Let’s get ready to rumble! Wacken Metal Battle Canada is proud to announce this year’s 2026 battle grounds across the country, where one independent metal band will gain the opportunity to play at Wacken Open Air, one of the world’s most prestigious and largest metal festivals.
Battles will be hosted in Vancouver, Vancouver Island, Okanagan, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Quebec City, with each city being witness to a behemoth of independent extreme music talent.
The following dates, cities, and bands are listed below. The national final will be held in Montreal, QC, on May 9, 2026.
“This series of battles is the first step to a world of opportunity waiting for you. Good luck to all the battling bands, and your chance to play Wacken Open Air,” adds WMBC organizer JJ Tartaglia.
Watch – Wacken Metal Battle 2025 – Aftermovie | Have You Heard the Future of Metal?
The 2026 WMBC champion will receive the following:
– A slot at the 2026 Wacken Open Air Festival.
– Full professional backline provided.
– $1,000 CAD towards flights to Germany.
– VIP camping at the festival.
List of previous WMBC national winners: Killotine (Hamilton, ON – 2025), Beguiler (Toronto, ON – 2024), Strigampire (Trois-Rivières, QC – 2023), The Slyde (Toronto, ON – 2019), Centuries of Decay (Toronto, ON – 2018), Profaner (Hamilton, ON – 2016), Vesperia (Toronto, ON – 2015), Mutank (Montreal, QC – 2014), Crimson Shadows (Toronto, ON – 2013).
Battles Listed By City:
Vancouver
March 5 – Vancouver, BC – Astoria – Bands TBA (Round 1)
March 6 – Vancouver, BC – Astoria – Bands TBA (Round 2)
March 28 – Vancouver, BC – Astoria (BC Final)
Kelowna
March 15 – Kelowna, BC – Jackknife – Bands TBA (BC Interior Round)
Victoria
March 20 – Victoria, BC – Lucky Bar – Bands TBA – (BC Island Round)
Edmonton
TBA
Toronto
Jan 17 – Toronto, ON – Hard Luck Bar – Dawn Vally, The Divine Project, Night Of The Snake, Ubruxum (Round 1)
Jan 30 – Toronto, ON – Bovine Sex Club – Gravearth, The Animal Warfare Act, Absent Theory, Lahore Wept (Round 2)
Feb 7 – Toronto, ON – Hard Luck Bar – Deafened, Abysmal Whore, Misothronos, Automatic Fire (Round 3)
April 18 – Toronto, ON – The Garrison (Ontario Final)
Ottawa
TBA
Montreal
Jan 24 – Montreal, QC – Piranha Bar – Bands TBA (Round 1)
Feb 6 – Montreal, QC – Piranha Bar – Bands TBA (Round 2)
March 13 – Montreal, QC – Piranha Bar – Bands TBA (Round 3)
April 3 – Montreal, QC – Piranha Bar – Eastern Final
May 9 – Montreal, QC – Piranha Bar – National Final
Quebec City
TBA
Last year’s 2025 Canadian Battle Final took place on May 31st at Vancouver’s Rickshaw Theatre, where Hamilton, Ontario’s KILLOTINE, the Ontario regional winner, delivered a standout performance that earned them the top national title. A panel of industry judges selected KILLOTINE to represent Canada at the prestigious International Wacken Battle, held during Wacken Open Air from July 30th to August 2nd in Wacken, Germany, where over 85,000 metal fans from around the globe gathered.
Joining KILLOTINE on stage at the Canadian final were fellow regional champions: SOULTHIEF (Eastern Canada Winner – Ottawa, ON), BEYOND SUFFERING (Alberta Winner – Calgary, AB), and YEGG (British Columbia Winner – Nanaimo, BC). The event also featured a special guest headliner: Vancouver’s Arrow In The Quiver, the 2024 BC Final winner.
The national judging panel included a lineup of respected figures from the Canadian metal and music industry: Brittney Slayes (Unleash The Archers), JJ Tartaglia (Canadian Organizer of Wacken Metal Battle Canada), JJ Caithcart (Founder of SCRAPE Records and Host of Different Stages Radio), Kris Schulz (Founder of Empower Through Music and Owner of Horizon School of Music), Abelardo Mayoral (Founder and Operator of The Invisible Orange and OrangeTickets), Stan Schinners (Owner of Broken Neck Radio), Justin Dobbin (Owner and President of Main Stage Rehearsal Studios).
For the last 9 years of battles (2013-2016, 2018-2019, 2023-2025), Wacken Metal Battle Canada has hosted battles across the country to send one independent metal band to perform at the world’s largest metal festival, Wacken Open Air in Wacken, Germany. 2019 saw the festival celebrate its 30th anniversary, but due to COVID, the 2020 and 2021 editions were both canceled. As the metal community regains its strength, Wacken Open Air 2026 will be the 35th edition of the festival and will be held from July 29th to August 1st. The 2026 event is nearly sold out with a line-up that includes Def Leppard, Lamb Of God, In Flames, Savatage, Powerwolf, Emperor, Sepultura, and Running Wild, among others. Details here.
Wacken Metal Battle Canada is part of an international competition that sees bands from across the country battle each other for the chance to win their spot among over 55 other countries’ champions, and represent Canada in an international battle of the bands at the world’s largest outdoor metal festival: Wacken Open Air. The battles have been hosted at the festival for over a decade and give independent bands the opportunity to showcase their talents to an international audience, along with the chance to win multiple prizes.
How it works:
Participating cities will host qualifying rounds plus a city final organized by a local city concert promoter, where one band will move forward to the Canadian national final (date and city to be determined). The winner of the national final will move on to perform at the Wacken Open Air 2026 and compete against the winners of other participating countries in a final global battle. All bands will be judged during battle rounds by respected local music industry representatives.
Rules for participation: https://www.metal-battle.com/rules/
Links:
Metal-Battle.com
Facebook.com/WMBCanada.official
X.com/MetalBattleCan
Instagram.com/wmbcanada.official
