Concert Review: Sonic Temple Festival 2026
- Shelbi Baker
- May 24
- 5 min read
If you've ever imagined the perfect rock show conveniently located in the Midwest, Sonic Temple was definitely it this year! With over 140 bands, there was something for everyone, and the energy of Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio those four days said it all. Fans came dressed in a spectrum of their favorite band tees to outrageous costumes. We stood in the long lines and paid for the overpriced snacks all for the love of the game. Was it worth it? Absolutely! And we've got all the details for you right here. So, without further delay, here's my group's condensed experience at Sonic Temple 2026.
Day 1
For Day one, my group stuck to the main stage for the majority of the day, experiencing some of our most anticipated bands in one place. The festival was kicked off by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, who absolutely set the tone for an incredible weekend with their classic 2000s jams that we grew up on. Later that day, my personal favorite of the whole festival, Coheed and Cambria, would play. The joy on their faces while they played was unmatched and their performance was immaculate. Soon, it was time for All Time Low to throw us back to high school, playing their hits like, "Dear Maria Count Me In", for a crowd of truly dedicated elder emos.
After a while, our group would split, with my friends watching Pierce the Veil, and myself and my partner going to the pit for Magnolia Park. And boy, that was an experience. This was my first time ever experiencing a mosh pit and crowd surfers in the same show. The lead singer and guitarist were in the crowd with us, and crowd surfed back to the stage. Crazy!
Finally, it was time for the headline act of the night, My Chemical Romance. This was the most anticipated act of the night, and thanks to my friends holding the seats all day, we could actually see them! MCR performed nearly every song from their beloved album, "The Black Parade", with full theatrics in tow. From dictators to exploding clowns, MCR did not let up on the illusion. Lead singer, Gerard Way, was committed to the bit the whole time, never letting the energy die in the crowd that night. They ended the night with "Helena", a fitting end to a long and spectacular show. And that was only day one!
Day 2
For day two, our group showed up to the venue a little late, completely exhausted from day one, as you can imagine, but that doesn't mean we didn't see some excellent bands. We kicked off day two with Daughtry, New Found Glory, and Stone Temple Pilots, who all played the classics we know and love. Daughtry was especially impressive to me, as their sound has gotten much heavier over the years, and they sound great live! Next up was Yellowcard. We all love "Ocean Avenue" right? Well, the band ended their timeless set with the fan favorite, making for a fantastic show. Finally, we gathered around the Cathedral stage for Sublime, who played some great music and made us all laugh with the singer's playful banter. We had a great day leading into our last band of the night. While the headliner for day two was Shinedown, my group opted to see Simple Plan instead. With a spot in the crowd surprisingly close to the stage, we got to see all of our 2000s nostalgia dreams come true. With the band playing hits like "Shut Up", we were already invested. However, when the band invited those dressed up as Scooby Doo on stage for "What's New Scooby Doo?", we were having the time of our millennial/Gen Z lives. Simple Plan ended their set with "Perfect", with a sea of flashlights in the crowd. It was a beautiful ending to a hectic second day, but the fest wasn't over yet!
Day 3
Day three began with a bit of bad weather, delaying the festival by about an hour, but that didn't stop us. Dawning our hilariously oversized Ohio State ponchos that were the only ones we could find at the local Kroger, we braved the elements for the first band, Knuckle Puck. I didn't know much about this band at first, but their Midwest emo sound won me over instantly. With the rain finally drying up, we explored the venue a little before our next performance, State Champs. They offered a similar pop-punk experience that we really enjoyed. Next, we gathered to the stadium again for Motionless in White, a much heavier band that both surprised and impressed all of us. Finally, it was time for one of my most anticipated bands, Mayday Parade, who played all of their classic hits that we adored in the 2010s. I was over the moon for their performance!
After a super long day with spontaneous weather, it was finally time for the day three headliner, Bring Me the Horizon. In my opinion, BMTH brought the best visual effects of the entire festival, with a video game-like tone to the whole performance. Lead singer, Oli Sykes, gave the performance of a lifetime, hyping the audience with every song. From the highs of "Teardrops" to the somber beauty of "Follow You", we were capitvated throughout the entire show. With one day to go, there was still even more to look forward to!
Day 4
Finally, it was day four, and the bittersweet feeling of the last day of performances was upon us. Personally, I was already mourning the end of the festival before we made it to the venue that day. We had had so much fun, I didn't want it to end. But through the 85 degree weather, we weren't ready to give up yet. To be honest, we were late again on day four, spending a good bit of our morning hiding in the shade and buying $20 drinks to stay cool, but eventually, we started our journey off with the metalcore band, Thrown, followed immediately by one of my personal favorites, alternative rock band, Anberlin. We soon made our way back to the stadium to wait for the ever iconic Godsmack, who opened with the hit song, "I Stand Alone", and put on a stellar performance. Afterward, we traveled back to the Cathedral stage to catch Megadeth, lucky enough to see them on their farewell tour. Their expert playing echoed through the venue as we lined up to see our final band of the festival.
While once again, the headliner was someone else, Tool in this case, our little group opted to see DragonForce at the Altar stage. And personally, I couldn't be happier with this decision. DragonForce was everything I expected them to be and more live. They even had giant inflatable dragons on stage. What more could you ask for? Every guitar riff was perfect, with the legendary Herman Li shredding alongside his bandmates, of course. Singer, Alissa White-Gluz hyped up the audience thoroughly between songs before the band ended with their evergreen hit, "Through the Fire and Flames". It was the perfect ending to an absolutely epic four-day festival.
In conclusion, there was just so much that happened at Sonic Temple that it's impossible to talk about all of it (This is practically a research paper at this point.), but the vibes were pure perfection. By the end of the festival, we were all exhausted, but couldn't help wishing it were longer. This was truly the greatest experience I could have hoped for in a rock festival and I can't wait to go back. What did you think? Is Sonic Temple on your list of festivals for next year? Feel free to let us know your thoughts at any of our socials below!
Written By Shelbi Baker
*copyright not intended. Fair use act, section 107.
