Where was Hellfest initially launched? Details explored as Trustkill Records fuels speculation of the fest's California return

Hellfest was originally launched in Syracuse, New York, during the 1990s. The hardcore and metal event was a significant meeting ground for fans of the underground scene before abruptly folding in 2005.

Since then, the festival has been organized through the Hellfest Open Air in Clisson, France, and some other attempts in the U.S. to bring it back. Now, a new teaser suggests that California may be the next chapter for Hellfest.

The festival's official Instagram account posted an image of California with a skull-and-crossbones symbol over Orange County. Notably, the acount works in collaboration with working in conjunction with Trustkill Records, Takedown Records, and Los Angeles-based SOS Booking.

The caption attached to it read:

"February 2026."

No additional details have been confirmed. However, the post stirred speculation that the fest is potentially set to make a West Coast appearance.

Last month, Trustkill helped launch Hellphyra. It was a two-day event in New Jersey under the branding "Hellfest Presents". The shows drew relatively significant crowds. It also generated online discussion. California has a notable base of heavy music fans. Hence, it might seem like a related next move.

More on Hellfest

Hellfest Open Air is currently a beloved name in Europe's festival circuit. The 2025 edition in Clisson, France, featured 184 bands across six stages. Acts like Linkin Park, Korn, Muse, Scorpions, Within Temptation, and Lorna Shore topped the lineup, which ranged from metal to modern hardcore. Notably, one stage was dedicated entirely to female and female-fronted acts.

Tickets for the 2026 French edition already went on sale in July 2025. However, according to reports, the Clisson event is viewed by some in the U.S. hardcore community as a separate entity that borrowed the name from the original New York festival after it collapsed.

Keith Allen, one of the founders of the original Syracuse festival, has publicly criticized Trustkill Records for what he calls a "hijacking of the brand". According to Allen, he initially held talks with Trustkill founder Josh Grabelle in 2024 about a proper return of the festival. In an official statement, Allen mentioned:

"Trustkill Records was one of the bigger and well known sponsors of Hellfest over the years. Due to mutual branding, friendships, band relationships and a myriad of other things it made good sense to team up. I expressly told Josh that almost everyone else that had ever worked with or for Hellfest in the past had ripped it off, stolen from it, taken advantage of it, used it to their own ends and helped cause it to have a ton of problems. So I had serious trust issues, but since I had over the years never had anything but a good relationship with him I was pretty confident that we could work something out."

He also drew comparisons to the French version, which he claims adopted the original title without any formal agreement two decades ago.

Fans can keep an eye on the official fest pages for further updates.

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