Written By: Brian McLean

The 2026 touring, small runs and select one off dates concert calendar is looking mighty tasty and tempting for the US and Canada. Fans of the heavier persuasion, AOR classics and those on the tamer side of the music spectrum will have plenty of live music to consider in 2026.

For the most up-to-date information, official band and artist social media pages are the best starting point, followed by a quick internet search.

A Flock of Seagulls
Dates: March and April with stops in Texas, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Montana, and California
Support: Men Without Hats, Thomas Dolby, The Romantics, Bow Wow Wow, Tommy Tutone

Acid Bath
Dates: Five dates from March 7 to April 4

Acid Bath last toured in 1997. Catching a show on this reunion run would be a wise choice. The band’s first performances in 28 years took place in April 2025 at festivals such as Sick New World and Welcome to Rockville.

AFI
Dates: April 15 to May 2
Support: Choir Boy

Alter Bridge
Dates: January 15 to June 27
Support: Filter, Sevendust, Tim Montana

Amon Amarth with Dethklok
Dates: April 15 to May 21
Support: Castle Rat

Castle Rat is a Medieval fantasy heavy metal band fronted by the Rat Queen and is supporting its latest album, The Bestiary. This is a band worth keeping an eye on.

Avenged Sevenfold
Dates: January 14 to February 3
The band will also tour with Good Charlotte from July 25 to August 27.

Blackberry Smoke
Dates: Charlie Starr solo dates January 8 to January 31. Select band dates February 5 to August 7.

Black Label Society and Zakk Sabbath
Dates: February 14 to May 14

Zakk Wylde pulls double duty as Zakk Sabbath serves as main support for Black Label Society.

Dark Chapel opens each night. The band is fronted by guitarist and singer Dario Lorina, who has been part of the Black Label Society family since 2014. Consider it a full-on Black Label family affair.

Support: Zakk Sabbath, Dark Chapel

Bleed From Within
Dates: April 6 to May 7
Support: Sylosis, Great American Ghost, Life Cycles

Bring Me the Horizon
Dates: April 25 to June 28
Support: Motionless in White, The Plot in You, Amira Elfeky

Cradle of Filth
Dates: April 30 to May 23
Support: Suffocation, Ghost Bath, Cultus Black

Echo & The Bunnymen
Dates: May 10 to June 29

Eric Johnson
Dates: April 12 to May 19
Support: Kenny Wayne Shepherd

Evanescence
Dates: June 11 to August 2
Support: Spiritbox, Poppy

Foo Fighters
Dates: January 10 to September 26

The Foo Fighters will embark on a stadium tour with select US dates alongside global stops. Breaks between shows range from several days to longer stretches.

Geoff Tate’s Operation: Mindcrime
Dates: January 27 to February 21 and March 31 to May 17

The Final Chapter tour brings Operation: Mindcrime to the stage from start to finish. Hearing this album performed live is highly recommended and promises a powerful experience.

Goo Goo Dolls
Dates: February 20 to March 23

The tour includes five dates, beginning in Tempe, with the remaining shows scheduled in Canada.

Guns N’ Roses
Dates: March 28 to September 19

Tour stops include North America, South America, and Europe.

GWAR
Dates: March 19 to April 29

Helloween
Dates: April 7 to May 2

Germany’s Helloween celebrates its 40 Years Anniversary Tour. The band rarely tours the US, making this a rare chance to catch one of metal’s crown jewels live.

Hell’s Heroes
Dates: March 19 to 21

Hell’s Heroes is a premier metal festival held at White Oak Music Hall in Houston. The grounds feature an outdoor stage, an indoor air-conditioned venue, and a smaller upstairs stage. The three-day lineup brings bands from around the world, many performing special sets exclusive to the festival.

Iron Maiden
Dates: September 3 to 29

The Run for Your Lives Tour US dates fall in September, while earlier 2026 dates feature European festival appearances.

Lacuna Coil
Dates: March 24 to May 1
Support: Escape the Fate and VOWWS (March 24 to April 13), AXTY (April 15 to 29)

Lamb of God
Dates: March 17 to April 26
Support: Kublai Khan TX, Fit for an Autopsy, Sanguisugabogg

Mammoth
Dates: March 4 to May 5
Support: 10 Years, James and the Cold Gun

Marilyn Manson
Dates: Eight shows running April 23 to May 16

Megadeth
Dates: Canadian shows February 15 to March 6
Support: Anthrax, Exodus

Billed as the This Was Our Life tour, this run is officially Megadeth’s farewell tour.

Mötley Crüe
Dates: July 17 to September 26
Support: Tesla, Extreme

Nine Inch Nails
Dates: February 5 to March 16

Opeth
Dates: February 5 to 25
Support: Katatonia

Rise Against
Dates: March 3 to April 4
Support: Destroy Boys

Rush
Dates: June 7 to December 17

Some stops feature multiple shows across several days. This announcement hit hard, as many fans believed Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson would never tour again under the Rush name following Neil Peart’s passing in early 2020.

Sabaton
Dates: February 9 to April 20
Support: Pop Evil, Wings of Steel

Sebastian Bach
Dates: February 26 to April 10
Support: Stitched Up Heart

Slaughter to Prevail
Dates: March 21 to April 22
Support: Whitechapel, Attila

Testament
Dates: March 14 to April 10
Support: Overkill, Destruction

Testament is often considered the unofficial fifth member of the Big Four or a key part of the Big Six or Eight alongside Overkill. Destruction is regarded as one of Germany’s Big Four thrash metal bands. Either way, the Thrash of the Titans tour is not to be missed.

Three Days Grace
Dates: February 21 to March 21 for US dates, April 19 to May 11 for Canada

Triumph
Dates: April 22 to May 8 in Canada and May 13 to June 6

The tour features Rik Emmett, Mike Levine, and Gil Moore, along with additional musicians.

Uli Jon Roth
Dates: April 9 to May 1

These rescheduled shows celebrate the anniversaries of In Trance and Virgin Killer. Roth will perform Virgin Killer in its entirety, along with selections from Pictures of Destiny.

Having seen him live 40 years apart in 1985 and 2025, the experience remains breathtaking and mesmerizing. If there is one tour to prioritize this spring, Uli Jon Roth should be at the top of the list.

Roth is a legendary German guitarist known for his pioneering work with Scorpions from 1973 to 1978, blending classical music with hard rock through complex arpeggios and deeply emotional phrasing.

Wolfmother
Dates: June 7 to July 12

Yungblud
Dates: May 2 to June 13

The tour kicks off in Toronto on May 2.