Synchronized headbanging, demonic possession, and immortal dictators are only a fraction of what Sonic Temple 2026 had to offer over the four-day festival. Even though we are somehow already over a week out from it, I’m still thinking about it all. The grounds were jam-packed (get it? Jam?) with people ready to rock their hearts out for an incredible 140+ band line-up. Attendance was astounding, with over 185 thousand festival goers over the weekend that had many begging the question, is Sonic Temple too big for Columbus, Ohio?
Predictably, there were issues with traffic to and from that had non-attendees bursting with fury. Or, so I’ve heard. In my experience, there was no more traffic than any other day driving down 315 South. Do I know roads less traveled, or am I just lucky? Maybe it was through virtue of not making it for when doors opened each day. Whatever the case, I always plan ahead and allow for extra time.
I’ll start with the negatives, which I think were standard for any outdoor event. Let’s talk hygiene. It’s impossible to maintain a standard of cleanliness with a metric fuckton of people in and out of bathroom areas, but the handwashing stations? Useless, because there was never any water. Nor was there any hand sanitizer in any of the port-a-potties I visited. Luckily for me, experienced in festivals and farmers markets, I had wet ones and hand sanitizers with me. The secret to a good bathroom experience, however, was to walk all the way to the far side of the stadium, where there were never any lines for those bathrooms and actual plumbing to boot. Second, the food prices were outrageous, with not a lot of vegan and vegetarian options clearly marked. Who wants to stand in a long line for overpriced food just to get there and figure out you can’t eat anything on the menu? But Skye, you say, you should expect high food costs at festivals! To that, I say, Why? Sonic Temple does not allow you to go in and out from the grounds as you please each day and it is frankly dangerous for the food cost to be that high when there are no other options. Just my two cents. At least they weren’t actually checking smaller sized clear bags so if you snuck in a protein bar or two, no one would know.
Really, do you want to hear me talk about the negatives all day? I could probably rant about the costs more, but I’ll just let you imagine what else I have to say about it. Food options aside, I don’t even have anything else critical to say. It’s not just my sunny disposition and easy-going manner, there were no real hangups that I had as an able-bodied person. The Cons weren’t enough to have me regretting any of the experience. I am making note to bring a higher SPF next year because there was absolutely no shade at the stages. Not even from the stage itself, given the way they were set up. There was, however, an amazing security crew who did their absolute best to pass out water on a regular basis between sets for those in the crowd who were staying for multiple sets.
If you had a gap of nothing, Sonic Temple had you covered! There were so many merchant booths and charity organizations to check out and get involved in. My favorite, and one I’ve been following since the Myspace Era, was To Write Love On Her Arms. In their booth there was a wall to write messages of hope and encouragement. Reading through those, it was hard to ignore the overwhelming positivity that the festival and vendors created. A place to really forget all the bullshit going on outside and just, like, BE.
There was also a wine bar featuring Caduceus Wine created by the singer from this little known band called Tool. Have you heard of them? While I didn’t imbibe, the bar had a relaxing atmosphere and looked upon the Art Walls that were happening at certain points each day during the festival. If you needed a moment to rest your eardrums or your feet, it was a hot spot. In all, there were so many options for those just looking to have a great time and get involved with the music and the art.
Spirit was definitely not lacking. Crowdsurfing, moshpits, and walls of death, oh my! I think I now have more experience with these than I ever did before in my life after my first Sonic Temple. The crowds were absolutely rowdy! It kept my energy up throughout the entire four days and maybe one day I’ll finally gather the courage to actually crowd surf. There’s always next year?
Let’s get to what you’re all here for. The lineup. If I wrote about every band I saw, we’d be here for days. Sticking with the notables, I had the absolute most pleasure to be standing at the Altar of Nekrogoblikon. God knows I love a good gimmick, especially when it’s for the love of the game. Maybe not so surprisingly, the goblin can sing and has incredible dance moves. Magnolia Park had been a huge selling point for me from the beginning and they totally delivered on, and even exceeded, my expectations. When you get to join in on a ‘Fuck Trump!’ chant AND surf the singer and guitarist back to the stage after moshing with the crowd, it’s hard not to be completely blown away by their whole… everything.
Hear me out, the nostalgia bait got me good. There are a few bands over the course of my life that I had felt I had grown out of, but it didn’t mean I didn’t stick around for a couple songs from Simple Plan and All Time Low. But even those were nothing compared to the blast from the past I got from Yellowcard. Sure, they opened with their new hope-core track “Better Days” (which definitely deserves its flowers), but they ended with “Ocean Avenue” and I, somehow, could still sing every word. Unfortunately, one nostalgia bait that I didn’t not see the appeal in anymore was Hawthorn Heights. It seems a little silly to expect energy from an emo band, but it was severely lacking for them. Despite being from Ohio, I think I’ve got to be a hater here.
It is just a fun fact that I can listen to basically any genre of music. From K-Pop to Pop-punk, to Metal and even country (pre-9/11), I think I could find something I’d like in all of it. There was literally something to satisfy every possible genre at Sonic Temple for me. If you saw someone in the crowd while Whitechapel played who looked like they were meditating, it was me. The guitars and screaming was enough to rattle my soul and vibrate the tension from my shoulders. Guys, I think I like death metal now?
Someone I had been dying to see and the actual reason I bought the pass for the festival was Bloodywood. I cannot and will not shut up about them. When they say they bring the fire and the fury, they mean it! India doesn’t have an appreciation for metal the way America does, though it is hard to understand why when Bloodywood sounds as good as they do. If you ever find yourself itching to hear a flute solo, please check them out.
Probably one of the more surprising acts I found myself enjoying was Sleep Token. Shit, I mean, Black Veil Brides. I always get the two confused, silly me. They’ve been on my radar since High School though I had never listened to more than a few songs until their most recent album, Vindicate, which came out just a few weeks ago. It isn’t often I come away from seeing a band live thinking, “Damn, I need to listen to them more”. Better late than never, I guess! Another band I hadn’t ever listened to though by all accounts I should have been a fan of, is the Wonder Years. And, though I don’t like bands exclusively for their politics, they had a lot to say about Disturbed, protecting trans kids, and genocide, which was ballsy enough that it convinced me to add them to my pop-punk rotation. It was just a breath of fresh air to know that there are bands still making speaking out on these issues a priority when other artists and celebrities stay silent to protect their money or personal comfort. There were other artists in attendance that spoke up about specific issues, but more than that, each artist I had the pleasure of sitting in for a set with had messages of love and treating people with kindness. Which is hilarious considering I also had never been encouraged as heavily to flip people off than by these same artists. My middle finger really got a workout that I usually reserve for cybertrucks. In all, I had a surprising amount of hope mixed in with all the growling, speaker shaking bass, and screaming.
In case you were wondering, I did stay for the headliners (except Shinedown, sorry not sorry), I was just saving them for last!
Reason being that they were really fucking good. I had the honor of seeing My Chemical Romance last year in New Jersey, so not much of their set was a surprise to me. Despite that, it was still really fucking amazing. My Chem are nothing if not performers and their fascist time-loop is the stuff of nightmares and jumpscares. While it isn’t hard to see why The Black Parade is their best selling album and the G-Note is the reason why people come to their concerts, I wish they had time to play more than just that and a handful of other songs. Don’t get it twisted, I absolutely sang Na Na Na (Na x9) and Vampire Money at the top of my lungs. I am but a humble Danger Days enthusiast and one day I Will get to see Planetary (GO!) live. (I’m begging).
In a surprisingly gory set, Bring Me the Horizon absolutely blew me away. Listen, I don’t often pay attention to the Lore Of It All, but you know… maybe I should. If I had, I’d understand why Oli Sykes was throwing p.u.s.s.-e. in FFVIII graphics. I’m all about the energy a band brings to their shows and between pulling a random fan onto the stage to sing and walking the barricade, it isn’t hard to see why BMTH has as loyal of a fanbase as they do. But, let me go back a second. That random fan they brought on stage? Absolutely fucking crushed it! I hope one day you can be on a stage like that for real, if you want, random fan.
Tool was absolutely the perfect choice for the Sunday Night Headliner. It might be a hot take, but after an exhausting four day and over being touched by crowds of strangers, it was such an awesome experience to just sit up in the stands and watch the lightshow while focused solely on the music. Which, I’d argue is the point of Tool, but I digress. An hour and a half to sit and meditate to Tool? In the dark? With a pleasant breeze? Definitely unforgettable.
Sonic Temple, you’ve proven to me that I’m still a dick…ted to live music.