The Abridged version:
- Aftershock returns to Sacramento this week and is expected to draw about 40,000 attendees daily to Discovery Park.
- This year’s edition of the heavy metal festival arrives during a wave of turbulence in the local music festival market.
- Not only did GoldenSky and Sol Blume cancel locally, but the story of festivals going silent isn’t unique to Sacramento.
Aftershock is set to erupt in just a matter of days, a headbang-athon of heavy metal, punk and hard rock styles near the banks of the Sacramento River. Discovery Park will be the festival’s epicenter over four days and is expected to draw about 40,000 attendees daily from Thursday through Saturday.
Music fans are ready to rock with the likes of Deftones, the Sacramento-native rock stars, along with Blink-182, Rob Zombie and new-school favorites like Turnstile and Knocked Loose. Civic leaders are meanwhile eager for Aftershock’s traditional economic boom. According to Visit Sacramento, the 2024 edition of the festival created $30 million in economic impact. That included nearly 12,000 hotel rooms and short-term rentals such as Airbnb booked in the region for multiple nights.
However, this year’s edition of Aftershock arrives during a wave of turbulence in the local music festival market. GoldenSky, a Sacramento country music festival by the same organizers as Aftershock, was canceled this year. The R&B festival Sol Blume at Discovery Park was canceled in 2024 due to inclement weather, and a rescheduled edition set for mid-August never materialized.
Aftershock endures in challenging time
Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna, whose district encompasses Discovery Park, acknowledged concerns about the state of Sacramento’s music festival landscape. He said he believes Aftershock will endure due to its brand recognition both nationally and internationally and track record of drawing major headliners. In 2024, Aftershock’s attendees came from every state and 30 countries.
“There are concerns even when things are less challenging,” Serna said. “It’s a volatile industry to begin with and has its sensitivities. Any time we see in the broader economic threats to disposable income or job insecurity, things like festivals and eating out become some of the first sacrifices that consumers make.”
Officials at Danny Wimmer Presents, the Southern California-based company that produces Aftershock, expect the festival’s 2025 version to draw a combined crowd of 160,000 over four days, which aligns with previous years. Chamie McCurry, general manager and chief marketing officer of Danny Wimmer Presents, said ticket sales are actually pacing slightly ahead of last year.
Mike Testa, president and CEO of Visit Sacramento, further noted that hotel bookings in the region are also pacing ahead of last year’s numbers.
“Hotels started seeing an uptick in bookings when the lineup was announced, and the bookings have followed the path of previous years in that they gain momentum as the event draws closer,” Testa said via e-mail. “Sacramento has a reputation as a bit of a last-minute market when it comes to ticket sales, and Aftershock sees that reality every year.”
Some city leaders have rallied in support of festivals like Aftershock given their economic boost. In 2022, the Sacramento City Council approved $1.5 million in funds from the federal American Rescue Plan grant to be issued to Visit Sacramento. Those funds were used to secure GoldenSky, a country music festival from Danny Wimmer Presents, and underwrite its risk as a new festival to follow the weekend after Aftershock. Then-Mayor Darrell Steinberg proclaimed in an interview with The Sacramento Bee his intention for Sacramento to be known as a “City of Festivals.”
The risk did not work out in Sacramento’s favor. After a three-year run, with major headliners such as Keith Urban and Luke Bryan, GoldenSky was canceled this year due to an oversaturation of country music festivals. Its future remains unclear.
“We are still evaluating the potential for GoldenSky in 2026,” McCurry said in a statement. “(Danny Wimmer Presents) remains deeply committed to investing in Sacramento through large-scale festivals that are both affordable to fans and well-positioned for sustainable growth. We are working with several state and local partners who are committed to this vision and hope to be able to share updates soon.”
This story of festivals going silent certainly isn’t unique to Sacramento. According to Music Festival Wizard, a website that tracks festival news, more than 90 music festivals around the world that were scheduled for this year have been canceled. They include the stalwart Pitchfork Music Festival, Sick New World in Las Vegas with Metallica headlining, and closer to home, the Tahoe-area WinterWonderGrass Festival.
“Not specific to Sacramento, I think that music festivals have struggled in general over the past couple of years due to oversaturation and the economics of ticket buyers,” Testa said. “Putting on a successful music festival isn’t a sure thing, and we’ve seen that locally with Sol Blume and GoldenSky. Our goal is to bring back GoldenSky … but the economics have to line up for the promoter, and there’s no guarantee that will happen.”
Deftones return to Sacramento for Aftershock
For now, it appears that Aftershock is a bright spot beyond these blues of local festival cancellations. Friday’s headliner features Deftones, a band born in a south Sacramento garage in 1988, and among the most popular acts in all of hard rock. Earlier this year, Deftones sold out downtown’s Golden 1 Center and are now taking a victory lap of sorts back in their hometown. The band’s most recent album, “private music,” debuted at No. 5 on the Billboard 200 and topped such charts as Top Rock & Alternative Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums.
The festival also features pioneers of Bay Area thrash metal, the scene that spawned Metallica in the 1980s, including Testament and Exodus – featuring former Sacramentan Jack Gibson on bass. In other local ties, Trash Talk emerged from the local hardcore punk scene to international acclaim. Expect the mosh pit to go bonkers during its blistering “Sacramento Is Dead.”
New amenities to Aftershock 2025 include a premium Capital Club pass that includes a viewing platform on the main stage along with all-day snacks and unlimited beverages. Also debuting is a sober-supportive 1 Million Strong Wellness Retreat that includes nonalcoholic drinks and spaces to relax.
Will Aftershock return to Sacramento in 2026?
Testa noted that discussions are already underway for Aftershock 2026, while Serna remains eager to support.
“There’s no argument that Aftershock’s been a success,” Serna said. “And I will continue to do what I can to see that it remains a success in the future.”
The music will roar, the people will party, and for now it appears that Aftershock is here to stay.
The details:
- Discovery Park, 1600 Garden Highway, Sacramento
- Gates open daily at 11 a.m., Oct. 2 to Oct. 5
- $589.99 for four-day GA pass, $219.99-$229.99 for single-day tickets; click here for more info on VIP packages, parking/shuttle passes and more.
Chris Macias is a regular contributor, writing Cultural Capital for Abridged.
