SLAYER have announced two live appearances in 2026, confounding their own retirement declarations in the name of one of heavy metal's most iconic anniversaries. The band will perform at Rocklahoma 20th Anniversary in Pryor, Oklahoma on September 6, and at Sick New World Texas at Fort Worth Motor Speedway on October 24 — the latter being a massive festival also featuring SYSTEM OF A DOWN, DEFTONES, EVANESCENCE, MASTODON, and THE PRODIGY.
The motivation is clear: 2026 marks the 40th anniversary of Reign in Blood — SLAYER's landmark 1986 album that redefined the possibilities of extreme music and remains one of the most important records in metal history. Guitarist Kerry King addressed the apparent contradiction of comeback shows for a band that famously ended their final tour in 2019: "This one came and I thought, 'If we're ever going to do one, this could be cool because it's the five-year anniversary of our final tour.'"
The band has confirmed they will not record new material — these remain selective reunion appearances. Whether Tom Araya, Kerry King, Gary Holt, and Paul Bostaph constitute a full reunion or a partial lineup has not been clarified. Tickets for both events go on sale this week.