees can participate in several fan-focused attractions, including the Yeti Games, Metal Madness Market and Thrash Wrestling.
Organizers are also encouraging festival-goers planning to camp on-site to reserve RV and vehicle camping spaces in advance. Vehicle passes are required for those staying within the designated camping area, while attendees parking in the main lot outside the campground do not require an additional vehicle permit.
The event has become known not only for its music programming but also for its strong sense of community. Since launching in 2009, Armstrong MetalFest has welcomed hundreds of local and international acts while helping support the growth of Western Canada’s metal scene.
The festival is produced by West Metal Entertainment, a non-profit society that organizes live music events throughout the region and supports all-ages performances aimed at encouraging musical participation among youth and adults.
A Festival with a Growing National Reputation
Over the years, Armstrong MetalFest has hosted major metal acts including Kataklysm, Archspire, Cattle Decapitation, Origin, Warbringer, Beyond Creation, Havok and Born of Osiris, helping establish the event as a destination festival for heavy music fans.
The festival has received praise from media outlets across Canada. The Vancouver Sun described it as “It’s one of the premier festivals of its kind in Canada, showcasing the biggest names in local, national, and international heavy metal music.”
Reflecting on the 2025 edition, Stan Schinners of Broken Neck Radio and Absolute Underground Magazine wrote:
“To close the night and the weekend, Born of Osiris delivered a high-octane headline set that tore the roof off. It was the perfect finale to an unforgettable weekend. When the last note rang out, it hit us — AMF 2025 was coming to a close. There’s always that bittersweet feeling as you start packing up. But that’s the beauty of this festival: it stays with you long after the amps cool down. Every year, Armstrong Metalfest brings together a community that truly loves heavy music. It’s not just about bands and beer — it’s about belonging. The friends you make, the moments you live, the memories that stick — they’re why we keep coming back. If you’ve never been to AMF, consider this your sign. It’s more than a music festival—it’s a metal rite of passage. Once you go, it gets into your blood. We’re already counting the days until the next one.”
With a lineup that spans progressive metal, death metal, melodic metal and emerging underground acts, Armstrong MetalFest 2026 is poised to deliver another major summer event for Canada’s heavy music community while reinforcing its reputation as one of the country’s leading destination metal festivals.