One of the things we appreciate most about Tuska is that the festival rarely puts all its eggs in one basket. Instead of three nights that feel more or less the same, 2026 offers three headliners with entirely different identities.

Megadeth will bring decades of thrash history to Friday which also will be a sort of farewell gig for Finland as the band is retiring after this tour, Bad Omens continue their rise as one of the biggest modern bands in heavy music on Saturday, while Bring Me The Horizon close the weekend on Sunday with a band that has never been afraid to reinvent itself, and after their show at Tuska a couple of years ago, we just now it’s going to be the perfect closer for this year’s edition. The only thing we’re wondering now, is if we’re going to get to see them with corpsepaint again or not…

Whether your tastes lean old-school, modern or somewhere in between, chances are one of these evenings already has your name written all over it.

As much as we enjoy seeing legendary names, Tuska has taught us over the years that some of the weekend’s best moments often happen long before the final band takes the stage.

This year’s undercard is packed with bands we’re genuinely excited to catch. Festival weekend openers Gatecreeper are carrying the death metal banner with pride, Trivium and Queensrÿche remain reliable crowd-pleasers, and heavier modern acts like Kublai Khan TX, Paleface Swiss, Malevolence and The Plot In You promise plenty of energy.

And then there are the bands that make us curious simply because they don’t always take the obvious route. Rivers Of Nihil have been doing their own thing for years, The Browning always bring an interesting mix of heaviness and electronics, and Blood Incantation are hardly strangers to surprising people. Whether you’re already familiar with them or just decide to wander over because there isn’t a clash, these are exactly the kinds of bands that can end up becoming highlights you didn’t necessarily see coming.

International visitors often associate Finland with heavy music, and Tuska does a fantastic job showing exactly why.

The 2026 edition once again brings together household names like Amorphis, Stam1na, Tarot, Ensiferum and Swallow The Sun, while bands such as Bloodred Hourglass, Lost Society, Balance Breach and Atlas demonstrate that Finnish metal continues to evolve. Add younger names and underground acts into the mix and you have a weekend that reflects just how broad and healthy the scene really is.

And speaking from experience, there is always something special about seeing Finnish bands perform in front of a home crowd.

No matter how carefully we plan our schedules, every Tuska seems to bring at least one unexpected discovery. Sometimes it’s the band you wandered over to because there was no clash. Sometimes it’s the act your friends insisted you had to check out. And sometimes it’s simply curiosity getting the better of you.

Looking at this year’s line-up, we wouldn’t be surprised if names like HOKKA, ALLT, Return To Dust, Caskets or The Funeral Portrait leave plenty of people heading home with a few new albums to explore. Those unexpected discoveries are one of the reasons festivals remain so much fun after all these years.

We’ve visited plenty of festival sites over the years, but Suvilahti remains one of the most distinctive.

The industrial surroundings give Tuska a character all its own, while the fact that everything takes place right in Helsinki means you get the best of both worlds. You can spend all day watching bands, grab food with friends afterwards and still enjoy the comforts of the city without having to disappear into the middle of nowhere for a weekend. And with the REDI shopping mall nearby with metro and bus stations, restaurants, shops and the Tuska wristband exchange stand, things have gotten all the more convenient.

Perhaps that’s one of the reasons Tuska feels so easy to return to year after year. It has grown familiar without ever becoming boring.

Of course, the music is the main attraction, but part of Tuska‘s charm lies in everything happening between the sets.

Over the years, the festival has developed into an experience that encourages visitors to spend the entire day on the grounds rather than simply arriving for a handful of bands and heading home. The new Tupla Bazaari will add plenty of personality and shopping opportunities, while the variety of food options means festival cuisine has come a long way from surviving on fries and kebab alone. Whether you’re craving Korean-style buns from Bunit, fresh pasta from Bisou Bisou Pasta Bar or authentic pizza from Fabio Pizza Al Volo, there’s plenty to keep you going between circle pits.

Add to that things like Tuska Forum where you can hear interesting talks with industry people and artists about a wide range of diverse topics, plenty of other activities to keep you busy in between your favorite bands (like last year the shooting stand of Monster where you could win prices), of course sauna and even a meeting point for lonely people who are looking to find new friends. And of course, we can’t forget about “Pikku-Tuska” or “Tiny Tuska”, where on the Sunday kids are welcome to join their parents for the afternoon to give them a taste of proper culture…

Over the past decade or so, we’ve seen Tuska gradually evolve into more of an experience than just another festival and we’re totally there for it.

Part of the magic of Tuska has always been the people. Metal festivals have a wonderful way of bringing together complete strangers who somehow end up discussing favourite albums as if they’ve known each other for years. That spirit doesn’t suddenly disappear after the headliner finishes. The official afterparties have become a natural extension of the festival experience and offer one more opportunity to celebrate the day, catch up with friends and squeeze just a little bit more out of the weekend before heading back for another round the next morning with sometimes legendary stories of the night before.

Because let’s face it, nobody has ever gone to Tuska thinking, “I’d really like this weekend to end early.”

We’d especially recommend going to check out the last afterparty of the weekend on Sunday evening at On The Rocks, where Amberian Dawn will be having the release show of their new album ‘Temptation’s Gate’ and the very first live show ever with their new vocalist Nicole!

Some festivals are bucket-list experiences. Others slowly become part of your calendar without you even noticing.

For us, Tuska firmly belongs in the latter category. Since first setting foot in Suvilahti for the fest back in 2016, we’ve watched generations of bands come and go, witnessed unforgettable performances, discovered future favourites and met countless wonderful people along the way. Every edition adds another chapter to those memories, and somehow the excitement never really fades.

There’s something comforting about knowing that, once again, thousands of metalheads from around the world will gather in Helsinki to celebrate the music we all love.