Sonic Temple 2026 Just Dropped Their Full Set Times and It's Stacked

If you've been holding your Sonic Temple tickets waiting to figure out how to navigate four days and 140 bands, the wait is over. The festival just released the full set times for their 2026 edition and it's time to start planning.

Sonic Temple 2026 takes over Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio from May 14 through 17. This year they've expanded to five stages, which means over 30 additional bands compared to previous years. That's a lot of ground to cover, so having the set times locked in this early is a huge move for anyone trying to avoid conflicts.

The Day-by-Day Breakdown

Thursday, May 14 is going to be absolute chaos. My Chemical Romance headlines the opening night with Pierce the Veil and Breaking Benjamin serving as primary support. MCR hasn't released an album since Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys back in 2010, but the energy around this band right now is undeniable. They dropped their first single in a decade, "The Foundations of Decay," in 2022, and recent mysterious social media posts have fans buzzing about a possible new album. Regardless, a headlining MCR set is going to be something special.

Friday, May 15 belongs to Shinedown, with The Offspring and Staind on primary support. Saturday, May 16 sees Bring Me the Horizon at the top with Good Charlotte and Marilyn Manson as support. Then Sunday, May 17 closes it all out with Tool headlining, backed by Godsmack and Megadeth. I'll be real, picking just one day to attend would be painful.

The Conflicts Are Going to Hurt

With five stages running simultaneously, set time conflicts are inevitable. That's the price you pay for a lineup this deep. Beyond the headliners, you've got Sublime, Rise Against, Coheed and Cambria, Lamb of God, Body Count ft. Ice-T, Simple Plan, Anthrax, Dethklok, Tom Morello, Motion City Soundtrack, Thrice, and a ton more all scattered across the schedule. Honestly, you're going to need a spreadsheet.

Don't Miss the Special Sets

Now that set times are out, a few performances really stand out as must-sees. Megadeth and Sepultura are both making farewell tour stops at the festival, so these are genuinely some of the last chances you'll have to see either band. Body Count is making their Sonic Temple debut, and Hawthorne Heights and Mushroomhead get home state performances in Ohio.

There are also some killer anniversary sets to plan around. Flyleaf with Lacey Sturm is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their self-titled album. DragonForce marks 20 years of Inhuman Rampage. Saliva is doing the 25th anniversary of Every Six Seconds. And The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus celebrates 20 years of Don't You Fake It. These are the kind of sets where you know the band is bringing something extra.

Beyond the Music

While you're mapping out your set time schedule, factor in some time for everything else. The festival has Art Towers and Art Walls with live, large-scale installations. There's The Caduceus Wine Garden featuring selections from Caduceus Cellars and Merkin Vineyards, both owned by Tool's Maynard James Keenan. And The Dive Bar is back as the fan-favorite hangout with pop-up performances and surprise appearances. That last one is worth keeping on your radar between sets.

Get Your Passes

Passes are on sale now, including Single Day, 4-Day GA, GA Plus, VIP, Rock Royalty packages with meet-and-greets, Suite Life passes for groups of 10, and even Student GA Single Day passes. You can grab them at sonictemplefestival.com/passes for as low as $1 down on layaway with over six months to pay in full. That's a pretty easy way to lock it in.

Honestly, now that set times are live, this just became very real. Four days, five stages, 140 bands. Start building your schedule now because once you're on the ground in Columbus, you're going to wish you had a plan. Don't sleep on this one.

Cover photo courtesy of Ticketmaster