Beermageddon 2026 – A Preview
Beermageddon 2026 – A Preview
27-30/08/2026
Stoke Prior Sports and Country Club, Bromsgrove
By Beth Morait
Well, it’s late July and festival season is in full swing! This year has been a washout for me, gig wise, so I am more than looking forward to my favourite festival of the year – Beermageddon 2026. As grassroots festivals go, this one is, in my opinion, the absolute peak! It’s more than just a festival. It’s a great big family reunion where friendship, care, and connection stands above all else. When I pull up to the gates of Stoke Prior Club, I feel like I’m home.
Sadly, we’ve been jinxed by circumstance a few times now when it’s been time for Beermageddon. The ‘Caravan had an argument with the garage door’ incident a couple of years back kind of sums up our luck (my bank account is still reeling – never by a dodgy van off Facebook Marketplace is the lesson there!). But we are determined to make this year, new caravan in tow! So, what does the festival have in store for us? Let’s find out!
The Bands
This year’s lineup is looking stellar as always, with a good mix of genres at the heavier end of the scale. It all starts on the Friday evening, because Thursday, and most of Friday daytime is full of lots of other stuff – more on that later.
Birmingham-based Higher Statehave the task of kicking off this years’ live music, bringing some absolute filth to Stoke Prior from the get-go. They’re a new name on me, but checking out their Spotify, it’s Groove-laden Metalcore that is going to shatter your ribcage.
Deathfiendare up next, and the clue is in the name really – Old School Death Metal with some sludge for good measure, again hailing from Birmingham. I’ve got to be honest; I’m not the biggest Death Metal fan. But maybe these guys will change my mind – watch this space.
Friday will see two co-headliners too – Symbyote and Kensei. The former are Deathcore hard hitters from London, who won the London leg of BOA Metal 2The Masses last year. Kensei, on the other hand, are another tribe from the West Midlands, strengthening the Black Country vibe even more here! They’re a Melodic Death/ groove band, who were also victorious in Metal 2 The Masses, in Birmingham 2024. These dual headliners with make sure that Friday goes out with a bang, and that we’re all suitably fucked up by the time Saturday arrives!!
Saturday delves into some Thrash aggression to get things going, with up-and-coming West Midlands Old-School Crossover band, Thrash Mob, who will be here hot off the heels of their BOA New Blood Stage performance, after they won this year’s Nuneaton M2TM! They don’t yet have much recorded material to check out, but from the snippet I’ve seen on their Facebook, they’re definitely going to wake people up!
Sheffield’s Fakeout are coming to smother us in heavy sludgy Metalcore next. These guys are also fairly new, so I’ve not been able to check them out fully, but from the track I played on Spotify, they’re pure filth perfect for a Saturday lunchtime!
After that it’s back to some Thrash, with family favourites, ThrasherWolf! Old School Thrash, with all the pace and power you’d expect, I think these guys will have the whole place up and moving very quickly, and any Friday hangovers will be long forgotten about!
If you’re still feeling like you need more Thrash, don’t worry, because Struck A Nerveare next. They lean more towards the Death/ Hardcore end of the spectrum though, because we absolutely need to ramp up the heavy by this point in the day, when all of us older rockers are starting to nurse injuries from standing up for too long! Things are going to get messy in this set, I fear! Checking them out on Spotify gave me visions of aggressive pitting and flying beer, and I will be sorely disappointed should they not come to fruition!
I did a little happy dance when I saw the next name on the bill – one of my favourites – Bloodyard. Now, given what I said earlier about not being the biggest fan of Death Metal, you’d likely think this is a weird favourite choice for me. But there’s something about this band that I just love – it’s not your normal Death Metal. It’s got a bit of everything chucked in. And Frontwoman, Donna, is someone I class as an idol. Amazing vocals, amazing sportswoman, and all-round epic human!
Agronaare taking the penultimate band of the day slot this year. They’re Black Metallers from the Land of My Fathers, Welsh Wales! I saw them here at Beermageddon in 2022, and they certainly made the room into a Black Metal lagoon back then. It will be good to see them again!
Saturday headlines, Stahlsarg continue the Black Metal end to the day, bringing their war-inspired historical themed darkness to a warm and probably damp room in Bromsgrove. It’s going to get soupy in there! These sombre entities have been kicking it since 2012, and they played Beermageddon back in 2022, so they’re well-versed on the stage, and will be well received here again I have no doubt!
The final day of Beermageddon this year is another packed schedule, and the day I’m really looking forward to! Oskariaopen the proceedings. They’re (according to Google) a cavernous Death-infused Doom Metal trio based in Bristol! I’ve been to Bristol and I can fully understand why they chose that genre… I’m not massive on Doom, but I’ll give it a go!
Dark Remnantsare up next! These guys are a brand-new band from Scotland, who play Death Metal that leans into Metalcore. I do like new blood, so I’m looking forward to hearing them in the flesh.
Next up, it’s the turn of Birmingham Metalcore Punks, Dead Mob, who last played here in 2021, and will bring a shit ton of energy and aggression to the room. These guys were a late addition to the bill, but certainly a welcome one!
Then we have the mighty Fractions. They have been doing their version of Progressive Metal for a long time now, and I’ve seen them a good few times in various places. The last time I saw them was in Rebellion Manchester, and the entire gig was a wash of red light – it looked amazing to the naked eye… but as a photographer it was my worst nightmare! Sound-wise though, they always deliver and I can’t wait to see them again.
Kill All The Gentlemencontinue the heavy for a Sunday afternoon, bringing Melodic Death/ Groove Metal all the way from Devon! Again, this is another band I haven’t yet seen live, but have heard a lot about, so I’m looking forward to checking them out!
The penultimate band at Beermageddon 2026 is Liverpool’s Devils Henchmen. These Grungy Thrash Crossover merchants formed around a decade ago and have built a great following. It will be my first time seeing them live, and I can’t wait. The energy in that room will be electric!
And so, to the closing band. This year, it’s none other than the mighty UK Thrash legends, Xentrix!!! I don’t need to say any more. There will be much mayhem! What a perfect way to end this mighty fine weekend.
Everything Else
The bands are, of course, the star of the show. But Beermageddon has so much more to offer than that. Namely, the Thursday Night Cheesy Metal Disco, Beermageddon Task Master, kids and adults Fancy Dress competitions, Jammageddon, a Hand Fasting ceremony, and of course, the family photo! This, coupled with the stalls and food stands, who come back year on year to keep us full of food as well as Metal, makes Beermageddon my favourite place to be on August bank holiday weekend.
There are still a few tickets left, so get them now before it’s too late!
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Disclaimer: This preview is solely the property of Beth Morait and Ever Metal. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this preview, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
