Tour (and festival) update: Dark Mofo Festival, Thrashville, Avatar, Escape the Fate and more

By BRIAN GIFFIN

FIRST up for this update, as already reported here, Polish death metal gods Vader have postponed their Australian visit until November. As also mentioned previously, Trixter‘s tour has been cancelled, setting off shockwaves of recriminations, allegations and counter-allegations between touring parties and the promoter, most spectacularly stirred up by Tuff singer Stevie Rachelle’s post on his website Metal Sludge.

In happier news, Hobart’s dark culture and art festival returns, and LA punk legends and NOLA pioneers are touring for the first time.

Dark Mofo has announced its full program of events for the festival’s return in June. Among the musical acts appearing at this year’s ten-day Winter Solstice celebrations will be modern thrash luminaries Power Trip, Oklahoma’s sludge noise unit Chat Pile, Japanese psychedelic rockers Acid Mothers Temple, Kenyan experimental metal performer Lord Spikeheart, Test from Brazil and psych rock revivalists The Black Angels. The festival’s metal showcase Hymns to the Dead will feature Sweden’s Goth metal pioneers Taimat along with Negative Plain, Emasculator and Grave Upheaval. Ticketing information and the full Dark Mofo program are available from the festival website.

JUNE 11 – 22: Hobart

The Hunter Valley’s annual celebration of guitar-drenched noise is also back. Thrashville 2026 has already sold out of its early bird sales for its program of punk, metal and rock headed up this year by unassailable hardcore legends Fear. The Bennies, Disentomb, Dregg, Hybrid Nightmares, Turtle Skull, Good Sniff, Private Wives, Catpiss, Couch Wizard, Purple Disturbance, Pyrefly, Whisperhead, Shacked!, Happy Fuckin’ Family, Immortal Within and I Hate People make up the bill. Tickets at website.

JUNE 27: Lower Belford, NSW

Sweden’s theatrical metal circus show Avatar returns after their hit debut tour in 2023. The band return with four shows in August. Tickets go on sale March 30.

AUGUST 26: Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide
AUGUST 28: Northcore Theatre, Melbourne
AUGUST 29: Manning Bar, Sydney
AUGUST 30: Princess Theatre, Brisbane

As noted above, LA punk legends Fear are touring Australia for the first time. John Belushi’s favourite band, who were banned forever from Saturday Night Live after inciting an on-air mosh, Fear will be touring in June.

JUNE 26: Marrickville Bowlo, Sydney
JUNE 27: Thrashville, Lower Belford
JUNE 28: La La Las, Wollongong
JULY 3: The Tote, Melbourne
JULY 4: Vinnies Dive Bar, Gold Coast
JULY 5: The Brightside, Brisbane

Also making an appearance on our shores this year is Black Flag, featuring their all-new line-up. Their first tour here since coming out for Mofo a while back, Black Flag will be on tour in May.

MAY 28: Corner Hotel, Melbourne
MAY 29: Crowbar, Sydney
MAY 30: Crowbar, Brisbane
MAY 31: Vinnies Dive Bar, Gold Coast

June will see the return of Vegas post-hardcore darlings Escape the Fate and Arizona’s metalcore stalwarts The Word Alive, touring Australia together. Tickets go on sale on April 1.

JUNE 5: Liberty Music Hall, Sydney
JUNE 6: Bar on the Hill, Newcastle
JUNE 7: Tivoli, Brisbane
JUNE 9: Magnet House, Perth
JUNE 11: The Gov, Adelaide
JUNE 12: The Wool Exchange, Geelong
JUNE 13: 170 Russell, Melbourne

Another legendary act making their debut Australian visit is NOLA sludge merchants Soilent Green. Tickets are available now for the tour in September.

SEPTEMBER 3: The Back Room, Brisbane
SEPTEMBER 4: Crowbar, Sydney
SEPTEMBER 5: Croxton Hotel, Melbourne