The Biggest Rock + Metal Tours of Summer 2026

Here are the biggest rock and metal tours of summer 2026.

Concerts happen all year long, but summer is typically regarded as "concert season" since the majority of them take place at amphitheaters and stadiums when the weather is nicer. It's also the time of year that we see bands team up for some of the most stacked lineups, offering fans the opportunity to see more than one of their favorite artists in the same night.

While Loudwire keeps track of all the major rock and metal tours going on all year in our 2026 tour guide, it can admittedly be a bit overwhelming to scroll through when you're just trying to see who's going to be playing in the near future.

Alas, we broke down the tour guide and selected the biggest acts that are going out over the summer so you can see which bands are playing over the next couple of months.

By "biggest," we not only mean the most popular rock and metal artists that are playing shows this summer, but also the tours with the sickest lineups.

READ MORE: 10 Ways Not to be an A--Hole at Concerts

We also limited the list to bands that are actually playing a lot of shows throughout the summer. Metallica, for example, have four shows scheduled at the end of June and early July and then don't play again until their residency at the Las Vegas Sphere in the fall. So while they're what we'd consider a "big" band (obviously), their tour doesn't go through the summer.

We should also note that the tours in this list may be in different geographical locations: some in North America, some in Europe and so on. So make sure to click the "tickets" link underneath each photo to double check where they're specifically playing.

Have a fun summer!

See which upcoming albums we're most excited about below.