New Festival Teases Return in 2026 After Costly 2025 Collapse

eathones, and Korn are rumored to be connected to the potential revival of the nü-metal extravaganza festival, Sick New World. The event, which faced a breakdown in 2025 due to high costs and slow ticket sales after ambitious plans to bring Metallica and Linkin Park fell through, is now hinting at a comeback in 2026.

Observant fans who attended System Of A Down’s extensive stadium tour this summer noticed the return of familiar animated festival mascots from previous Sick New World line-ups displayed on venue screens. Alongside this, a new sign-up page on the festival’s website, sicknewworldfest.com, is fueling speculation that the festival is preparing for a resurgence.

In its ill-fated 2025 edition, Sick New World aimed to expand beyond its nü-metal roots by securing Metallica and Linkin Park as headliners, each with reported $5 million guarantees. However, financial challenges made this vision untenable, leading to the festival’s cancellation in November 2024.

Nevertheless, there seems to be hope for a revival with System Of A Down at the forefront. The band, a longstanding presence at Sick New World and clients of Velvet Hammer management, wrapped up their European stadium tour with a cryptic announcement of a “very special event” to follow these shows.

The timing of this potential return presents a challenge as the band’s tour is set to conclude in July 2026, whereas Sick New World traditionally takes place in April. Despite this discrepancy, System Of A Down’s drummer, John Dolmayan, alluded in late 2024 to the festival making a comeback at a later date.

The festival’s co-founder, David “Beno” Benveniste of Velvet Hammer, has connections that suggest a potential reboot is in the works. As fans eagerly anticipate further developments, all eyes are on Las Vegas to see if the nü-metal extravaganza will, indeed, make a triumphant return to the event calendar.