Pig Destroyer, Weekend Nachos, Plague Bringer & More Drag Chicago Into the Void at Forever Deaf Fest 2026

Forever Deaf Fest has once again looked at Chicago, shrugged, and said: “Yeah, you can survive this.” The seventh edition of the annual ear-ruination ritual hits April 10–11, spreading itself across Sleeping Village, Avondale Music Hall, and Live Wire Lounge like a glorious sonic infestation.

Night one still has a headliner “TBA,” which either means a big name is coming… or the organizers are simply waiting for a band loud enough to structurally compromise the venue. But don’t worry—Atomic Rule (featuring ex-members of Every Time I Die, The Acacia Strain, etc.) are already confirmed to be there, so the walls might not survive anyway. Rounding it out are Motherless and See You Next Tuesday, guaranteeing Friday will be a perfect warm-up for the chaos to come.

Night two is where the festival throws all subtlety into Lake Michigan. Pig Destroyer will perform Prowler in the Yard in full, which means a hundred grown adults will be screaming poetry about human suffering in unison. Weekend Nachos are back to remind everyone exactly why they were missed. Plague Bringer return for their first live show in a decade, and Year Of The Knife bring a rare appearance to ensure the room is appropriately pulverized.

And because no Chicago fest is complete without a dive-bar detour, Live Wire Lounge will host Speedfreak on April 11th for anyone who needs a final serving of high-octane thrash to finish the weekend off right.

Bonus metal good-karma: $1 from every ticket goes to Headbang For Science, the scholarship that helps academically ambitious metalheads prove that blasting grindcore and getting good grades are not mutually exclusive.


Full Schedule & Lineup

Friday, April 10 @ Sleeping Village

  • TBA

  • Atomic Rule

  • Motherless

  • See You Next Tuesday

Saturday, April 11 @ Avondale Music Hall

  • Hewhocorrupts

  • Plague Bringer

  • Pig Destroyer

  • Mellow Harsher

  • Scalp

  • Weekend Nachos

  • Year Of The Knife

Saturday, April 11 @ Live Wire Lounge

  • Speedfreak

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