Atlanta progressive metal titans MASTODON have confirmed a string of major summer festival appearances for 2026, including a slot at Download Festival at Donington Park in June. Additional festival dates are expected to be announced in the coming weeks as the band's summer calendar takes shape.
Guitarist Brent Hinds has confirmed in a recent interview that work on a new MASTODON album is underway, though no timeline has been provided. "We've got a lot of new stuff we're excited about. We're taking our time with it because it needs to be right," Hinds said. Their last studio album, Hushed and Grim (2021), was a sprawling double album that earned widespread critical acclaim and is considered by many to be a late-career high point.
MASTODON's festival presence in 2026 follows years of selective live appearances since the Hushed and Grim touring cycle concluded. The band remains one of the most consistently inventive forces in heavy music, blending progressive rock ambition with genuine metallic weight in a way few peers have sustained over multiple decades. Updates on the new album are expected as the year progresses.