We asked, and the zombies delivered. Apocalypse 2026 catered a stellar lineup, with incredible sets all day long. Summer of the Living Dead took us all to heaven. As a fellow basshead, the options were endless, from drum and bass, 140, dubstep, riddim, and every sub-genre you can imagine under the bass umbrella. Talk about conflicting sets… in the best way possible.
Bass Haunts the Queen Mary–
The Queen Mary Waterfront remains one of Southern California’s most iconic venues, with the iconic Queen Mary ship as the backdrop of multiple stages, which makes this perfect for Apocalypse in my opinion because the ship never ceases to beat the rumors of being haunted. The zombies were out and about, roaming the grounds and bringing the freak energy. The zombie performers add such a nice touch to the ambiance as they bring a real spooky energy to the dancefloor. The best part, they’re actually really friendly, although I’m sure they’d love to devour those beautiful bass faces.
Pyro-technics, fireworks, lazers, and visual design never cease to amaze me. Standing ovation for every crew member that had a hand in stage set up and those that executed the vision.
Stand Out Sets–
Typically, I’d pace myself for a two-day event, but this was hard to do because the entire lineup from 3 pm to 1 am was stacked, leaving me and many other attendees unwilling to miss even a second of the filthy bass that was graciously planned for us all to enjoy. I think people view conflicting set times in a negative light because it can be stressful, but what a gift it is to be able to have too many good artists to choose from, and that’s exactly what happened!
With that being said, here’s a few of my favorites–
Day 1
Ophion, an up and coming riddim artist on the rise, and he’s been on fire lately. I feel like every riddim set through the weekend, this guy managed to make his way to the stage because everyone seems to know who he is and what he brings to the table, or should I say, the decks… With the heavy B2B between Ophion and Fieldz, these two had a packed out stage and complete control of the crowd… at THREE PM. These two split the crowd like Moses for an iconic wall of death… an early set, but legendary, to say the least.
Headed over to take a breather and catch some daytime summer vibes, Cool Customer is more groovy, funky bass that makes you want to dance. Personally, I like to listen to Cool Customer when I’m hangin out with some friends at the beach or by the pool, very summery/happy/sunshine vibes more along the lines of jazzy, experimental, and funky tunes.
STOOG3S had one of the best sets of the day. A newer trio that chops straight up riddim from beginning to end/ Not only are they mixing live, they’re actually really good at it. I also love how silly they are on the mic, you can tell they’re genuinely having fun up there, and the crowd eats it up every time. We missed you, Hamro!
Aweminus is one of the most respected names in modern riddim and underground dubstep. Dude put on a straight master class for us all to witness. If you haven’t heard of Aweminus, I guarantee he’s behind some of your favorite riddim tracks.For Apocalypse 2026, Aweminus was one of the strongest bookings for fans of true riddim, especially if you enjoy Infekt, Chibs, or underground trench-style dubstep.
Day 2
Definitely the most upbeat set of the night, Levity B2B Alleycvt. Levity is bringing back that old school vibe sort of like Zeds Dead, paying homage to classic dubstep, meanwhile such a pretty face, but throws down the nastiest riddim drops, Alleycvt, knows how to get the crowd going.
One of my favorite B2Bs to ever exist, Infekt and Samplifire. These two go together like peanut butter and jelly. They compliment one another so well that it almost feels like a crime seeing them go back to back with anyone else.
Distinct Motive, always bringing the heaviness to sets that just melt your face and exceed expectations. Known for massive low-end and deep procussions, he is a master in his craft of production. You can just feel the authenticity and time Distinct Motive puts into his shows, it always transmutes through his performances so effortlessly. Wether you prefer 140, drum and bass, or wonky dubstep, Distinct’s sets are generally considered a “do not miss.”
Caspa B2B Peekaboo, dare I say more? Do I need to? We all know these two are OG’s on the decks and bring the heat every time, without question.
It was hard to choose, but these were just a few of my most memorable sets. I could go on and on about the absolutely iconic collection of artists that performed at this years Apocalypse festival. To think it just gets better and better every year… speaking of… what do you say we do it again? Dates are already posted for 2027, check out the link!
