Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival, or simply Sonic Temple, is a hard rock, metal, and art festival held in Columbus, Ohio, United States at the Historic Crew Stadium, promoted by Danny Wimmer Presents. The inaugural festival was held in May 2019, replacing the previously annual Rock on the Range. Sonic Temple was to return in 2020, but was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which put the festival on hiatus until its return in 2023 and it has been held annually since.
History In 2018, it was announced by Danny Wimmer Presents that their former Rock on the Range festival, held in Columbus, Ohio, United States at Mapfre Stadium (renamed Historic Crew Stadium in 2020), would be replaced by the Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival at the same location in 2019. This was due to creative differences with Rock on the Range co-promoter AEG Presents. The inaugural festival was a three-day event held from May 17–19 with estimated sold-out crowds of 120,000.
In December 2019, the full lineup for Sonic Temple 2020 was revealed. Metallica were to headline both Friday and Sunday night, with Slipknot headlining on Saturday. Other performers were to include Deftones, Bring Me the Horizon, Evanescence, Sublime with Rome, Rancid, Dropkick Murphys, Cypress Hill, Pennywise, Royal Blood, The Pretty Reckless, Alter Bridge, Anthrax, Flatbush Zombies, Pop Evil, Hellyeah, Ghostemane, Suicidal Tendencies, Testament, Dance Gavin Dance, Ice Nine Kills, Sleeping with Sirens, The Darkness, Knocked Loose, Code Orange, Power Trip, Saint Asonia, Dirty Honey, Jinjer, City Morgue, Bones UK, Airbourne, Fire from the Gods, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Des Rocs, Counterfeit, Crobot, Cherry Bomb, DED, Goodbye June, Brutus, 3Teeth, BRKN Love, Killstation, Brass Against, Crown Lands, Ego Kill Talent, Dregg, Bloodywood, and Zero 9:36, with more to have been announced. In February 2020, it was revealed that Metallica would be replaced as headliners by the Red Hot Chili Peppers on Friday and Tool on Sunday following frontman James Hetfield's entrance into a rehabilitation program for substance abuse. The following month, however, the festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which also cancelled a planned 2021 festival.
After the festival was again not held in 2022 due to the ongoing pandemic, in November that year, it was announced that after a three-year hiatus, Sonic Temple would return in 2023 and be held as a four-day festival during Memorial Day weekend from May 25–28.
On August 23, 2023, the 2024 festival dates were announced for May 16–19. It was also revealed that the 2024 festival would expand to have four stages to allow for more bands to perform.
The 2025 festival dates were announced in June 2024. The 2025 edition was moved up a weekend, scheduled for May 8–11. On September 19, 2024, it was announced that Metallica would headline both Friday and Sunday nights, as they were originally supposed to do in 2020, with Rob Zombie and Alice in Chains opening for them on the respective nights. Korn and Linkin Park were also confirmed to headline Thursday and Saturday, respectively, with Bad Omens and Incubus opening for them on the respective nights. However, the day of their performance, Incubus canceled due to an illness; the schedule was shifted with I Prevail instead opening for Linkin Park. Alice in Chains would also cancel due to a non-life threatening medical issue, with Columbus band Beartooth brought in as a last minute replacement.
The 2026 dates were announced in June 2025, scheduled for May 14–17, 2026. On July 31, it was revealed that the 2026 festival would expand to having five stages, allowing for the addition of over 30 more bands. Tom Morello, The Offspring, Crown the Empire, CKY, and Thy Art is Murder were originally booked for the 2026 festival but had to cancel in the weeks leading up to the event, with Chevelle, Pop Evil, As You Were, Gideon, and 200 Stab Wounds replacing them.
The 2027 dates were announced in June 2026, scheduled for May 13–16, 2027.
Events 2019
Monster Energy Stadium Stage: System of a Down Ghost Halestorm Parkway Drive Beartooth Avatar Badflower
Echo Stage: Meshuggah Black Label Society Bad Wolves Zeal & Ardor Wage War SHVPES The Jacks
Wave Stage: Tom Morello Pussy Riot Ho99o9 Cleopatrick Hands Like Houses Radattack
SiriusXM Comedy & Spoken Word Tent: Henry Rollins Tom Morello Shapel Lacy Nadya
Monster Energy Stadium Stage: Disturbed Papa Roach Lamb of God In This Moment Gojira Fever 333 Black Coffee
Echo Stage: The Cult Killswitch Engage Architects The Black Dahlia Murder While She Sleeps Evan Konrad The Plot in You
Wave Stage: Action Bronson (did not perform due to an "unforeseen knee injury") Mark Lanegan Band Don Broco Movements Boston Manor No1Cares
SiriusXM Comedy & Spoken Word Tent: Andrew Dice Clay Eleanor Kerrigan Mark Normand Craig Grass
Monster Energy Stadium Stage: Foo Fighters Bring Me the Horizon (did not perform due to high winds) Chevelle (did not perform due to high winds) The Distillers (did not perform due to high winds) The Struts The Glorious Sons Amigo the Devil
Echo Stage: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts The Hives (performance ended early due to high winds) The Interrupters Yungblud Palaye Royale Dirty Honey Teenage Wrist
Wave Stage: Scars on Broadway (did not perform due to high winds) Refused (did not perform due to high winds) Black Pistol Fire (did not perform due to high winds) Basement (did not perform due to high winds) Scarlxrd (did not perform due to high winds) Demob Happy (did not perform due to high winds)
SiriusXM Comedy & Spoken Word Tent: Pauly Shore (did not perform due to high winds) Carmen Lynch (did not perform due to high winds) Joe Deuce (did not perform due to high winds) Bill Squire (did not perform due to high winds)
2023
Temple Stage: Tool Godsmack Beartooth Pennywise Miss May I Oxymorrons Fever 333 (did not perform)
Octane Stage: Bullet for My Valentine Bad Omens Anti-Flag Joey Valence & Brae Bones UK Malevolence Bastardane
SoundWave Stage: Suicidal Tendencies Ho99o9 Angel Du$t Bloodywood Wargasm OTTO
Temple Stage: Avenged Sevenfold Queens of the Stone Age Chevelle Badflower Black Stone Cherry Des Rocs Vended
Octane Stage: I Prevail Knocked Loose Dorothy Born of Osiris Fame on Fire Dayseeker
SoundWave Stage: Sleeping with Sirens Converge Band-Maid Brutus Mike's Dead A Feast for the Crows
Temple Stage: Kiss Rob Zombie Falling in Reverse Trivium Rival Sons Giovannie & the Hired Guns The Violent
Octane Stage: Puscifer Avatar From Ashes to New Attila Varials Tallah Capital Theatre
SoundWave Stage: Yelawolf Presents: Sometimes Y Senses Fail Mothica Point North Over the Moon Dead Poet Society (did not perform)
Temple Stage: Foo Fighters Deftones Jawbreaker The Pretty Reckless Nothing More Holy Wars The Bronx (did not perform)
Octane Stage: Sublime with Rome Awolnation White Reaper Ayron Jones Zero 9:36 Tigercub Bob Vylan (did not perform)
SoundWave Stage: Grandson Filter Nova Twins Starcrawler Aeir Poorstacy (did not perform)
2024
Temple Stage: Disturbed Evanescence Mudvayne Theory of a Deadman P.O.D. Drowning Pool Nita Strauss
Cathedral Stage: Judas Priest Kerry King The Ghost Inside Nova Twins Taipei Houston Bob Vylan Tim Montana
Citadel Stage: Cypress Hill Electric Callboy Enter Shikari The Chats Magnolia Park TX2 Lø Spirit
Sanctuary Stage: Machine Head August Burns Red Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes Fire from the Gods Miss May I Catch Your Breath SiM HotBox
Temple Stage: The Original Misfits Falling In Reverse Seether Anthrax Dirty Honey Nonpoint Point North
Cathedral Stage: Rise Against Sum 41 Black Veil Brides Movements Terror Scowl Gel
Citadel Stage: Code Orange Mr. Bungle Drain Militarie Gun Rain City Drive The Chisel Gideon
Sanctuary Stage: Avatar Atreyu Soulfly Kublai Khan TX New Years Day Fleshwater I See Stars Fuming Mouth
Temple Stage: Pantera Staind Breaking Benjamin Starset Living Colour Saint Asonia (did not perform due to travel issues) Flat Black
Cathedral Stage: Sleep Token In This Moment Flyleaf with Lacey Sturm Kittie Destroy Boys Calva Louise VUKOVI
Citadel Stage: Polyphia The Amity Affliction Currents Spite Bodysnatcher Thrown Dying Wish
Sanctuary Stage: Slaughter to Prevail In Flames Lacuna Coil Harm's Way Empire State Bastard Imminence Mike's Dead
Temple Stage: Slipknot Limp Bizkit A Day to Remember Royal Blood Bad Religion Saliva Sleep Theory
Cathedral Stage: 311 Architects Wage War Of Mice & Men Reignwolf Kim Dracula Blind Channel
Citadel Stage: Clutch Baroness Helmet Red Fang Crobot Plush Moon Fever Return to Dust
Sanctuary Stage: Tech N9ne L7 While She Sleeps Taproot Bad Nerves Dead Poet Society Eva Under Fire
2025
Temple Stage: Korn Bad Omens Three Days Grace Sevendust Alien Ant Farm Orgy Return to Dust
Cathedral Stage: Motionless in White Poppy Memphis May Fire Fit for a King Boundaries Caskets Wind Walkers
Citadel Stage: Killswitch Engage Jinjer Shadows Fall Fit for an Autopsy Bleeding Through Left to Suffer As You Were
Sanctuary Stage: Ministry Filter Health Nitzer Ebb DED Uncured Silly Goose
Temple Stage: Metallica Rob Zombie Alice Cooper Testament Exodus Overkill
Cathedral Stage: Insane Clown Posse Mastadon Acid Bath Suicidal Tendencies Deafheaven Converge 200 Stab Wounds Dead Heat
Citadel Stage: Cannibal Corpse Hatebreed Municipal Waste Gatecreeper Armored Saint Frozen Soul PeelingFlesh
Sanctuary Stage: Whitechapel All Shall Perish The Black Dahlia Murder After the Burial The Acacia Strain Upon a Burning Body Angelmaker
Temple Stage: Linkin Park Incubus (did not perform due to illness) I Prevail Trivium Hoobastank Citizen Soldier Sick Puppies
Cathedral Stage: Three 6 Mafia Bullet for My Valentine Jimmy Eat World Of Mice & Men Escape the Fate Set It Off Erra Nevertel
Citadel Stage: Grandson Crossfade Trust Company Framing Hanley The Funeral Portrait Bleed from Within Fight from Within
Sanctuary Stage: Underoath Silverstein The Devil Wears Prada Invent Animate Silent Planet Scary Kids Scaring Kids I Set My Friends On Fire
Temple Stage: Metallica Alice in Chains (did not perform due to a non-life threatening medical issue) Beartooth (last minute replacement for Alice in Chains) Chevelle Quicksand Cavalera Corrosion of Conformity
Cathedral Stage: Ice Nine Kills Hollywood Undead Asking Alexandria Badflower From Ashes to New The Plot in You Fame on Fire
Citadel Stage: Arch Enemy Gwar Obituary Nails Sanguisugabogg Shadow of Intent Fulci
Sanctuary Stage: Power Trip Sunami Terror Harm's Way Pain of Truth Candy Gridiron
2026
Temple Stage: My Chemical Romance Pierce the Veil All Time Low Coheed and Cambria L.S. Dunes Hawthorne Heights The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Cathedral Stage: Breaking Benjamin Rise Against The Used Flyleaf with Lacey Sturm Fozzy Egypt Central
Citadel Stage: Slaughter to Prevail Whitechapel 200 Stab Wounds Attila Bodysnatcher Carnifex Disembodied Tyrant Windwaker
Sanctuary Stage: Dayseeker Magnolia Park Catch Your Breath Holding Absence Wind Walkers Nerv The Pretty Wild
Altar Stage: Behemoth Cradle of Filth Dying Fetus Cattle Decapitation Napalm Death Fleshgod Apocalypse Suffocation Nekrogoblikon
Temple Stage: Shinedown Staind Halestorm Stone Temple Pilots Daughtry Hinder Buckcherry
Cathedral Stage: Sublime Chevelle Yellowcard New Found Glory Everclear Lit
Citadel Stage: Simple Plan Story of the Year Atreyu blessthefall The Word Alive Woe, Is Me Left On Red As You Were
Sanctuary Stage: Lorna Shore Kublai Khan TX Paleface Swiss Chelsea Grin Brand of Sacrifice