Key facts

  • 2026 edition: Held on 10 October 2026 at the Bits Club grounds near Hennur, Bengaluru, billed as the 14th edition.
  • Headliner: Dismember, booked 25 days before the show after Carcass rescheduled their India date.
  • First edition: 16 June 2012, with Kreator on the bill.
  • Founder: Salman U. Syed.
  • Wacken link: Hosted the 2019 Wacken Metal Battle subcontinent final; Kasck won India's 2024 Metal Battle.
  • 2027: No date, venue or lineup announced as of 25 October 2026.

Bangalore Open Air is a heavy metal festival in Bengaluru, and its 2026 edition took place on 10 October 2026 at the Bits Club grounds near Hennur. Dismember headlined after Carcass pulled out, Paradise Lost played India for the first time, and Kerala's The Down Troddence returned to the festival after more than a decade. Rolling Stone India called it the biggest edition the festival has staged. It started in 2012 with Kreator on the bill and is often described as India's only dedicated open-air heavy metal festival. This guide covers the 2026 recap, how the festival grew, the headliners year by year, and what is known about the next edition.

What Bangalore Open Air is

Bangalore Open Air, usually shortened to BOA, is a one-day or two-day outdoor metal festival held on the outskirts of Bengaluru. Wikipedia's entry calls it India's only dedicated heavy metal open-air festival. Its founder is Salman U. Syed, whom Rolling Stone India names in its coverage of the 2025 lineup.

The format has stayed simple. International metal headliners share a bill with Indian and South Asian bands, and the festival has close links to the Wacken Open Air world in Germany through the Wacken Metal Battle band contest. If you are new to the scene, our guide to Indian metal bands is a good place to find the names that keep turning up on its bills.

Bangalore Open Air 2026 recap

The 2026 edition was billed as the 14th by Rolling Stone India, and the festival's official website lists it on 10 October 2026 at the BITS Club grounds in Hennur. The lineup announced in May 2026 named Carcass as headliner, with Paradise Lost, Thy Art Is Murder, 1349, Nervosa, The Ocean, The Down Troddence and Midhaven. Rolling Stone India reported that tickets started at Rs 5,499 on BookMyShow.

Dismember replaced Carcass

Carcass rescheduled their China and India dates in early September, citing drummer Dan Wilding's family situation. According to Rolling Stone India's review, the festival booked Swedish death metal band Dismember as the replacement headliner just 25 days before the show.

Two stages for the first time

The festival ran two stages, named after Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio, and added a cloakroom for fans. Rolling Stone India's review also noted that sound system outages hurt several sets during the day, which was the main complaint about an otherwise ambitious edition.

The Indian bands

Mumbai progressive metal band Midhaven came to the festival fresh from the Wacken Metal Battle, having won the Indian leg of the contest. Their set included "The Veiler", a song inspired by Raag Todi, and "Zhitro".

The Down Troddence, from Kerala, were back at BOA after more than a decade. They opened with "Nagavalli" and played "Ejjathi", which Rolling Stone India described as the band's first Malayalam song. Their 2026 album is covered in our AYAKTIHIS review.

The international acts

Paradise Lost played their first ever India show and closed with "Silence Like the Grave". Nervosa also made their India debut. The Ocean played with new vocalists and included "Solaris", 1349's set featured fire-breathing, and Thy Art Is Murder appeared with a new vocalist.

How Bangalore Open Air began

The first edition took place on 16 June 2012, with German thrash band Kreator at the top of the bill. A year later, on 6 July 2013, the festival moved to Jayamahal Palace with Iced Earth and Dark Tranquillity.

The 2014 edition on 13 September brought Destruction and Rotting Christ, and Wikipedia notes that the organisers used crowdfunding to help put it on. In 2015 the festival was renamed G-Shock Bangalore Open Air, and that edition was held on 6 June 2015.

Bangalore Open Air headliners by year

The list below follows the Wikipedia history of the festival and Rolling Stone India's lineup reports. Venues changed often, so they are included where the sources give them.

  1. 2012, 16 June: Kreator headlined the first edition.
  2. 2013, 6 July: Iced Earth and Dark Tranquillity at Jayamahal Palace.
  3. 2014, 13 September: Destruction and Rotting Christ, partly crowdfunded.
  4. 2015, 6 June: the first edition under the G-Shock name.
  5. 2016, 9 July: held at Royal Orchid Resorts in Yelahanka.
  6. 2017, 1 July: again at Royal Orchid Resorts in Yelahanka.
  7. 2018, 7 July: Overkill made their India debut at Aadya Farms, with Immolation and Alcest also on the bill.
  8. 2019, 9 February: Abbath and Suffocation at Aadya Farms, plus the Wacken Metal Battle subcontinent final.
  9. 2023, 1 April: the 10th edition at Royal Orchid in Yelahanka, after a 2020 edition had been scheduled for 21 March 2020 at Ramada in Yelahanka.
  10. 2024, 9 and 10 February: Kreator returned with In Flames, Decapitated and Watain at Bits Club in Hennur.
  11. 2025, 8 February: Jinjer and Cynic at Royal Orchid Resort in Yelahanka.
  12. 2026, 10 October: Dismember, replacing Carcass, with Paradise Lost at Bits Club near Hennur.

The 2024 and 2025 editions

The 2024 festival on 9 and 10 February was the first to run across two days, according to The Hindu and Rolling Stone India. Kreator came back to headline, In Flames and Watain made their India debuts, and Decapitated and Burning Witches also played. The Indian side of the bill included Kryptos, who played a 25th anniversary show, along with Zygnema, Godless, Chronic Xorn, Moral Collapse and Speedtrip, plus Ankor from Spain. You can read more about that band in our Kryptos band guide.

For 2025, Rolling Stone India reported that the festival went back to a single day on 8 February at Royal Orchid Resort in Yelahanka. It was billed as the 12th edition. Jinjer and Cynic headlined, with Necrophobic, Suicidal Angels and Midnight Danger, and an Indian lineup of Demonic Resurrection, Inner Sanctum, Kasck and Peekay. Tickets were priced at Rs 3,999.

Bangalore Open Air and the Wacken Metal Battle

BOA's link with Wacken is part of what sets it apart from other Indian festivals. In February 2019 the festival hosted the Indian subcontinent final of the Wacken Metal Battle, with Krur from Nepal, Mass Damnation from Sri Lanka, Trainwreck from Bangladesh and Nephele from India competing.

The official Wacken Metal Battle site lists Kasck as the Indian winner for 2024, and Kasck went on to play BOA in 2025. In 2026 Midhaven arrived at the festival after winning the Indian leg of the contest. The contest gives Indian bands a route from a home stage to Wacken itself.

Where Bangalore Open Air is held

The festival has never had one permanent home. It has used Jayamahal Palace in central Bengaluru, Royal Orchid Resorts and Ramada in Yelahanka, Aadya Farms, and in 2024 and 2026 the Bits Club grounds near Hennur in the north-east of the city. For more on the city's wider music life, see our guide to the Bengaluru indie scene.

Bangalore Open Air 2027

As of 25 October 2026, no date, venue or lineup for a 2027 edition had been announced on the official website or reported by Rolling Stone India. Past announcements have come months ahead of the show: the 2026 lineup was published in mid-May for an October date. The festival's own website and social channels are the place to watch for news.

FAQ

When is Bangalore Open Air 2027?

No date has been announced as of 25 October 2026. The 2026 edition took place on 10 October 2026, and its lineup was first announced in May.

Where is Bangalore Open Air held?

The 2026 edition was held at the Bits Club grounds near Hennur in Bengaluru. Earlier editions used Royal Orchid Resort in Yelahanka, Aadya Farms and Jayamahal Palace.

Who played Bangalore Open Air 2026?

Dismember headlined after Carcass withdrew. The bill also had Paradise Lost, Thy Art Is Murder, 1349, Nervosa, The Ocean, The Down Troddence and Midhaven.

How much were Bangalore Open Air 2026 tickets?

Rolling Stone India reported that tickets started at Rs 5,499 on BookMyShow. Tickets for the 2025 edition were Rs 3,999.

Who founded Bangalore Open Air?

Salman U. Syed founded the festival, and its first edition was held on 16 June 2012.

Sources

Cover photo: BangaloreOpenAir / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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