Ups and Downs of Sick New World 2026

This is the year that Sick New World came back better than ever. After having to cancel 2025's iteration of the event, two years after the festival's debut, the future of Sick New World was uncertain. Clearly, we had nothing to worry about. Throughout September of 2025, there appeared to be teasers for Sick New World's return, where the festival's logos had appeared on screen at recent System of a Down shows. Then, the official website was updated, further fueling rumors. In October, the two locations for the 2026 renditions were unveiled: Las Vegas, NV and Fort Worth, TX. This would mark the first time that the festival would be hosted twice in the same year. Finally, at the end of October, the lineups for both editions were revealed to much fanfare. To no one's surprise, System of a Down was announced to headline both shows, while Korn was only playing in Las Vegas and Deftones only in Fort Worth. All three of these bands had performed at the inaugural Sick New World in 2023. The event has been praised for its nu metal representation over the years, but it is far from the only genre on the bill. Everything from metalcore, to thrash metal, to electronic, to goth, to hardcore, Sick New World is a blend of styles (much like nu metal itself) where there are artists to please many types of fans. While yes, bands from the 80's, 90's, and early 2000's are the main attraction for most, many newer up-and-coming bands are showcased as well.

Sick New World had something to prove upon their comeback; let's check out the good and the bad from the October 24th, 2026 show in Fort Worth, TX.

UP: The Lineup

In my humble opinion, the bill for this show was super awesome. When both lineups were announced for Las Vegas and Fort Worth, I was glad that the one closer to me was the one that I preferred. I have been lucky enough to see many bands in my lifetime, but for the longest time, System of a Down was one of those I had accepted that I wouldn't be able to witness live. Last year, I traveled twelve hours to Chicago to finally see them. But of course, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to see them again. Many of these bands I have already seen multiple times (Deftones, Evanescence, Knocked Loose, Slayer, Mastodon) but I enjoy them enough to want to see them again. On the other hand, there were bands such as Kittie, Lords of Acid, and The Prodigy that I adore and was so excited to see for the first time.

It seemed as if the two side stages were themed with similar genres, making it easier for fans to stay in the same area and catch multiple bands without having to run all around the venue. The Spiral stage catered to fans of nu metal, electronic, and goth, while the Diablo stage hosted primarily hardcore and metalcore bands. The range of genres represented across all of the stages ensured that there were bands for pretty much anyone's taste. Perhaps my favorite part of my experience at Sick New World was discovering new artists that I hadn't heard of or only vaguely knew. I watched the last half of Violent Vira's set while waiting for Kittie, and I really enjoyed them. The vocalist was charismatic and had a great voice. I had some down time between Lords of Acid and Knocked Loose, but I stayed in the vicinity of the Spiral stage so I checked out Twin Tribes and She Wants Revenge. I knew both of the names but hadn't listened to them before, which is very shocking because I adore goth and darkwave music. It was kind of rude to make the goths, performers and fans alike, be out in the Texas sun with no cloud coverage, though (totally kidding).

I knew I liked Sunami based on the one track I knew, but I'm glad I watched their set because I discovered new songs that I now love. I left Evanescence after a few songs because I was being pulled to the Spiral Stage. Their energy was through the roof and that translated to the crowd, they were going crazy as well. By the time Slayer was playing, I was exhausted so I decided to sit on the track and watch the screen that was livestreaming their performance. I was only sitting for about ten minutes before I was intrigued by the vibes over at the Spiral stage. I even overheard someone near me say "it looks like a fun time over at that stage". My curiosity got the better of me, and I had already seen Slayer before, so I decided to check the band out. It was Boy Harsher, a dark electronic band who has a hit song that went viral on TikTok called "Pain". They are right up my alley and I really enjoyed their set. This just goes to show you can have a plan going into a festival, but it's important to also check out some new artists because you might discover a new favorite.

DOWN: Overlapping Set Times

Look, when there's a lineup this stacked all playing on the same day, it's bound to happen. The Blue and Gold stages alternated set times, but the Spiral and Diablo stages had bands playing consecutively from about 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Each set time only allowed for about five minutes between bands, leaving very little margin for error. I can only imagine how stressful that must be for crew and production. I grew up going to Rocklahoma, a smaller three day festival where the main stage and side stage never had competing set times (I know, how spoiled). This was my first time going to a festival where I had to pick between bands due to overlapping set times. There is a conversation to be had whether festivals like this should be multi-day events to allow for more time between bands, but that comes with another set of issues such as more PTO being used, more money spent on travel/lodging/food etc. When one compares ticket prices to a one day festival now to the price of a ticket to Warped Tour back in it's heyday, that's where a stronger argument can be formed. Approximately $50 for access to see your choice of music from around 100 bands with multiple stages and overlapping set times is much different than over $300 to see less bands. Unfortunately, it may just have to be a sacrifice fans have to make. There likely isn't a solution that would make every single person happy.

I've been lucky enough to have attended many a concert in my life, so I've seen a lot of these bands before, allowing for me to prioritize seeing new acts. However, many fans shared this opinion: it was absolutely egregious to stack The Prodigy and Deftones at the same time. Set times were released one week before the show, and fans spent that entire week on social media trying to convince Sick New World to change that. Alas, the decision stuck. Deftones is one of my all time favorite bands, so I had planned on watching their set. Though, after about four songs, I decided to go watch a bit of The Prodigy instead because I didn't know when I'd ever get to see them again. Plus, I had seen Deftones three times previously. Boy, am I glad I did. Ask anyone who watched The Prodigy and they'll say they had one of, if not the best set of the night. I didn't plan on staying for their whole performance, but it was so much fun that I didn't want to leave. They paid tribute to Keith Flint spectacularly with a laser outline of him during "Firestarter". Frontman Maxim did an amazing job of keeping the energy up and the crowd engaged, especially knowing that fans were missing Deftones to watch them instead. Not for nothing, a lot of people have said that Deftones setlist wasn't incredible and that Chino Moreno doesn't sound all that great live, and I unfortunately have to agree. I don't expect him to sound exactly like the record, but his vocals aren't what they used to be. Regardless, I am still grateful that I was able to catch a few songs such as "Swerve City" and "7 Words".

UP: Female Representation

Representation matters, and it was so refreshing to see so many women represent alternative music on this festival. Often, it can be hard to find any woman, let alone multiple, on a bill but thankfully that has been changing in recent times. In such a male-dominated industry, it is so important to platform women but to also make sure that they're not treated like a special attraction. Sick New World played host to eleven bands that have at least one female member across a multitude of genres. Everyone knows of the absolute powerhouse of a vocalist that Amy Lee of Evanescence is, blending her classical music influence with that of hard rock. She is also a classically trained pianist and incorporates live piano performances at Evanscence shows. The newest crowned Acid Queen of electronic band Lords of Acid is Carla Harvey, joining the band in early 2025. Harvey knows how to command a crowd with her stage presence, making her a perfect fit for the band. She is formerly of Butcher Babies and is also the frontwoman for the all-female band, The Violent Hour. Jae Matthews is the vocalist for another electronic band on the bill, albeit with a very different vibe, Boy Harsher, with her signature deep voice. Women in metalcore are also represented with the lead vocalist of Dying Wish, Emma Boster. Sick New World also featured up-and-coming female artists in Violent Vira, Amira Elfeky, and Showing Teeth.

Not all women are frontwomen, as shown by Nadja Peulen who plays bass in Coal Chamber, Mia Conte who plays guitar in THE DARK.FM, Emma Anzai who plays bass in Evanescence, and Riley Claire who plays bass in Speed of Light. Of course there is also Kittie, the only all-female band on the bill. Morgan Lander is not only the main vocalist but she also rips it up on the guitar. Tara McLeod is her fellow guitarist partner in crime. Mercedes Lander kills it on the drums while also providing backing vocals. Rachel Gonzales has been the touring bassist for Kittie in 2026, filling in for Ivy Jenkins. Seeing so many talented and successful women in alternative music is wonderful, and I hope we continue to see even more in the future.

Also, shout out to all of the women behind the scenes in crew, production, management, etc. You all rock and kick ass too.

DOWN: Little To No Cellular Reception

There has never been great cell service at Texas Motor Speedway (at least in my personal experience), but I had thought maybe that would have improved in the almost decade since I had been there. Well, apparently not. Whether it's the location, the brand of phone carrier, or just the sheer amount of people trying to use their phones, my cell service all but disappeared before I even parked my car. I have an iPhone, so clearly no iMessages were sending, but I barely managed to get even regular text messages to send. Forget even trying to use social media. Luckily though, the Sick New World app didn't need data to work so it was accessible throughout the day. While it was more of an inconvenience than anything for me, it was definitely a safety hazard to not be able to contact anyone in case of an emergency. There were times when messages finally sent over an hour later, but the reception would quickly disappear again. This did not help the chaos and struggle it was trying to use rideshare because many people couldn't even get the apps to work when using data wasn't an option. I don't know what the solution to this could be, if one is even possible, but it is a safety hazard for many reasons. Hopefully this can be resolved if Sick New World was hosted here again in the future (or any other large music festival).

UP: The Venue

Sick New World isn't the first festival to be held at a NASCAR track. Welcome To Rockville has been hosted at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, FL for the past six years, so it makes sense for other festivals to try out this setup at different tracks around the country. Most tracks are only in use for big NASCAR races a few times a year, so why not host other events throughout the rest of the year? There was plenty of free parking outside, and enough space in the infield to host four stages along with multiple vendors and other activities. The only crowding that I experienced was the walkway towards the Blue and Gold stages and the row of food vendors. Another upside to the venue is that the built in bathrooms by the concession stands (which were not in use) were open, meaning that people didn't have to use a porta potty if they didn't want to. There was access to real bathrooms!

It was cool seeing Sick New World merch inspired by NASCAR, incorporating checkered flags onto the design. System of a Down even had a merch trailer much like those that are present at NASCAR races for the drivers. It was no surprise that they did that, as well as including their own racing themed merch, since Daron Malakian is a noted NASCAR fan himself. He even dedicated "Lonely Day" to the memory of Kyle Busch, who passed away earlier this year (and who was also my favorite driver).

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On a personal note, I grew up going to Texas Motor Speedway twice a year with my family since 2008. My mom was a huge NASCAR fan and passed that love onto me. I hadn't been there since 2017 because my mom passed in 2018. While I spent the day by myself, I didn't feel alone because I was surrounded by the memories I made there with my family. I just wish that she was still around to go to a metal festival there; she would have absolutely loved it. It felt surreal walking on the track, sitting at the start/finish line, and walking through the infield – a place I hadn't ever got to experience in my decade's worth of trips to the racetrack. I loved seeing my love for metal and NASCAR blend into the same space.

DOWN: Traffic

With approximately 80,000 people descending upon and exiting one location all in one day, traffic is to be expected. What would usually be a twenty minute drive from my hotel ended up taking over an hour. Luckily, parking was not difficult to find as there were plenty of spaces when I arrived close to 1 p.m. As someone who has been to Texas Motor Speedway many times, I know how bad the traffic situation can be after an event. I made sure to park towards the back close to an exit; I didn't mind the walk. Unfortunately, I had to leave System of a Down's set early to ensure I wouldn't get stuck in traffic trying to leave because I had a 4.5 hour drive home and it was already after 11 p.m. Personally, I had no issues leaving, but I saw many accounts on social media expressing their frustrations. People complained that it took over two hours just to leave the parking lot, as well as multiple roads being blocked off by police and having to take roundabout routes. Not to mention, many people tried to use ridesharing apps and couldn't get a ride because there weren't enough drivers available. Or, if they were able to, they had to pay over $100 just to get out of the area. So many people were left stranded at the venue for hours because of the rideshare situation. Hopefully, if Sick New World is hosted here again in the future, the event organizers listen to the fan experiences and prepare differently for the next time.

UP: Seating / Shade

Another plus to the venue choice is that there was plenty of seating, especially in the shade. Throughout the day, people could rest in the grass on the frontstretch and on the actual track itself, but the biggest bonus was the grandstands being open for seating. While three-quarters of the track was blocked off, there was still ample room in the stands to rest. The steel benches aren't the most comfortable (trust me, I know), but it was better than nothing. Plus, the benches allowed for resting your back against something or stretching out your legs. There was even a screen set up with live video and audio feed of the two main stages so that fans didn't have to miss out on those acts. One of the hardest aspects of going to concerts, especially festivals, is having to be on your feet for hours upon hours. The fact that there were so many areas to rest for a moment, including benches under tents and in the infield garage, were much appreciated.

After a certain time of the day, the seating in the stands provided relief from the blazing sun which was very welcome. I did not take advantage of that, and I also did not apply any sunscreen like a dumb dumb, so I ended up with a slight burn and crazy fishnet tan lines, but such is life. Around this time of the year, the Texas sun is still going strong during the day but then the night rapidly gets chilly. With my years of experience of attending NASCAR races here in early November, I should have known better.

DOWN: Merch Lines

This was a problem even before the day of the actual festival. There was a pop-up merch tent located outside of the track from Thursday-Saturday so that fans could shop early to hopefully cut down on wait times the day of. It's a great idea but maybe it could have been executed better. For starters, a lot of people traveled in for the festival and couldn't make it to the tent early if they wanted to. People who were able to go on Thursday said it was a breeze, but even those who went early on Friday got stuck waiting for hours. For the sheer number of people that the festival was expecting, maybe they could have had two pop-up tents? Of course, I don't claim to know anything about the logistics, but if that was a possibility then it might've helped greatly. I had a friend who bought merch on Saturday inside the venue and she still waited in line for almost two hours. Not to mention that there were separate tents for Sick New World merch and artist merch, so if you wanted multiple items, you'd have to wait in two different lines. There were signs before the lines started that showed the items available along with prices so that fans would know what they wanted and what they owed beforehand, which was smart. There were a lot of cool designs that I would've wanted to purchase, but I didn't want to miss out on seeing any performances. There was a livestream of the Blue and Gold stages so that fans could watch the artists play while in line, but it's not the same. Maybe making all of the merch available to buy online before and after the festival (not just a handful of items) could improve the situation, but then you'd have to worry about scalpers.

UP: Food Options & Hydration Stations

Say what you will about the price of food and drinks at festivals these days, but it was nice to see a wide range of options available. There were two rows of food vendors serving everything from noodles, to pizza, to tacos, to chicken tenders and more. The garage (yes, the actual garage where the NASCAR cars get worked on during races) was open, allowing for a close area with plenty of space to sit and eat in the shade. There were other vendors around the festival selling snacks such as popcorn, pretzels, and sno cones. Not to mention, there was a vendor by the System of a Down merch trailer that was selling broccoli beef chop suey and Thai curry chicken chop suey, how appropriate! Another plus was that fans were allowed to bring in one empty water bottle with water refill stations being provided inside the venue. I saw at least two of them, and the lines were never terribly long. It's refreshing to see hydration being prioritized over money (especially when so much money has already been spent on travel, lodging, tickets, merchandise, etc).

DOWN: Restrictions

We live in a time where stricter rules and regulations are necessary to better ensure everyone's safety, and I fully support that. However, the restrictions can be outlandish at times. It is always important to check what is allowed in and what is prohibited before every show because rules seem to vary. Of course there's the standard restrictions on bringing in outside alcohol, aerosols, weapons, bags of a certain size, etc. But there were a few for Sick New World that had me scratching my head because I couldn't understand the reasoning. For example, if you brought in a lip balm, it had to still be sealed. Another one was that all feminine hygiene products had to be unopened. For the life of me, I can't understand why that distinction had to be made in the first place. There had to have been a previous issue to warrant these rules being made, but some of them seem a little absurd. One insignificant gripe that I have concerns the rule on not allowing spikes or chains. Look, no matter how lame it is, I totally understand that they can be a hazard and I've accepted that. As a result, I didn't wear a lot of the cool accessories that I wanted to. But once inside the venue, I saw many people wearing spikes and chains. They looked fantastic! I was just bummed that my outfit wasn't as cool as it could have been because I thought that rule would have been enforced.

UP: System Of A Down Tent

System of a Down's most commercially successful album, Toxicity, celebrated it's 25th anniversary back in September. To commemorate the occasion, there was an exhibit available for fans to walk through and take a trip down memory lane. The display featured magazines with the band gracing the cover, props from the music videos, actual instruments used by the members, backgrounds for photo opportunities, and memorabilia from tours over the years. Fans were even encouraged to sign the exterior of the exhibit. The wait time varied depending on who was currently playing, but I went during Marilyn Manson and I only had to wait for approximately fifteen minutes. It was incredibly cool to experience an overview of the band's history and it was a very welcome addition to the festival as something to do other than solely watch bands perform all day.

In my personal experience, I would say that Sick New World 2026 in Fort Worth, TX was a success. Of course, people will always find something to complain about, and I know others may have had a worse experience than myself, but an event of this size could never be without its flaws. The experience of enjoying some of my favorite bands, new and old, far outweighs the minor complaints that I have. I would love to see Sick New World hosted at Texas Motor Speedway again next year, as long as the event organizers can improve on the traffic situation. I think we can allow Sick New World some grace considering this was the first time at this venue. If they are able to work out the kinks, this could be great for the metal fans in the area. There isn't a big metal festival on this scale that happens annually (unless you count Rocklahoma, but I don't think that it can compare to the scale of Sick New World), so fans wouldn't have to travel as far to go to the other festivals. There is a great metal scene in Texas; it's not all about country. Who knows what the future has in store, maybe there will be more dates next year or new locations unlocked.

I would like to thank Sick New World's PR Team for so graciously granting a media pass to me so that I was able to cover the festival. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity.