“It’s one of the premier festivals of its kind in Canada, showcasing the biggest names in local, national, and international heavy metal music.” – Vancouver Sun
After celebrating a milestone 15th anniversary marked by record‑breaking crowds and its most successful edition to date, ARMSTRONG METALFEST returns for its 16th chapter on July 17 and 18, 2026, at the Hassen Arena in Armstrong, BC. Fans can look forward to two full days of moshing, headbanging, and camping. Early bird tickets are now available!
Early bird weekend passes are $179.99 CAD until March 1st. Once early bird sales end, pre‑sale passes will be offered at $229.99 CAD, with gate admission priced at $274.99 CAD.
All prices apply to full weekend passes and are subject to applicable taxes. Each weekend pass grants general admission and access to the festival grounds, camping area, and arena from 9:00 AM on Friday, July 17, 2026, until 10:00 AM on Sunday, July 18, 2026. Free camping is included.
Please Note: Camping – RV / Non-Hookup RV / Vehicle Passes: Make sure to reserve your vehicle spot to get the best location on the grounds. A fee is required for a weekend pass per vehicle in addition to your day or weekend pass. RV hookups include water and power. If you choose to park your vehicle outside the camping area in the main parking lot, then a vehicle pass is not required.
Since its inception in 2009 (with a brief hiatus in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), West Metal Entertainment and Armstrong MetalFest have championed hundreds of local bands while welcoming renowned international acts to the quiet town of Armstrong, British Columbia.
Armstrong MetalFest has hosted legendary headliners like Kataklysm, Cattle Decapitation, Archspire, Nekrogoblikon, Origin, Warbringer, Fallujah, Striker, and Beyond Creation, alongside rising stars from across North America. And when the final riff fades, the festival vanishes without a trace, leaving the landscape as untouched as it was before.
West Metal Entertainment, a non-profit society, not only produces Armstrong MetalFest annually but also supports the regional music scene by organizing performances at various venues, including all-ages shows, to inspire musical passion in both youth and adults.
Celebrating 15 Years of mountain moshing in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, Armstrong MetalFest unveils its conquering 2025 lineup with BORN OF OSIRIS, HAVOK, GLYPH, RIOT CITY, THE BROWNING, VIRVUM and lots more from across Canada and beyond.
All tickets provide general admission and grant access to the festival grounds, camping area, and arena from 9:00 AM on Friday, July 11, 2025, until 10:00 AM on Sunday, July 13, 2025. Free camping is included.
Tickets will be mailed starting after March 1st if you have chosen the “Ticket Mailed” option.
Hosted on July 11th and 12th in Armstrong, BC at the Hassen Arena, this year’s two days of moshing, headbanging, and camping is a very special one as festival council members comment:
“The band council worked hard on this year’s lineup. I am so excited to have the Browning back. They were amazing on stage. I have been wanting to see Born of Osiris play live for years. I love them, and now I get to see them in my own little town.” – Heather Valstar, Vice President of West Metal Entertainment Society
“I’m really excited about the diversity of this year’s line-up. The selection team has really put in the work. There’s sure to be something for everyone: a great mix of trusted favorites and new additions to your playlist for the rest of the year!” – Kate Kutzner, President of West Metal Entertainment Society
“This year’s festival is a work of art! I can’t believe we are on the 15th year already. Time flies when you’re setting up a festival full of crushing riffs, soaring vocals and down right nasty beats. Life rules, bring on the summer!” – Festival Co-Founder / General Manager – Jessie Valstar.
Headlining opening night, Friday, July 11th, Denver thrashers HAVOK are no strangers to the mosh pits, these veterans have unleashed five studio albums – Burn (2009), Time Is Up (2011), Unnatural Selection (2013), Conformicide (2017), V (2020) – and recently surprised fans this past November with the EP “New Eyes”. Music Video – Death Is An Illusion – https://youtu.be/hkUgz-DeFAo
Also supporting the Friday night stage, the Pacific Northwest’s Glyph (ft. members fromGatekeeper, Greyhawk, Hjelvik), which is not just a heavy metal band, they are a crew of intergalactic mercenaries escaping a dying planet in their spaceship, the VSS Dragonlord. Clearly, Glyph isn’t just writing songs, they’re building worlds and they bring it forth in their latest album “Honor, Power, Glory” released in March 2024. Lyric Video – March of the Northern Clan (feat. Nathan Harrison) – https://youtu.be/htSyUb25wD4
Another highlight for Friday is the screaming heavy metal from Calgary’s speed demons Riot City, who bring forth theirsteel, spikes and leather! A youthful band that represent the new face of Canadian metal. An amalgam of ripping and hot heavy metal, created in pure and youthful madness, they’re bullet belts feature two full lengths “Electric Elite” (2022), “Burn The Night” (2019) and their latest live album “Live in Newcastle” (2023). Album Stream – Electric Elite – https://youtu.be/j3hA1nrG7M0
Saturday, July 12th will be headlined by international tour de force, progressive deathcore titans, Chicago’s BORN OF OSIRIS. The group is signed to Sumerian Records and has released seven full lengths and two EPs. Their album, A Higher Place, reached number 73 on the Billboard 200. Their second full-length album, The Discovery, debuted at 87 on the Billboard 200. The band unveiled their latest single “In Desolation” this past August. Visualizer – In Desolation – https://youtu.be/9OyMRRAq9fI
Also featured on Saturday is AMF alumni Kansas City’s THE BROWNING who will be unleashing their unique eclectic blend of electronicore and deathcore. This past November, they released their sixth album “OMNI” that features 10 powerful tracks, including collaborations with Nik Nocturnal and the eponymous song with THE DEFECT. Music Video – OMNI (feat. THE DEFECT) – https://youtu.be/VhyuduP3MdY
Performing for the first time at AMF and adding to the nostalgia of Saturday night, VIRVUM, progressive / technical death metal all the way from Zürich, Switzerland that many in Canada have been waiting a long time to witness. There’s no better place to see them along with the backdrop of the Canadian Rockies than at AMF 2025. The Cypher Supreme – https://youtu.be/9W9Kp38I9yY
Other to be treasured highlights of this year’s fest not to miss is Montreal, QC up and coming thrashers DROWNING IN BLOOD, who are notorious pit mongrels and have made quite a name for themselves in Eastern Canada. Vancouver’s GRAVEMASS,they might be a new band, but they feature some serious experienced metalheads from Zimmers Hole, West of Hell, The Golers, Punch Drunk, 3 Inches of Blood and Revocation. Switzerland’s technical death/black metal Stortregn, they deliver a mix of charging riffs, blast beats and brutality that leaves the listener begging for more.
The Defect is an electronic rock/metal project created by husband and wife duo – Jonny McBee (The Browning) and Moon McBee. Their debut album “Death X Destiny” was recently released on Feb 7th, 2025 under record label FiXT. From the Salish lands of Spokane, WA, Hísemtuks Hími•n introduce their Indigenous melodic black metal of hard hitting riffs, fast paced drumming and a lot of melody. This project has strong roots in the Spokane Tribe/Nez Perce. Most songs are about Native American mythology, history, and folklore.
AMF 2025 Lineup: Havok (Denver, CO) Born of Osiris (Chicago, IL) Glyph (Seattle, WA) Riot City (Calgary, AB) The Browning (Kansas City, KS) Virvum (Zürich, Switzerland) Atavistia (Vancouver, BC) Drowning In Blood (Montreal, QC) Convictions (Fremont, OH) Scalding (Vancouver, BC) Syryn (Calgary, AB) Stortregn (Geneva, Switzerland) The Defect (Kansas City, KS) Gravemass (Vancouver, BC) Lover (Calgary, AB) Yegg (Vancouver Island, BC) Hísemtuks Hími•n (Spokane, WA) The Spruce Moose (Edmonton, AB) Volt (Fort McMurray, AB) Jisei (Vancouver, BC) Nomad (Okanagan Valley, BC) Planetkiller (Kelowna, BC) Shackled To The Throne (Edmonton, AB) The Cadavor Dog (High River, AB) Famous Strangers (Edmonton, AB) Valley of Despair (Edmonton, AB) Naitaka (Kelowna, BC) FloodGate (Kelowna, BC)
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