Sick New World 2026 expands to Texas: dates, lineups, tickets, and what it means for the festival’s comeback

Bassyonni

ago 5 hours

Sick New World 2026

Sick New World is officially back in 2026 with two one-day events—a spring return to Las Vegas and a fall debut in Fort Worth, Texas—marking the festival’s first expansion beyond Nevada. The heavy/alt juggernaut brings back the core of its early-2000s energy while layering in legacy reunions and modern breakout acts, signaling a full-throttle reset after last year’s turbulence.

Sick New World 2026 dates and venues

Las Vegas, NV — April 25, 2026
Venue: Las Vegas Festival Grounds
Fort Worth, TX — October 24, 2026
Venue: Texas Motor Speedway

Presale sign-ups are live now, with tiered GA, GA+ and VIP options planned. Early allocations traditionally move quickly; fans looking for hotel bundles should expect limited on-site packages tied to each date.

Headliners and key acts: System of a Down atop both bills

Sick New World 2026 leans into a shared headliner strategy with System of a Down closing both nights, then differentiates by city:

Las Vegas (April): System of a Down, Korn, Bring Me the Horizon, Ministry, Evanescence, AFI, Knocked Loose, Mastodon, Cypress Hill, Melvins, Filter, Clutch, and more across multiple stages. Expect a high-volume, quick-change format that mirrors the fest’s breakout year.
Texas (Oct.): System of a Down, Deftones, Slayer (special set tied to Reign in Blood’s 40th), Evanescence, Ministry, AFI, Mastodon, Knocked Loose, Power Trip, The Prodigy, Underoath, Clutch, Down, Melvins, and others. The Fort Worth edition emphasizes darker and heavier textures, with a punchier late-night arc tailored to a speedway layout.

Final lineups are subject to change as production locks in.

Why add Texas in 2026?

The brand’s identity—nu metal, industrial, alt-metal, and adjacent scenes—has a massive following across the South and Midwest. Planting a second date in North Texas accomplishes three things:

Geography: Reduces travel friction for fans east of the Rockies who couldn’t make Vegas work.
Scale: A speedway footprint supports bigger production, wider sightlines, and crowd flow even at peak sets.
Programming freedom: Two stops allow shared anchors (SOAD) with city-specific flavors (Korn-heavy Vegas vs. Deftones/Slayer-forward Fort Worth).

Tickets, tiers, and what GA+ usually buys you

Sick New World uses a familiar tier structure:

GA: Festival access across all stages.
GA+: Dedicated lounge space with shaded seating and air-conditioned restrooms, plus expedited bar/food access.
VIP: Elevated viewing, exclusive hospitality, expedited entry, and dedicated merch counters (amenities vary by city).

Lock in presale registration first; price jumps typically occur as each tier sells through. Payment plans are expected to be available during early windows.

What to expect from each site layout

Las Vegas Festival Grounds favors fast turnover between stages, minimal overlap on top-line sets, and a central spine that keeps concessions, water, and medical highly visible. Dust control, shade, and hydration refills are recurring priorities—spring weather helps, but plan for desert dryness.

Texas Motor Speedway offers a different canvas: broader stage spacing, ample ingress/egress, and more room to push low-end without overwhelming neighbors. Expect heavier bass in late blocks, more pyrotechnic allowances, and a lighting design tailored to 360° sightlines.

Early planning tips for Sick New World 2026

Build a two-city strategy: If you’re debating which date, skim the mid-line acts—Vegas leans crossover and alt-curious; Texas leans punishing and classic-heavy.
Hydration logistics: Both venues have large refill stations; bring a compliant empty bottle or hydration pack per the event’s bag policy.
Footwear > fashion: Grounds are expansive; bank on 20k–25k steps.
Set conflicts: Expect at least two unavoidable overlaps in prime time. Identify your “non-negotiables” now so you’re not deciding at the rail.

The bigger picture: a brand rebuilding momentum

After a canceled cycle in 2025, announcing two Sick New World 2026 editions re-centers the festival on what worked first: headliners with generational pull, era-defining mid-card depth, and a day-long sprint that feels like flipping through a decade of heavy playlists in real time. Adding Texas isn’t just about capacity; it’s about variety—giving fans two distinct flavors of the same unapologetically loud feast.

Circle April 25, 2026 (Las Vegas) and October 24, 2026 (Fort Worth). With System of a Down on both peaks and city-specific muscle underneath, Sick New World 2026 is built to be both a homecoming and a fresh start—one spring blowout in the desert, one fall detonation in Texas.