Fortress Festival announce four more bands for 2026
Fortress Festival have announced four new bands for next year’s festival!
Following last month’s announcement, which saw AKERCOCKE and WHOREDOM RIFE confirmed, now, another four bands have been announced for next year’s black metal festival in Scarborough.
Leading the charge in the new announcement is British progressive black metallers A FOREST OF STARS, who make a return show, while Dutch black metallers OSSAERT will perform a worldwide exclusive set. Also confirmed, in their UK debuts, is German black metallers TOTENWACHE and French black metallers DARKENHÖLD.
Speaking about the new announcement, Gary Stephenson, founder of Fortress Festival, says, “obtaining the rarest and most exclusive bookings from the dark corners of the world that you cannot see anywhere else is what Fortress Festival is all about. So I am very excited to share the news that OSSAERT will perform their only live show for the foreseeable future in North Yorkshire next year. We welcome TOTENWACHE and DARKENHÖLD, both of whom will perform in the UK for the very first time at Fortress. We also, finally, welcome back A FOREST OF STARS, who will perform something special for us in the Grand Hall.”
A FOREST OF STARS says, “greetings! We are so proud to be playing Fortress Festival. After being sequestered away for some time on charges of gross incompetence (upheld), we are pleased as punch to be returning to the live stage to make a mad shambling fool of our collective selves. It is especially appropriate that we should re-emerge during Fortress 2026, considering the debts we owe for having to shamefully cancel our performance previous, and we hope to take this opportunity to either a) make some vague amends or b) remind of you of why we shouldn’t be let out on our own at any cost whatsoever.”
OSSAERT adds, “Fortress Festival! After three years of sorrow and repentance, behold, for my return will come.. I foresaw not that I should once again deliver mine own flesh unto the scourge of affliction; yet, there is no rest for the wicked. It’s an honour to be presenting these blasphemous rites in the presence of fellow artists and sinners who have for many years broken the boundaries of black metal and walked proudly the path of rebellion for these dark arts. I’ll cherish this with pride, and we rejoice I’ll partake, and add my voice, cries and hatred to this legacy in the form of a second sacrament. behold! This shall be the sole offering of OSSAERT in the year of 2026.
May our chants of blasphemy and our rites of sacrilege ascend as incense unto the multitude, and sound forth mightily in the courts of Scarborough.
“..For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
-Revelation 6:17″
Fortress Festival takes place at Scarborough Spa, Scarborough from May 30th – May 31st 2026. Tickets are available now and can be purchased here.
For more information on the festival like their official page on Facebook.
