[UPDATE 12/1/24]: The 2025 edition of Las Vegas’ Sick New World has been canceled due to “unforeseen circumstances.” The Live Nation-produced, single-day hard rock and metal festival was set for April 12th at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds, the site of LN’s wildly successful other genre-focused festival When We Were Young.
“Despite our best efforts, we’ve encountered unforeseen circumstances that we are unable to overcome for next year’s show,” organizers wrote on social media. “We extend our heartfelt thanks to all the dedicated SNW fans who had made plans to join us for another cultural celebration of hard rock, goth, alternative and heavy music. Please stay tuned for further and future information regarding Sick New World.”
The third annual Sick New World was due to feature headliners Metallica, Linkin Park, and Queens of the Stone Age, with additional performances by AFI, Ministry, The Sisters of Mercy, Gojira, Acid Bath, The Flaming Lips, Glassjaw, Meshuggah, Melvins, Testament, Mastodon, Cannibal Corpse, Refused, Terror, The Hives, X, Poison the Well, Exodus, Quicksand, Sponge, Scowl, Show Me The Body, Napalm Death, Three Days Grace, and more.
Sick New World was supposed to host the first show by sludge metal pioneer Acid Bath since its 1997 breakup, as well as the first announced show in a decade by Mike Patton‘s supergroup Tomahawk, which features members of Mr. Bungle, The Jesus Lizard, Helmet, and Melvins. Since the lineup announcement in October, Acid Bath has added a second show at Ohio’s Sonic Temple, also set to host Metallica and the newly reunited Linkin Park in addition to Korn, Rob Zombie, Incubus, Alice in Chains, Chevelle, Alice Cooper, and many others.
Ahead of the official announcement, Tomawhawk/Mr. Bungle bassist Trevor Dunn told The Vinyl Guide that Sick New World 2025 wouldn’t happen. Blunt points out that Dunn’s comments were edited out of the episode, but he reportedly said “I’m probably not supposed to talk about this, but it’s not happening. It’ll come out in the wash soon, but basically, the festival [Sick New World] is not happening. We had a whole tour, we had a two-week thing built around that, which we can’t do now because financially it doesn’t make any sense, so yeah, that’s not happening.”
See below for the full statement from Sick New World.
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[10/16/24]: Las Vegas’ Sick New World will return on April 12th, 2025 with an extensive lineup led by Metallica, Linkin Park, and Queens of the Stone Age. The Live Nation-produced, single-day hard rock and metal festival will stage its third annual edition at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds.
Also appearing at Sick New World 2025 are AFI, Ministry, The Sisters of Mercy, Gojira, Acid Bath, The Flaming Lips, Glassjaw, Meshuggah, Melvins, Testament, Mastodon, Cannibal Corpse, Refused, Terror, The Hives, X, Poison the Well, Exodus, Quicksand, Sponge, Scowl, Show Me The Body, Napalm Death, Three Days Grace, and more. The festival includes some notable hellos and goodbyes, including the first show by sludge metal pioneer Acid Bath since breaking up in 1997 and the first announced show in a decade by Mike Patton‘s supergroup Tomahawk featuring members of Mr. Bungle, The Jesus Lizard, Helmet, and Melvins. Sick New World will also include stops on allegedly final tours by Refused and X.
Some of the headliners will make momentous reintroductions, as Sick New World currently marks Linkin Park’s first announced date of 2025 with new singer Emily Armstrong and new drummer Colin Brittain. The festival will serve as Queens of the Stone Age’s first show of 2025 as well as the group’s first live appearance since it abruptly canceled its ongoing European tour so that leader Josh Homme could undergo emergency surgery. Metallica previously announced its headlining performance at Sick New World as part of the band’s 2025 North American tour with Limp Bizkit, Pantera, Ice Nine Kills, and Suicidal Tendencies.
Fans can register here for a code granting access to the pre-sale on Friday, October 18th at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets for Sick New World 2025 will go on sale to the general public on Friday, October 18th at 2 p.m. PT. General admission tickets start at $399 plus fees, with the festival offering payment plans starting at $19.99 down. See below for the full lineup. Find more ticketing details here.
