Blitz Metal Fest 2026 - Night One

Blitz Metal Fest returns in 2026 with its most ambitious edition yet, launching the first night of a two‑night metal onslaught across two levels at Ding Dong Lounge. Friday 27 March sets the tone for the entire weekend as Tāmaki Makaurau comes under siege.

Since its first eruption earlier in the decade, Blitz Metal Fest has become a cornerstone of Auckland’s heavy music underground, uniting bands across doom, thrash, progressive metal and hardcore. This year, the festival transforms the venue into a two‑level assault: live bands upstairs at Dead Witch while metal DJs take over the main bar downstairs.

Friday 27 March Lineup
Master Frank Fu
Brackenwood Coven
Sovereign
If It Bleeds
Money Sock
Run It Straight

Master Frank Fu
The world’s first Kung Fu Metal band, where Eastern instruments collide with Western distortion in mythic harmony. Mandarin and English lyrics explore power and discipline, carried by erhu melodies, thunderous double kicks and explosive stagecraft. Finalists in the Ding Dong Lounge Band Competition 2025, they’re set to release new singles this year.

Brackenwood Coven
A three‑piece instrumental doom force conjuring abyssal soundscapes and soul‑crushing heaviness. Their slow, sludgy riffs and haunting leads cast a hypnotic spell drawn from the darker corners of Aotearoa’s underground.

Sovereign
Arriving with their debut single Forever and After, Sovereign deliver a raw first strike from the local metal underground, driven by sharp riffs and relentless rhythm.


If It Bleeds
An Auckland-based four-piece pushing a sharp blend of thrash, nu-metal and hardcore. Formed in 2022, they bring high-energy sets built on aggression, groove and controlled chaos. Their sound pulls from multiple corners of heavy music and lands with impact. Tracks like Modus Operandi have already marked their place in the local scene, with a live presence that continues to build momentum.

Money Sock
Fast, loud and direct. Money Sock operate out of the North Island hardcore circuit with a sound rooted in punk intensity and heavy breakdowns. Their live shows move quickly and hit hard, built for packed floors and constant motion. No excess. No slowdown.

Run It Straight
Five-piece hardcore from Auckland built for 2-step and movement in the pit. Guitars from Benny and Bodi lock in with James on drums and Nathan on bass, while Benji drives it forward on vocals. Tight, aggressive and grounded in the local hardcore tradition, their sets are immediate and physical.

The Format
Two levels. Two nights. One siege.
Friday features live bands upstairs at Dead Witch and metal DJs downstairs at Ding Dong Lounge.

Happy Hour & Food
Happy Hour 7PM–8PM and 12AM–1AM
Full food menu available all night

Tickets
$5 Early Bird Presales (Sold Out)
$15 General Admission
$25 Door Sales
30% off presales for Ding Dong Lounge Super Members