The 2026 Welcome to Rockville festival is now a memory, leaving music enthusiasts with numerous unforgettable moments.

Throughout the four-day music event, we witnessed song debuts, first-time performances, tributes to legends, new band member introductions, old band member reunions, and much more.

Join us as we highlight eight significant moments from Welcome to Rockville 2026.

Guns N’ Roses Continue Their Ozzy Appreciation

One of the major highlights of the weekend was the Thursday (May 7) headlining performance by Guns N’ Roses at Welcome to Rockville. The band delivered an epic 25-song set (per Setlist.fm), which included a variety of cover songs, including one that honored the late Ozzy Osbourne.

Although they performed the track 10 times last year, Welcome to Rockville marked the 2026 tour debut of GN’R’s Black Sabbath cover, “Never Say Die.” At the beginning of the song, Axl Rose stated, “This is a song we’ll do as a dedication. If you know this song and you’ve heard us do it, you’ll know who that dedication’s to.”

As the band played through the song, images of the late Osbourne appeared behind them. At the conclusion of the song, Rose acknowledged that the performance was “for Ozzy.”

READ MORE: Guns N’ Roses Cover Rare Sex Pistols Song Live for the First Time

Alongside staples such as “Welcome to the Jungle,” “It’s So Easy,” “Don’t Cry,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “November Rain,” and “Paradise City,” Guns N’ Roses covered songs from Black Sabbath, Wings (“Live and Let Die”), Velvet Revolver (“Slither”), Jimmy Webb (“Wichita Lineman”), Bob Dylan (“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”), and Misfits (“Attitude”).

See the full setlist and fan-shot video below.

Guns N’ Roses 2026 Welcome to Rockville Setlist (May 7, 2026)

1. “Welcome to the Jungle”
2. “Bad Obsession”
3. “Mr. Brownstone”
4. “It’s So Easy”
5. “Chinese Democracy”
6. “Live and Let Die” (Wings cover)
7. “Yesterdays”
8. “Never Say Die” (Black Sabbath cover)
9. “Shadow of Your Love”
10. “Double Jive Talkin'”
11. “Estranged”
12. “Pretty Tied Up”
13. “Civil War”
14. “Slither” (Velvet Revolver cover)
15. “Rocket Queen”
16. “Wichita Lineman” (Jimmy Webb cover)
17. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (Bob Dylan cover)
18. “Attitude” (Misfits cover)
19. “Don’t Cry”
20. Slash guitar solo
21. “Sweet Child O’ Mine”
22. “Nothin'”
23. “November Rain”
24. “Nightrain”
25. “Paradise City”

Guns N’ Roses, “Never Say Die” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

A Day to Remember Double Down + Pop Up at Welcome to Rockville

While fans were undoubtedly excited to see Florida’s own A Day to Remember at Welcome to Rockville, they were likely surprised by how much they experienced from them over the weekend. The band added a second pop-up set on a makeshift stage on Saturday (May 9) for a brief performance featuring several rarities.

The six-song set (per Setlist.fm) included the tour debuts of “The Danger in Starting a Fire” and “A Shot in the Dark,” while “Fast Forward to 2012,” “Speak of the Devil,” and “Show ‘Em the Ropes” returned to their sets for the first time since 2019, 2018, and 2018, respectively.

“We haven’t played these songs since right after we graduated high school,” lead singer Jeremy McKinnon told the audience while introducing the 2007 track ‘The Danger in Starting a Fire.’ He then added, “Jump up on top of somebody. Have a good [expletive] time.”

The chaotic performance featured skateboarders performing tricks on ramps behind them while the audience erupted into circle pits and crowd surfing. See some fan-shot footage below.

A Day to Remember Welcome to Rockville Pop-Up Show

After their Saturday pop-up show, A Day to Remember returned on Sunday (May 10) for their scheduled performance, delivering a more standard set (per Setlist.fm) that included a cover of Marshmello’s “Rescue Me.”

Breaking Benjamin Debut New Single at Welcome to Rockville

A highlight of the weekend occurred on Saturday (May 9) when Breaking Benjamin broke one of their own rules by debuting a new song.

“I never want to play a new song or a new single until it’s out on record or it’s out on radio, but tonight we’re gonna play it,” singer Ben Burnley told the crowd. “Right now, this is our new single. It’s called ‘Something Wicked.’

Breaking Benjamin released their most recent studio album, Ember, in 2018. They followed it with 2020’s Aurora, which featured reimagined versions of past hits. They have reportedly been working on a new album, but details have not yet been announced. Following its live debut at Welcome to Rockville, “Something Wicked” is now available for pre-save on streaming services.

The band’s 14-song Welcome to Rockville set was notable for other reasons as well; it marked the live debut of drummer Brian Medeiros, who is taking over while Shaun Foist continues to battle Hashimoto’s disease. The band initially employed Asking Alexandria’s James Cassells as their replacement but Medeiros — whose credits include RED and Otherwise — will be handling drums moving forward.

The festival setting also allowed singer Burnley to revisit his duet of “Dear Agony” with Flyleaf’s Lacey Sturm. Check out the setlist (per Setlist.fm) and see fan-shot video of “Something Wicked” below.

Breaking Benjamin 2026 Welcome to Rockville Setlist (May 9, 2026)

1. “I Will Not Bow”
2. “Until the End”
3. “Crawl”
4. “Red Cold River”
5. “Blow Me Away” (with Master Chief)
6. “Follow”
7. “So Cold”
8. “Something Wicked” (Live Debut)
9. “Dear Agony” (with Lacey Sturm)
10. “Polyamorous”
11. “Breath”
12. “Awaken”
13. “Failure”
14. “The Diary of Jane”

Breaking Benjamin, “Something Wicked” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

DragonForce Make Their Live Debut With New Co-Vocalist Alissa White-Gluz

DragonForce made their highly anticipated debut with new co-vocalist Alissa White-Gluz; however, her singing partner may have surprised those in attendance.

Just before their performance, the group announced that singer Marc Hudson has been dealing with ongoing hearing loss and tinnitus issues and is taking a break for his long-term health and recovery.

This led DragonForce to showcase White-Gluz alongside guitarist Billy Wilkins, who had already been providing some backing vocals for the group during performances. Wilkins and White-Gluz shared vocal duties throughout their set and are expected to do so at their upcoming Sonic Temple performance later this month.

The band rocked through a five-song set (per Setlist.fm) that included their first performance of “Storming the Burning Grounds” since 2013 and their hugely popular closer “Through the Fire and Flames.” Check out their setlist and see fan-filmed footage below.

DragonForce 2026 Welcome to Rockville Setlist (May 9, 2026)

1. “Cry Thunder”
2. “Operation Ground and Pound”
3. “Storming the Burning Fields”
4. “Burning Heart”
5. “Through the Fire and Flames”

DragonForce, “Cry Thunder” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

DragonForce, “Burning Heart” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

DragonForce, “Through the Fire and Flames” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

Godsmack Break In New Drummer at Welcome to Rockville

When Godsmack returned to perform at Welcome to Rockville on Thursday (May 8), they did so with a new face behind the kit.

Wade Murff made his live debut with them after taking over for Evanescence’s Will Hunt, who filled in during their tour in 2025. Murff has previously played with Daughtry, Prong, Sebastian Bach, and Orgy among others.

Check out their setlist (per Setlist.fm) and see footage from K Train Productions below.

Godsmack Welcome To Rockville 2026 Setlist (May 8, 2026)

1.”Awake”
2.”Surrender”
3.”Straight Out of Line”
4.”When Legends Rise”
5.”Cryin’ Like a Bitch”
6.”You and I”
7.”Something Different”
8.”Keep Away”
9.”Bulletproof”
10.”Whatever”
11.”I Stand Alone”

Godsmack, “When Legends Rise” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

Godsmack, “Cryin’ Like a Bitch” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

Nonpoint Welcome Back Former Member for Welcome to Rockville Guest Appearance

The good vibes were flowing for Nonpoint during their electrifying Friday (May 8) set at Welcome to Rockville as fans witnessed a reunion when co-founding bassist Ken MacMillan returned on stage with them for a performance of 2005’s To the Pain album opener “Bullet With a Name.”

Singer Elias Soriano informed attendees that this was their first time playing with MacMillan in 15 years after he left in 2011 due to fatigue from touring.

In a Facebook post following their show Nonpoint wrote: “This happened today: Our original bassist Ken MacMillan aka Bastard aka Nekro joined us on stage at Welcome To Rockville joined us on stage for an even heavier version of ‘Bullet With A Name.’ A very special day indeed!”

See footage captured by IFM RAW below.

Nonpoint With Ken MacMillan, “Bullet With a Name” (Welcome to Rockville 2026)

Ice Nine Kills Give ‘Twisting The Knife’ a Live Debut With Different Singer

Ice Nine Kills have been thriving at radio lately with “Twisting The Knife,” their contribution from Scream 7, featuring guest vocalist and actor Mckenna Grace; however when they took it live at Welcome To Rockville for its debut they brought along a special guest for Grace’s parts.

The social media sensation MAPHRA joined Spencer Charnas and Ice Nine Kills on stage during their performance at Welcome To Rockville over the weekend; additionally they also debuted “Hell or High Slaughter” live.

Check out their full setlist from May 9th along with footage from BRigtrup Concerts below.

Ice Nine Kills 2026 Welcome To Rockville Setlist – (May 9th 2026 – Daytona Beach, Fla.)

1.”Meat & Greet”
2.”Wurst Vacation”
3.”Ex-Mortis”
4.”The Great Unknown”
5.”Funeral Derangements”
6.”The Laugh Track”
7.”The Shower Scene”
8.”Hell or High Slaughter” (Live debut)
9.”Welcome To Horrorwood”
10.”Hip To Be Scared”
11.”Twisting The Knife” (Live debut with special guest MAPHRA)
12.”The American Nightmare”
13.”A Work Of Art”

Ice Nine Kills Featuring MAPHRA, “Twisting The Knife” (Welcome To Rockville 2026)

Poppy Interrupted at Welcome To Rockville

The weather once again impacted this year’s edition of Welcome To Rockville; unfortunately this resulted in an abbreviated performance by Poppy who was interrupted halfway through her first song.

The singer was performing “have you had enough” on Thursday (May 8) when about three-quarters into her track her mic was cut off as an announcement instructed fans to “take shelter” while monitoring festival social media for updates regarding when they could return.

A weather alert flashed across video walls just before she took stage; sadly Poppy was unable to resume her set after this delay.

This was only one instance among several delays throughout that weekend; The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported two-and-a-half-hour delays Friday; one-and-a-half-hour delays Saturday; three-hour delays Sunday due weather-related evacuations which forced schedule adjustments keeping fans and bands alert throughout.

Poppy Interrupted During “have you had enough” (Welcome To Rockville 2026)

This concludes just some highlights from Welcome To Rockville 2026.

You can get another look at massive crowds drawn during this festival’s fifteenth year below.

See other rock and metal festivals listed in our gallery below.