With Desertfest London quickly approaching again this year, Camden prepares itself for another weekend of formidable, fuzzy riffs. Trading the avant-garde, contemporary sounds of last year’s Zeal & Ardor and Amenra for something more foundational, Desertfest 2026 delves deeper into the scene’s riff-heavy roots with stoner rock staples, Clutch, and occult rockers, Green Lung, taking the main headliner spots.
Though this year’s lineup is stacked with well-known and underground hard-hitters, it’s important to slow down and soak in the atmosphere just as much as the droning riffs of the event. When your soul needs a tactical retreat, the Desertfest experience continues beyond the stage. Make sure to explore the stands at Greenland Place, which will be packed with official merchandise, independent sellers, speciality beers, and even tattoo pop-ups for those looking to immortalise their devotion to the sabbath. For more introverted worshippers, a pilgrimage to Raven Records is almost mandatory. It’s a great spot to pick up shirts, patches, and any vinyl releases to spin once the feedback of Sunday night finally fades away.
With an overwhelming list of bands and numerous splits across stages, we’ve sifted through the walls of sound and identified the acts that we think are essential ingredients in this year’s ritualistic weekend. Before the first candle is lit and the initial riff descends, consult our unholy recommendations for this year’s Desertfest.
Praetorian (The Black Heart, Friday)
Since the release of their debut album, Pylon Cult, Stevenage’s finest have been bringing their chaotic sludge sound to venues up and down the country. Blending the weight and coarse nature of sludge with a bludgeoning and chaotic characteristic showcased throughout their sound, it makes for a listen that twists and turns through unexpected avenues. No doubt their marches through the crowd will make an appearance as they perform at the Black Heart on the Friday, adding a level of fearlessness and intensity to their live set.
FFO: .gif from god, Portrayal of Guilt & Highgate
Meatdripper (The Dev, Friday)
Emerging from the birthplace of Sabbath, Meatdripper are a coven of doom worshippers who embrace both the occult and the avant-garde. They seamlessly infuse their sonic incantations with psychedelic soundscapes and fuzz-laden grooves, all anchored by their unique vocal delivery that is chillingly witch-like and filled with haunting, spaced-out effects. While their current discography consists of only three singles, Meatdripper’s reputation for unfiltered experimentation and auditory hostility suggests that their set will summon a sea of pure headbanging devotion. With the likely feature of unreleased rites and new material, their performance at the Dev on the Friday should not be missed on this relentless weekend in Camden.
FFO: Cwfen, Druidess & Witchrot
Bismut (Underworld, Friday)
Far from your standard stoner band, Bismut are one that should not be overlooked. Floating their way to the Underworld stage from the Netherlands, this psychedelic trio specialise in sonic alchemy: combining kaleidoscopic atmospheres with ground-shaking riffs. With four stacked albums worth of material to draw from, their set promises a journey through spaced-out compositions with build ups of dynamic tension and texture that is sure to bless the crowd with a sound to remember. If you’re looking to start your Desertfest pilgrimage with a mind-melting descent into doom, make sure Bismut are your first stop of the weekend.
FFO: Weedpecker & Toke
Coffin Mulch (The Dev, Saturday)
If the psychedelic haze begins to feel too ethereal and you find yourself craving something a little darker, make sure you drag your carcass over to The Dev on the Saturday for a taste of Coffin Mulch. The Scottish four-piece won’t just ensure a change of pace, it will be a brutal excavation. Blending the putridity of old school death metal with their jagged hardcore edge, Coffin Mulch turns up the necrotic filth to lethal levels, with their 2023 debut, Spectral Intercession, serving as a perfect example of their rotten sound. With each track packed with bone-sawing guitar tones, suffocating atmospheres, and harsh vocals, their set promises to be a literal “Gateway To The Unseen“.
FFO: Molder, Mortiferum & Dismember
IAN (The Dev, Saturday)
The incongruously named IAN are much less approachable than you’d expect. Their sound brings heavy themes, sludgy soundscapes, forlorn cello and a pissed off bark. Last year they dropped Come On Everybody, Let’s Do Nothing!, immediately defining them as a force in post rock and metal music. A lovely detail about the album is that one of the sleeves shows the record’s five pieces in diagrammatic form, charting the dynamics as curves and providing annotations like ‘pretty bit’ and ‘descends into prolonged feedback’. If you enjoy sweeping epics that can’t be represented on the classical stave, look no further than IAN, and their intimate set at the Dev should be a key stop for you on the Saturday. Later in the year they will open ArcTanGent on its main stage – quite a feat for a band with ‘just’ a debut album out.
FFO: A Sliver Mount Zion, Wren & Amenra
Smouldering Tomb (The Dev, Saturday)
Hailing from Sussex, Smouldering Tomb are a force of pure necrotic violence that refuses to spare the weak. Their sound descends into the depths of death metal, defined by abyssal soundscapes, gross gutturals, and brutal breakdowns that are designed to shatter bones. Their debut release, Maledictions Upon the Wretched, serves as a grim prelude to this slaughter, offering a true taste of their “Carious Manifesto“. If you seek the extreme, prepare to be buried alive in a cavernous wall of sound as Smouldering Tomb promise to desecrate The Dev on the Saturday.
FFO: Tribal Gaze, Undeath & Acid Womb
Inhuman Nature (Roundhouse, Saturday)
The crossover thrash unit, Inhuman Nature, will rumble awake the Roundhouse during their opening slot on the Saturday. The London unit have honed their live performances over years of touring, with some of their strongest material coming on last year’s record, Greater Than Death. Another band that showcase the sheer range of sound at this year’s Desertfest, those who take time to explore the various stages and bands will have a staggering range of sounds and influences drawn in. For thrash on the weekend, there will be no better band than Inhuman Nature to experience the high-tempo and thrill-packed sound of the genre.
FFO: Enforced, Wraith & Fugitive
Blackwater Holylight (Underworld, Sunday)
It’s always a bold move to claim an act is a must see on a line-up as packed as Desertfest is this year. Yet, there’s been very few acts this year who have impressed us as much as Blackwater Holylight. Their recent record, Not Here Not Gone, showcased their penchant for their doomgaze spirit. Boasting an atmosphere and sound that is simply one to soak in and get lost within, Sunny Faris’ vocals glide and ascend throughout the record. As their appearance on KEXP proved, they more than have the ability to pull off their enchanting soundscapes in a live setting. With a headline spot on the Sunday at The Underworld set in for Blackwater Holylight, this could be the set that will be the highlight of the weekend for many.
FFO: Faetooth, Thou & Ragana
Forlorn (The Dev, Sunday)
No strangers to Camden, performing both at The Dev and The Black Heart over the years, they return to The Dev to bring their tech-death sound to this year’s edition of Desertfest. Since the release of “Redeem, Release” back in 2022, Forlorn have been an ever-present and growing force. They’ve released many superb pieces in the form of “The Weight of It All”, in their 2025 record Aether, and their most recent single “Let Them Run”. Throughout all these releases we see Forlorn blend their folk horror atmosphere with crushing riff work, all commanded by Megan Jenkins’ blend of gnarly harsh vocals and ethereal cleans.
FFO: Lowen, Fallujah & Tribe of Ghosts
Truckfighters (Roundhouse, Sunday)
Making a stop at the Roundhouse stage on Sunday are desert-duo, Truckfighters. With their octane-boosted riffs and distortion-drenched engines, this duo will be flooring it with their iconic, ear-melting sound. Expect a sea of headbangers as they shift into gear with catchy classics like “Desert Cruiser“, as well as fresh fuzz from their latest release, Masterflow. Save enough fuel for the final stretch and run up your mileage on the way to the Roundhouse, as this set will certainly be a masterclass in what the desertscene can offer.
FFO: Lowrider, Black Lung & Monolord