On 5 and 6 June the Il Tiro Sports Center in Martinengo hosted the fourteenth edition of Rock in Riot, a now consolidated event in the Bergamo music scene. Born as an independent festival with free entry, over the years Rock in Riot has managed to carve out an important space for itself among events dedicated to alternative sounds, maintaining an authentic spirit and a strong focus on the national and international underground scene.
The 2026 edition also proposed a heterogeneous line-up, capable of crossing different languages of contemporary rock: from punk to hardcore, from metalcore to psychedelia, up to desert rock suggestions.
The evening of Friday 5 June opened with i The Last Confidencea band from Bergamo that blends emo and punk in a direct and engaging sound. Their intense melodies and live energy represented the ideal starting point for an evening of more aggressive sounds.
Afterwards, I took the stage Waves in Autumnanother reality in the Bergamo area. The group offers a powerful and modern metalcore, characterized by incisive riffs, breakdowns and a strong stage presence that was able to conquer the audience present.
Then there's room for them Jagueroa band from Vicenza that in recent years has made itself known in the Italian independent scene thanks to a mixture of punk rock, emo and noise influences. Their compositions recall the alternative attitude of the nineties, reinterpreted with a personal and contemporary style.
Closing the first day were the British Last Houndsmaking their debut on Italian stages. Coming from the English Midlands, they offer hardcore punk contaminated by crossover elements, capable of combining aggression, immediate refrains and great live impact.
Saturday 6 June instead explored more psychedelic and atmospheric sound territories. The star guests of the edition were the Americans Yawning Manauthentic pioneers of Californian desert rock. Their music, made up of broad instrumental openings and evocative soundscapes, represented one of the most anticipated moments of the festival.
Performed next to them Softsuna project born from the meeting between Gary Arce and Pia Isaksen. The duo intertwines shoegaze, post-rock and psychedelia creating dreamy and immersive atmospheres that transported the audience on an evocative sound journey.
Great attention also for Cancervoa band originally from Val Brembana that over the years has built a solid reputation in the Italian psych-doom scene. Their dark and hypnotic sounds, influenced by Seventies rock, added depth and character to the second evening.
Opening the second day of the festival were Thomas Greenwood & The Talismana neo-psychedelic project linked to the Lake Iseo area. The band combines western, folk and psychedelic influences in an original proposal full of cinematic suggestions.
With eight bands from Italy, the United Kingdom and the United States, Rock in Riot 2026 confirmed its international vocation and the ability to offer a refined artistic proposal, keeping alive that independent spirit that has represented the beating heart of the festival for fourteen editions.
Click here to see photos of Rock in Riot 2026 or browse the gallery below:
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
