Quest Fest 2026 Preview: Seven Bands, One Stage and a Whole Lot of Metal
Quest Fest 2026 is almost here, and Team Femetalism is heading back to KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton this Saturday, 10th October.
After making our Quest Fest debut in 2025, this year brings something new for us: press access. We'll be bringing you live updates and photos throughout the day and putting together full coverage once we've recovered.
With the official timetable now released, we've got everything you need to know ahead of the festival – from the seven bands taking over the main stage to what's happening in The Dungeon alongside them.
Quest Fest 2026 at a glance
When: Saturday 10 October 2026
Doors: 2pm
Main stage: 3pm–10:50pm
After party: 11pm–2am
Where: KK's Steel Mill, Starworks Warehouse, Frederick Street, Wolverhampton WV2 4DU
Tickets: available through KK's Steel Mill and Eventbrite
Main stage line-up: Crown Solace, Fortune Teller, Battle Born, Serious Black, Masterplan, Myrath and All For Metal
The Dungeon: TTRPG & MTG, Official Bard appearances and GH Tournament sessions
Quest Fest 2026 – official Saturday timetable. Times subject to change.
The Quest Fest 2026 line-up
Here's who's playing, in the order they take the stage – from Saturday afternoon's openers right through to the headliners.
Crown Solace
Symphonic metal from Aberdeen, inspired by Nightwish and Epica. Their secret weapon is Pete Rawcliffe's trained sopranist voice, set against Callum Hutchinson's harsh screams. We caught them at Powerlines earlier this year and absolutely loved them, so we're super excited to see them again. Get there early for this one.
Fortune Teller
The project of Ross McLennan (ex-Ingested, Viscera), joined by producer Meyrick De La Fuente on keys and video game composer Ian Rockett on guitar. Modern, riff-heavy power metal with big melodic hooks.
Battle Born
The home team. This Southampton five-piece play synth-fuelled, high-speed heavy metal with a Skyrim streak, and their debut Blood, Fire, Magic and Steel is a riot. Expect dragons, steel and very big grins.
Serious Black
Melodic European power metal with a licence to write anthems. Celebrating more than ten years together, with Nikola Mijić out front and 2024's Rise Of Akhenaton still fresh.
Masterplan
Founded by ex-Helloween pair Roland Grapow and Uli Kusch, Masterplan have been a power metal mainstay since the early 2000s. June's Metalmorphosis was their first new album in thirteen years, and Rick Altzi's gritty vocals are on fine form.
Myrath
The Tunisian-French prog metallers bring Middle Eastern melodies and huge, cinematic choruses, led by Zaher Zorgati's extraordinary voice. They're touring their new album Wilderness of Mirrors, released in March, which includes a duet with Amaranthe's Elize Ryd on "Until The End".
All For Metal
If you want fun, this is it. Anthems, hammers, leather and choruses built for shouting, with guitarists Ursula Zanichelli and Jasmin Pabst tearing through the riffs. It's a year of change for the band after co-vocalist Antonio Calanna's departure. We've seen them live before and they were phenomenal, so we can't wait to see what the new-look line-up brings.
The Dungeon
Away from the main stage, The Dungeon is where Quest Fest's fantasy side really comes out to play. Pull up a chair for tabletop roleplaying games and Magic: The Gathering, catch the festival's Official Bard, or test your skills in the Guitar Hero tournament sessions. It's the perfect spot to recharge between sets, meet fellow adventurers and lean into the music-meets-fantasy spirit that makes Quest Fest unlike any other metal day out.
Accessibility
One thing Quest Fest does really well is accessibility. The information is clear and easy to find, and access requirements are simple to request ahead of the day.
Based on our experience last year, the venue is easy to get around, with plenty of places to sit when your legs need a break between sets. It all adds to that welcoming, everyone's-included feel that makes Quest Fest so special.
Festival History
Quest Fest has been running since 2017, celebrating power, prog and heavy metal, but 2025 was the year it relaunched at KK's Steel Mill – and the year we finally made it along.
Sonata Arctica headlined, with Seven Spires, Dawn of Victory, Fellowship, Sellsword, Stormborn and Heroes Of The Gauntlet filling out the day. Add the gaming corner and stalls, and it felt less like a gig and more like a gathering of the clans.
What stuck with us most was the atmosphere. Quest Fest is friendly, welcoming and properly community-driven, the kind of event where you arrive knowing a few people and leave knowing loads more.
Going from punters to press is a big moment for us, and we're grateful to the Quest Fest team for having us. Here's what to expect from Team Femetalism over the weekend:
Live updates and photos across our socials on the day
A full review of every set once we've recovered
A full set of live photos for all the bands
If you spot us in the crowd, come and say hello.
