Live Review: Rock im Park - Nuremberg 2026 (Day 3)

Zeppelinfeld, Nuremberg, Germany
7th June 2026
Rock im Park 2026 Day 3 with We Came As Romans, Mastodon, Bush, The Hives, TX2, The Plot In You, Don Broco, Drain, Architects

Day three of the legendary festival arrived once again far too early. The weather promised a rain-free day and a look into the running order of Sunday sparked enough joy to dive in head-first into the last festival day.


We Came As Romans

Formed in 2005 in Troy, Michigan, WE CAME AS ROMANS have spent over two decades cementing their status as a cornerstone of the global Metalcore scene. Their musical style is defined by a powerful, dual-natured delivery that masterfully balances brutal, syncopated guitar breakdowns with soaring, emotionally charged melodic hooks and electronic textures.



Over their influential career, their discography has evolved through landmark releases like their 2009 debut ‘To Plant a Seed’ and 2013’s ‘Tracing Back Roots’, both of which defined the Post-Hardcore and Metalcore landscape of the era. Defying immense tragedy following the heartbreaking loss of co-vocalist Kyle Pavone in 2018, the band chose to push forward as a brotherhood, channeling their grief into heavy, therapeutic masterpieces like their recent acclaimed album ‘Darkbloom’, proving that their message of hope and resilience is stronger than ever. 



This Sunday early afternoon that profound emotional weight transformed into a display of absolute aggression as WE CAME AS ROMANS unleashed insane energy levels from start to finish on the Nuremberg stage. The crowd responded in kind, igniting massive pits right from the opening notes. The heavy thick fog blasting from the machines on stage was quickly increased by the colossal clouds of dust whipped up by excessive, non-stop circle-pitting across the festival field, begging the question when the festival organizers will replace the gravel pit in front of the Mandora stage with something more permanent (and less dusty).



Amidst the chaos on the ground, the musicians on stage were a blur of motion, particularly their unstoppable bass player. Seemingly knowing no dizziness whatsoever, he kept circling with his instrument at break-neck speed throughout the entire duration of the set. Watching his relentless spinning, you had to guess he must be paid by revolutions per minute, yet he never missed a single thumping note. The sheer madness of the performance was perfectly captured by the festival’s big screens.



The venue’s Circle Pit cam provided some incredible highlights, earning massive kudos from the crowd when it locked onto a shirtless guy tearing through the dust equipped with a special forces tactical helmet and holding a replica of Thor’s hammer. The energy peaked completely when the Circle Pit cam guy decided he wasn’t content with just filming, dropping his gear to take a wild crowd-surf himself over the barrier. It was a chaotic, beautiful moment of pure festival joy, closing out a breathless WE CAME AS ROMANS set that left the audience battered, bruised, and thoroughly exhilarated. https://wcarband.com

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Mastodon

Formed in 2000 in Atlanta, Georgia, MASTODON have spent over two decades establishing themselves as one of the most innovative and critically acclaimed forces in modern Heavy Metal. Merging the raw sludge of their early days with incredibly intricate Progressive Metal structures, they have crafted a sound that is as musically demanding as it is sonically colossal.



Their impressive discography boasts conceptual masterpieces like 2004’s ‘Leviathan’, 2009’s deeply psychedelic ‘Crack the Skye’, and their Grammy-winning recent outputs. Utilizing a unique multi-vocal attack shared among their members, they have become a global touring juggernaut. Marking their incredible 8th time on this festival, the band returned to the Zeppelinfeld, treated like absolute royalty by the Nuremberg crowd.



The performance got off to a slightly awkward, yet highly endearing false start. As the introductory music began playing over the PA, it abruptly cut out and stopped. Unfazed, the drummer and part-time singer Brann Dailor simply shrugged behind his kit, waiting a beat before the intro started again. This time, the cue hit perfectly, and the other musicians seamlessly joined in to unleash an immediate wall of crushing riffs. Difficult to judge if that was scripted, or a serious blooper.



Visually, the performance was a trippy masterpiece. The stage was backed by sprawling, psychedelic projections that were so surreal and meltingly bizarre they would be giving AI models nightmares (except for Grok maybe, who might actually find them comforting). This dizzying aesthetic perfectly complemented the shifting time signatures and mind-bending guitar work of Brent Hinds and Bill Kelliher. The crowd’s reaction was electric, highlighted by a massive, churning mosh pit. The security crew and fans alike had to smile as they noticed the infamous “Mosh Pit Minister Jesus” was also there in the thick of the dust, bringing a holy touch to the heavy metal chaos.



Midway through the set, bassist and vocalist Troy Sanders took a moment to look out at the sea of roaring fans, loudly exclaiming to the crowd, “Nobody does Metal better than Germany, so let’s keep up the good work, alright?” The line sent cheers through the venue. Delivering a flawless masterclass in progressive heaviness, MASTODON proved once again why they are always welcomed back with open arms at Rock im Park. https://www.mastodonrocks.com


Bush

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

The Hives

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

TX2

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

The Plot In You

After an overdose of Progressive Metal, it was time for putting down the pedal again and dial up emotions. It seems one of the most underrated Post-Hardcore bands is starting to lose their “hidden champion” status, as evidenced by scores of Generation Z members packing the front of stage area to see THE PLOT IN YOU at Rock im Park.



THE PLOT IN YOU have been formed 2010, and so far they are on their fifth album ‘Swan Song’ released in 2021. Since then, the band has been releasing EPs titled Vol.1 to Vol.4, from which they were drawing a selection of songs with their unrelenting energy. There is an album in the works, which will be released beginning of July.



It was that volatile mix of heavy aggression and deep vulnerability, which completely captivated the Nuremberg crowd. The moment the band struck their opening chords, the infield erupted into chaos, which instantly reignites the dust bowl left behind by the day’s previous acts, wrapping the stage in a gritty, atmospheric haze, and which had members of the moshpit grappling for masks, bandanas, or other ways to keep them from choking.



Landon Tewers proved to be a mesmerizing, albeit unconventional, frontman. Early in the set, he paused to look out at the swirling crowd, casually asking, „You havin’ a good day so far?“ However, his stage presence was far from the usual high-energy festival cheerleading; instead, he carried a deeply introspective aura. The profound fragility in his voice became especially pronounced during a haunting rendition of ‚All That I Can Give‘, where his raw emotional delivery held the audience in a breathless grip.



Before transitioning into another track, Tewers briefly engaged with the heavy expectations of the festival crowd. “Maybe a circle pit would be good for this song, we will see,“ he mused quietly to himself, giving off a distant vibe that made the performance feel incredibly intimate and authentic, rather than rehearsed. By balancing that detached, artistic solemnity with explosive bursts of heavy alternative rock, THE PLOT IN YOU delivered a deeply memorable and hauntingly beautiful set that stood out as a unique highlight of the weekend. https://theplotinyou.com

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Don Broco

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Drain

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Architects

Whoever did the booking of the running orders on the stages for this day, certainly liked to see people running, as lots of listeners of THE PLOT IN YOU also wanted to see ARCHITECTS, and running was the only option to bridge the distance. Formed in 2004 in Brighton, UK, ARCHITECTS have long been regarded as one of the most influential and innovative forces in modern British metalcore. Their musical style is defined by intricate, technical guitar work, massive atmospheric electronics, and the extraordinary vocal delivery of frontman Sam Carter, who transitions effortlessly between glass-shattering screams and soaring melodic hooks.



Their extensive discography includes genre-defining milestones like 2014’s ‘Lost Forever // Lost Together’ and 2016’s ‘All Our Gods Have Abandoned Us’, as well as their recent chart-topping Arena Rock evolutions. Navigating immense grief after the tragic passing of their founding guitarist and primary songwriter Tom Searle in 2016, the band has continually channeled their pain into a message of resilience, growing into a true stadium-level juggernaut.



This Sunday, it was immediately clear that ARCHITECTS were more than ready for the huge Utopia Stage at the Zeppelinfeld, walking out with the undeniable confidence of headliners. They wasted absolutely no time getting the massive Nuremberg crowd completely under their control. For the second track, ‘Whiplash’, everybody in the massive infield was asked by Sam to kneel down on the dusty ground. At his explosive signal, the entire crowd jumped up simultaneously, creating a breathtaking, synchronized wave of pure energy that worked flawlessly.



The momentum never wavered. The performance of ‘Doomsday’ was an absolute banger, showing off a band at the absolute peak of their powers. Sam Carter - who thankfully decided to ditch wearing German football jerseys for this performance - was in spectacular top form, effortlessly shifting between his various brutal growling styles and flawless melodic singing. The high-octane atmosphere took a profoundly poignant turn midway through the set.



Pausing to pay tribute to their deceased brother Tom Searle, Sam delivered a touching speech, reminding the audience that life is short and asking them to truly be in the moment together. The band then dedicated the song ‘Broken Mirror’ to his memory with an emotional intensity that brought genuine tears into the spectators’ eyes, uniting thousands of metal fans in a moment of raw, shared vulnerability.



They closed out their phenomenal set with their massive anthem ‘Animals’. The crushing riffs and thumping electronic rhythms left the huge stage rattled and the audience deeply impressed, cementing ARCHITECTS as one of the definitive highlights of the entire festival weekend. https://www.architectsofficial.com

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Sunday was a memorable farewell day in the Park. Once you accepted the fate not to switch stages after the end of a larger band’s performance, the overall experience became more bearable. However, this meant that the visitor had to sacrifice checking out the wealth of other bands out there.



But there are always sacrifices to be made in a setting like this, and with no one less than BLINK 182 having been announced as the first headliner, Rock im Park will not be getting significantly smaller soon. So get your tickets while you still can, as this year showed how quickly even Rock im Park and Rock am Ring sell out!

All Pictures by Marc Junge except The Plot in You & by Architects by Marcel Rotzoll