Rock is in Awe: Inkcarceration 2026 Festival Announces Lineup Featuring Bad Omens, Limp Bizkit, Disturbed + More

The most formidable rock and tattoo event in the United States has officially unveiled its roadmap for the summer of 2026. Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival announced a massive lineup for its upcoming edition, set to take place July 17–19 at the historic Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, OH. The three-day spectacle will be headlined by nu-metal titans Limp Bizkit, heavy metal mainstays Disturbed, and in a landmark moment for the genre, Bad Omens, who will be making their debut as a major festival headliner.

With over 65 bands across three stages, the 2026 roster is being hailed as the festival's most ambitious yet. Beyond the headliners, the bill includes heavy hitters like Gojira, A Day To Remember, Papa Roach, and Motionless In White. This year’s event also leans heavily into nostalgia and rare milestones, featuring a 15th-anniversary performance of Let’s Cheers To This by Sleeping With Sirens, a 25th-anniversary set for Alien Ant Farm’s ANThology, and the highly anticipated reunion of The Crimson Armada. Festival organizers, including Danny Wimmer Presents, noted that the 2025 event drew a record-breaking 90,000 attendees, and with the 2026 lineup already generating unprecedented buzz, another sell-out is virtually guaranteed. Get your tickets here.

Partying in a Prison: The Ohio State Reformatory

While the music is the heartbeat of Inkcarceration, the true star of the weekend is its hauntingly beautiful venue: the Ohio State Reformatory (OSR). Opened in 1896, the reformatory was originally designed by architect Levi Scofield as a "middle ground" for young, first-time offenders. Scofield believed that the imposing, Romanesque-style limestone architecture—inspired by European castles—would inspire inmates to repent and seek higher cultural aspirations. However, by the late 20th century, the facility became infamous for overcrowding and inhumane conditions, leading to its court-ordered closure in 1990.

The prison found a second life in Hollywood, most famously serving as the primary filming location for the 1994 classic The Shawshank Redemption. Following the film’s success, the Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society fought to save the structure from demolition, eventually transforming it into a world-renowned historic site. Today, Inkcarceration attendees aren't just there for the mosh pits; they have the unique opportunity to walk through the very cellblocks where Andy Dufresne and Red found hope. During the festival, the prison gates open for self-guided tours and the award-winning Blood Prison haunted attraction, blending the visceral energy of heavy metal with the somber, cinematic history of one of America's most legendary landmarks.