Summer Bash 2026: The possibilities are limitless!

Well, well, well if it isn’t that time of year again. The sun is shining, the weather is sweet, makes you want to move those dancing feet… to the sound of the pounding war drums and abrasive riffs with the odd sing-a-long chorus permitted amid breakdowns, mosh pits, ripping solos and headbanging! Yes! Summer Festival Season is almost upon us and that means it’s time to talk about Summer Bash!

The eagle eyed amongst you will have seen that our glorious hosts, the three kings of Progressive Death Metal that are Mercury’s Well have neatly placed a metaphorical “save the date” card online. It announces the eighth incarnation of their annual Hawaiian themed beach party for Saturday 18th July at The Facebar in Reading without so much as a hint at who might be joining them in an attempt to create seismic activity this year. So as their official media partner, it’s our responsibility to provide some speculation. You know. Just for the fun of it!

As those friends, Romans and country folk who have attended Summer Bash over the years will know, Mercury’s Well don’t headline their own event, preferring to kick back, sink a few beverages of choice and watch the remaining bands afterwards. So with that in mind and the fact that Canadian Alternative Metal troupe Sumo Cyco will be in the United Kingdom in July on a tour dubbed “Can’t KILL Chaos“ who’s to say they couldn’t be the headliner this year? After all,  they’ve played Reading before. We should know, we were there…

…they may be half past due a new record to say the least but after successful European tour and Festivals in recent times, including sharing stages with Bucovina, Finsterforst, Firtan and Aether, could Progressive Melodic Death Metal force Countless Skies be on the collective minds of Mercury’s Well?

Norwich Death Doom Metal act Consecration have a pair of festival appearances in Blastonbree and Barker’s Blastfest as well as a new album recorded and produced Priory Recording Studios by the legendary Greg Chandler (Cryptic Shift, My Dying Bride, Conjurer) set for later this year so how about Summer Bash?

We’re going from the sublime to the ridiculous? Nah, not a bit of it! How about this. Corby’s finest Raging Speedhorn have announced a one off show in Nottingham this summer to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of their album “Lost Ritual“. The question is, if someone crossed their palms with silver, could or perhaps would they do it again at Summer Bash?

Room for one more? Why not! About to hit the road in Germany on the first part of their “Buried Under The Weight Of Reason” album release tour are Oxford Royalty Desert Storm. The Progressive Sludge Metal outfit are of course Bloodstock Open Air Festival survivors and would make for a great addition to this year’s Summer Bash, wouldn’t they? So there you have it, five possibilities of who could join Mercury’s Well at Summer Bash this year. But who actually joins them on 18th July remains a mystery, to us at least…

We’re proud confirm that Metal Noise dot Net is returning for a fourth consecutive year as the Media Partner for Summer Bash! Mercury’s Well will be hosting the eighth incarnation of their annual Hawaiian beach party themed event on 18th July 2026 at The Facebar in Reading.

Fancy getting a ticket before any bands (aside from Mercury’s Well) have been announced? It’s a couple of quid cheaper if you do! You can get yourselves tickets -> here