AVATAR Announces Spring 2026 U.S. Tour

Swedish metallers AVATAR — vocalist Johannes Eckerström, guitarists Jonas Jarlsby and Tim Öhrström, bassist Henrik Sandelin, and drummer John Alfredsson — have announced a spring 2026 headline tour of North America. The trek, with support from FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE and FROZEN SOUL, will kick off on April 16 in Sacramento, California and run through May 20 in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. It includes stops at the Welcome To Rockville and Sonic Temple festivals.

Regarding AVATAR's return to the States, Eckerström says: "USA. It started off innocently enough. Hiking along on a trail. Sunny. Pleasant. Safe. Then night came, and the trail slowly faded. You can't go back, as you don't know where you came from. You don't even dare to turn around, as you can feel someone, or something, watching. What you were, all the way back in the warm embrace of civilization, doesn't matter. Here. it's just you and the trees."

He adds, "We will be seeing you."

A special BLABBERMOUTH.NET presale will begin on Wednesday, January 14 at 2:00 p.m. ET and end on Thursday, January 15 at 10:00 p.m. local time. When prompted, type in the presale code "AIRWAVES" using the ticketing links below to access tickets before the general public. General on-sale will be Friday, January 16 at 10 a.m. local time.

AVATAR's "Don't Go In The Forest '26" tour dates with FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE and FROZEN SOUL:

April 16 - Sacramento, CA - Channel 24 (buy tickets)
April 17 - Los Angeles, CA - Novo (buy tickets)
April 19 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theater (buy tickets)
April 20 - Albuquerque, NM - Revel (buy tickets)
April 22 - San Antonio, TX - Aztec (buy tickets)
April 23 - Oklahoma City, OK - Criterion (buy tickets)
April 25 - Omaha, NE - Steelhouse Omaha (buy tickets)
April 26 - Des Moines, IA - Val Air (buy tickets)
April 28 - Lawrence, KS - Liberty Hall (buy tickets)
April 29 - Moline, IL - The Rust Belt (buy tickets)
April 30 - Grand Rapids, MI - GLC Live at 20 Monroe (buy tickets)
May 01 - Milwaukee, WI - Eagles Club Stage (buy tickets)
May 02 - Fort Wayne, IN - The Clyde (buy tickets)
May 04 - Huntsville, AL - VBC Mars Music Hall (buy tickets)
May 05 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle (buy tickets)
May 06 - Knoxville, TN - Mill & Mine (buy tickets)
May 07 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues (buy tickets)
May 09 - Daytona Beach, FL - Welcome to Rockville*
May 10 - Raleigh, NC - The Ritz (buy tickets)
May 12 - Richmond, VA - The National (buy tickets)
May 13 - Philadelphia, PA - Franklin Music Hall (buy tickets)
May 15 - New York, NY - Palladium Times Square (buy tickets)
May 16 - Buffalo, NY - Buffalo Riverworks (buy tickets)
May 17 - Columbus, OH - Sonic Temple *
May 19 - Wallingford, CT - The Dome (buy tickets)
May 20 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Beach Casino (buy tickets)

* Festival appearance

AVATAR's tenth studio album, "Don't Go In The Forest", came out last October via Black Waltz Records.

Eckerström explained in a statement that the LP is "filled to the brim with stuff we've never done before. It's all songs and concepts we haven't been close to touch until now," he said. "The mind is wild and we have lost ourselves in the darkest woods, filled with memories, and fantasies. Forbidden thoughts that must be spoken."

Last fall, AVATAR completed a U.S. tour with support from ALIEN WEAPONRY and SPIRITWORLD. Additionally, there are forthcoming tours supporting METALLICA.

Johannes formed AVATAR in 2001. The band's lineup has remained virtually the same ever since, save for Öhrström, who entered the fray just over a decade later.

Photo credit: Johan Carlén