Article by Alessandro Ubaldi | Photo by Giada Stanzian
Four days, hundreds of concerts, between one stage and another, a heat that at times seemed all too consistent with the name of the festival and an energy of the people that never waned.
The edition ofHellfest 2026 it closes leaving that nostalgic feeling of someone returning home; legs in pieces and head still full of notes and distortions.
In Clisson, from the morning of the first day, you can breathe an atmosphere that is difficult to find in other places: the attention to detail in the theming, Hellcity which fills between food, drinks, shops, book signings, games and endless events.
That feeling of a united community is built before the bands even hit the stage. Clisson is the perfect city and has festivals that work because it creates a sense of family, not just a line-up.
And what a line-up! Four days that mixed different generations and genres: from the historical music of Deep Purple And Megadeth capable of enchanting younger fans and those who have followed them for decades alike, until the moving farewell of the Burial after years of career.
In between, moments that will remain memorable from this edition: Will Ramos who emerges from the crowd to sing with the Bring Me The Horizonthe singer of House Of Protection who performs thirty meters high on the roof of MainStage 1, the moving tribute to Ozzy Osbourne between fireworks and ten minutes of video accompanied by audience singing.
The heat, it must be said, was a protagonist in all respects of this edition. The cold beers, the fire hoses of the staff on the audience at the most critical moments, the singers who joke about the name of the festival suddenly becoming too literal and even the final fireworks canceled due to the extreme temperatures, will make 2026 remembered as the year in which Hellfest lived up to its name.
But as always, it is the public, the true common thread of these days, not only French, but fully international.
An audience capable of throwing vegetables in the air during the set Die Spitzto organize relay races in the center of the pit during the The Hivesto build the festival's largest circle pit for the Malevolence making their debut on the Hellfest stage.
An audience that has proven, once again, to be the ingredient that makes this festival different from any other: always an active part of the show.
None of this would have been possible without the masterful work of the staff who allowed the public to let loose safely. Special thanks go to them who were always ready to refresh or recover us during crowd surfing.
Among the moments that will remain in the collective memory for the longest time there are certainly the performances of Papa Roachwith the singer's son taking to the stage, that romantic note of the Loathe at sunset, the epic nature of Sabaton with their tank and a festival finale split between The Offspring, Mayhem And Downcapable of bringing together completely different tastes at the same time.
Right at the end, the news that left everyone speechless, more than any fireworks display: theHellfest 2027 will return to Clisson, but with ten stages and over three hundred bands.
An expansion that promises to further redefine the balance of an already unforgettable festival and which suggests an edition capable of surpassing any other world festival.
You return home tired, burned, with your ears still ringing and the certainty that, no matter how much you go to festivals all over Europe, there is only one Hellfest and that is Clisson.
See all the Hellfest photo galleries
- Hellfest 2026 first day photos – click here
- Hellfest 2026 photos from day two – click here
- Hellfest 2026 photos from day three – click here
- Hellfest 2026 photos from day four – click here
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
