Top 10 bands you must watch at Desertfest London 206

Hail the riff. Year after year, in the heart of London’s alternative capital, Camden Town, Desertfest London provides a lineup catering the weird, wonderful and obtusely heavy sounds of stoner, doom, sludge and psych. And 2026’s lineup is no different; with some top tier talent on offer over the course of the festival’s three days. With four stages, and a wide breadth of sounds to discover, we dissect this year’s lineup, giving you ten bands you must watch if you’re attending Desertfest London 2026!

GREEN LUNG – The Roundhouse, Saturday – May 16th 

The meteoric ascendancy of GREEN LUNG has been one of the biggest success stories for British metal this decade, and in a real rags to riches story, it’s fitting that the band’s biggest show of their career to date lands at where it all started. Ten years ago, at the 2016 edition of the festival, the seeds were sown to form the band that would evolve into the powerhouse that sits atop Saturday’s billing. Under the grand backdrop of The Roundhouse, there is great anticipation to see how the band elevate their stage show to a level previously uncharted. Granted, we’ve seen glimpses at what the band can deploy under the lights of a bigger stage – Manchester’s excellent showcase at The Ritz last year is testament to that – but at Desertfest London, we can only anticipate an even bigger blockbuster conclusion to Saturday’s action, soundtracked by a band that simply world class at delivering anthemic heavy metal.

WITCHSORROW – The Underworld, Friday – May 15th 

Desertfest London is uniquely poised to spotlight the capital’s vibrant heavy rock scene, with every iteration of the festival littered with numerous homegrown talent, both established and emerging. Landing on the former, WITCHSORROW are one such band. For just over two decades, the band have been staple of the UK’s doom scene, and Desertfest London 2026 marks their triumphant return. Eight years has passed since their last record, 2018’s wicked Hexenhammer, and and with new album The Devil and All His Works on the horizon, expect to experience the triumphant return of one of UK doom’s heavyweights.

ABRAMS – The Black Heart, Saturday – May 16th 

Denver, Colorado’s ABRAMS have become a firm favourite in stoner and heavy rock circles, thanks to a wicked fusion of post-hardcore and heavy alt-rock. The quartet have been steadily consistent in their 13 year career, with 2024’s Blue City being a particularly wonderful effort. Two years on from that stellar effort, and armed with Loon – a record that reflects the utter chaos of these times – the band make their long-awaited European debut, which of course, includes Desertfest London. With a buzz about them, expect The Black Heart to be heaving by the the time they take to the stage on Saturday evening, but those who make the patient wait will be duly rewarded.

BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT – The Underworld, Sunday – May 17th

There’s been something brewing in the water surrounding BLACKWATER HOLYLIGHT for some time now. The Portland, Oregon-based band’s juxtapositions of dreamy and psychedelic trip inducing soundscapes with a thundering doomy bedrock has resulted in a considerable surge in popularity over the course of their decade long career. This year has seen the band soar to their greatest heights yet, with this year’s Not Here Not Gone being heralded across the board, and it poises the band to make a triumphant return to Desertfest London, headlining The Underworld on the final day, eight years after their festival debut.

TRUCKFIGHTERS – The Roundhouse, Sunday – May 17th 

Swedish stoner rock duo TRUCKFIGHTERS are Desertfest royalty, having performed numerous times over the course of festival’s storied history, not just in the UK, but across the festival’s various iterations across Europe and New York. The Swedes have a wicked sound, and a tenacity for delivering an abundance of fuzzy, riffy goodness and the scene has lapped it up and then some. TRUCKFIGHTERS command serious respect and their appearance at Desertfest London isn’t a rarity, 2026 will mark the band’s fifth appearance at the festival and it’s a match made in heaven. Fresh from the release of their new album, Masterflow, and their first for a decade, Sunday at Desertfest London will bask in the TRUCKFIGHTERS fuzz. We can’t wait.

INHUMAN NATURE – The Roundhouse, Saturday – May 16th 

Desertfest London loves a curveball. Whether it’s SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, CANCER BATS, or indeed INHUMAN NATURE, the weekend in the capital is far from being one tricky pony. Granted, given their bedrock in doom and heavy rock, this allows for more eclectic bookings than say a more death metal-focused affair, but there can still be wildcards. Four years ago at Desertfest London, London’s crossover thrashers INHUMAN NATURE turned The Black Heart into a warzone of flailing bodies and banging heads, four years later, and they return. Tasked with opening The Roundhouse on day two, it’s a tougher task, but if any band are capable of blowing off the cobwebs of the night before, it’s them. Expect a cacophony of wicked, pit-inducing metal.

HÄLLAS – The Underworld, Friday – May 15th 

Year on year, much of the music on offer at Desertfest can pay homage to the vintage flair of heavy metal and hard rock’s foundational decades, and Swedish outfit HÄLLAS are ready to roll back the years as they headline The Underworld on Friday. For 15 years, the band have been forging and cultivating their craft; a mix of 1970s prog and heavy metal against their own fantasy lore. The result? Adventurous, harmonious twin guitars, vintage synths and enough hooks to keep us singing long into the night. They make their Desertfest debut in good form, buoyed by this year’s Panorama, and we just know that Star Rider will conjure one of the biggest singalongs of the entire festival. Adventure awaits!

GNOME – The Electric Ballroom, Friday – May 15th 

Part of metal’s charm is the fact, for the most part, our world doesn’t take itself too seriously. And with enough comedic flare to poke at themselves without divulging too far into being labelled a gimmick, Belgium’s GNOME are an intriguing proposition indeed. Whimsical and silly themes and garden gnome associated headwear is there to crack a smile, but there is some wicked musicianship on offer from the trio. The stoner community has welcomed them with open arms and three years since their last visit to Desertfest London, GNOME return to entertain and dazzle on Friday’s billing at The Electric Ballroom. And with their excellent latest album, 2024’s Vestiges of Verumex Visidrome, behind them, we can expect one hell of a good time to see us into the evening on day one.

CLUTCH – The Roundhouse, Sunday – May 17th 

CLUTCH are the definition of a good time. For over the three decades, the Maryland rockers have built their legacy of a riff-laden thrillfest, delivering thirteen records in the process and establishing themselves as firm favourites on festival billings across the planet. Considering their position and being revered as a pioneer for stoner rock, it’s staggering that the band have not graced Desertfest London until now. But, as they say, good things happen for those who wait and 2026 sees CLUTCH land the opportunity to draw the curtain on the entire festival, closing Sunday’s second day at The Roundhouse. In what looks to be a masterstroke of a booking, expect an absolute party and general great vibe as Desertfest London closes with an utter celebration off the riff; soundtracked by CLUTCH. What more can you want?

FORLORN – The Dev, Sunday – May 17th

Carving out their unique approach to ‘folk horror’, Southern UK metallers FORLORN are a firm favourite of ours at Distorted Sound HQ. Straddling a sound that mixes post-metal, prog and pagan-led ethereal atmospherics, spearheaded by powerhouse frontwoman Megan Jenkins, the band are a fierce prospect. They’ve cut their teeth on the live circuit after creating initial momentum in the COVID years, and armed with their debut album – 2025’s Aether – the band are set to make their Desertfest debut. Against the intimate confines of the festival’s smallest stage, The Dev, expect an utterly ferocious and spellbinding performance from one of our own.

And that rounds off our top 10 recommendations for this year’s Desertfest London. Of course, this is just a glimpse of the wealth of talent on off over the course of the the weekend. We’ll see you down the front. Hail the riff.

Desertfest London takes place from May 15th – May 17th, 2026 across Camden, London. Tickets are available now and can be purchased here.

For more information on Desertfest London like their official page on Facebook.