The return of the ZOMBIES! Insomniac’s Zombie Apocalypse makes its yearly arrival, but this time, during the beautiful SoCal SUMMER! June 19th and 20th, Zombie Apocalypse returns to the haunted Queen Mary Waterfront property in Long Beach, California, with all the chills and thrills of the apocalyptic takeover.
Bassrush presents “Summer of the Living Dead,” Zombie Apocalypse for the 4th year in a row, since 2023. As one of Insomniac’s fastest-growing niche festivals, Apocalypse is considered one of the world’s premier bass music events. Showcasing multiple stages, superior sound systems, and over 100 artists, expect nothing but the best experience for bass heads.
ARTISTS TO SEE
Considering this is a bass music festival, it includes multiple subgenres like drum and bass, dubstep, riddim, and a sprinkle of techno. If your Spotify is mostly Subtronics, Svdden Death, Excision, Mersiv, Tape B, Hedex, or other bass artists, you probably already know about Zombie Apocalypse, but if you haven’t heard, I’d strongly recommend attending this event.
Some sets we’re looking forward to are definitely the Alleycvt B2B Levity (trio), as Alleycvt is one of the hottest producers who frequently uses her own beautiful vocals in her songs, and Levity, who has taken over the modern dubstep scene, I’m expecting this to be one of the peak performances of the weekend.
There seems to be a new wave of anonymity amongst the bass community, with duos, trios, and groups of major dubstep and riddim DJs creating their own aliases as newly formed collaborations… but all of them seem to put on a SHOW.
S.Y.N. is a newly formed group consisting of Nimda, Svdden Death, and YVM3 (YVM3 has anonymous members, but rumors mention the involvement of Marauda, Svdden Death, Yakz, and Neonix… unconfirmed, but these are just some prospects)
The Masquerade: rather than a traditional duo or trio, it’s essentially a rotating supergroup that delivers rapid-fire back-to-backs, unreleased tracks, and collaborative doubles, with community reports from late 2025 describing The Masquerade as an “insane b2b” featuring eight artists performing together under the masked concept, often with all members on stage simultaneously. The collective is intentionally somewhat anonymous, but the members most commonly suggested guesses by the riddim community are: Slyckz, Inaktiv, Chango, 7L, Mongrel, Sanzu, VKTM, and Vicious. Fans frequently describe it as one of the heaviest sets at festivals where it appears.
Taiki Nulight, another artist who never disappoints. Taiki is more of an experimental DJ who doesn’t fit into a box or subgenre, but can be primarily described as 140 UK bass. Many fans consider him one of the key artists helping bring underground UK 140 and dubstep back into the spotlight. He’s not trying to be the heaviest artist on the lineup—he’s often the artist that DJs and serious bass fans get excited about because of his track selection, mixing, and understanding of UK bass culture.
AFTERS – The Party Must Go On!
Why stop there? For Zombie Apocalypse 2026, the official after-hours parties are part of the festival experience and take place on the actual Queen Mary ship, running from 12:00 AM to 5:00 AM each night. They require a separate afterparty ticket in addition to your festival pass. Mind you, the Queen Mary ship has a long, rumored history of being haunted, so this makes a perfect spot to throw an intimate midnight after-party for Zombie Apocalypse.
Tickets for official afters – https://apocalypsefest.frontgatetickets.com/event/l04pp0ch9gj5xv5v?utm_source=chatgpt.com
VENUE, SHUTTLES, and PARKING
Now, if the lineup hasn’t convinced you enough, the venue, stage production, and art installations really make the experience worth going to see. The Queen Mary Waterfront, located in the sunny city of Long Beach, California, is a secluded venue across the bridge that offers the festival a private, comfortable experience, with accessible parking throughout downtown Long Beach. A hop and skip across the bridge, and you’ve arrived (also, a glorious oversight of the festival as you’re crossing over). There are many hotels within a mile or two of the venue, so travel is easy if you plan to stay in the area. The festival also provides shuttles and parking information here –
https://www.apocalypsefest.com/travel/#shuttles-parking-info
Full 2 Day Lineup
Tickets on sale NOW! https://www.apocalypsefest.com/tickets/
