Break out the leather, hairspray, and questionable life choices — it’s M3 season again.
The 2026 M3 Rock Festival is officially locked in for Saturday, May 2 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, MD, and this year’s lineup is basically a time machine set to “arena rock at full volume.”
Headlining the main event: Cinderella’s Tom Keifer (still hitting those bluesy wails like it’s 1988) and the ever-evolving prog-metal icons Queensrÿche. They’re joined by Buckcherry, White Lion, Barry Goudreau’s Engine Room, Faster Pussycat, Trixter, and even more names ready to prove that the “new classic rock” never really left — it just traded MTV for multigenerational fanbases.
But M3 isn’t just a festival anymore; it’s a pilgrimage. Fans have shown up from six continents, 30+ countries, and every U.S. state, all united by loud guitars and the unmistakable smell of nostalgia.
Parents bring their kids. Sometimes even grandparents bring both. This is the rare festival where “Silent Lucidity” and “Don’t Know What You Got (’Til It’s Gone)” count as family bonding material.
VIP Events
For the diehards who want the full weekend of chaos:
Friday, May 1 – VIP Kickoff Party: Quiet Riot
Saturday, May 2 – VIP Afterparty: Steven Adler
Both at the Merriweather Lakehouse Hotel, i.e., the place where the hair will be big and the hangovers even bigger.
Tickets
Tickets & VIP packages go on sale Friday, December 12 at 10 AM EST via Ticketmaster.
Get them fast — 15,000 people screaming “COME ON FEEL THE NOISE” don’t lie.
