Substance Festival returns to Los Angeles and San Francisco this October
Substance Festival runs October 22-30, 2026, across Los Angeles and San Francisco, with Drab Majesty, Cold Cave, TR/ST, Kontravoid and Zanias on the bill.
Substance Festival returns to Los Angeles and San Francisco in October 2026, spreading post-punk, darkwave, industrial, EBM and synthpop acts across five nights in the two cities. The Los Angeles date falls on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at The Belasco, headlined by Drab Majesty. The San Francisco leg runs across four nights at the Great American Music Hall: October 22, 23, 29 and 30, 2026, closing with a solo performance by Cold Cave’s Wesley Eisold.
The festival spreads the Los Angeles night across four stages at The Belasco. Zanias, the project of Alison Lewis, and Kontravoid both appear on the Sanctuary and Chapel stages respectively; Kontravoid’s new album “Sound of the Void” came out October 2, 2026, on ArtOfFact Records. Buzz Kull plays the Chapel stage behind the EP “Deep Hate,” and closes out a co-headline North American tour with Kontravoid that Side-Line reported in July, with the San Francisco and Los Angeles Substance dates listed among its final stops. XTR HUMAN plays the Chamber stage, currently promoting the single “Fake.” TR/ST closes the Sanctuary stage with a DJ set, and A Split Second plays the Chapel stage, drawing on the Belgian act’s 1986 New Beat single “Flesh.”
Substance Festival 2026 dates
Los Angeles: The Belasco, 1050 South Hill Street, Los Angeles, California, United States – Saturday, October 24, 2026, doors 6:00 PM, all ages. The Chapel (main stage): Crash Course in Science, Spike Hellis, Madeline Goldstein, Buzz Kull, Kontravoid, A Split Second, Drab Majesty. The Sanctuary: Blone Noble, Automelodi, Ghost Cop, SRSQ, Void Vision, Zanias, TR/ST (DJ set). The Chamber: God Tongue, XTR HUMAN, Clubdrugs, Die Sexual, Aux Animaux, Vioflesh. The Confessional (DJ booth): Society, Danse-X, Machine Club, Girls on Film. Tickets via Ticketmaster.
San Francisco: Great American Music Hall, 859 O’Farrell Street, San Francisco, California, United States – Thursday, October 22, 2026, doors 6:00 PM. God Tongue, Pink Stiletto, Vioflesh, Automelodi, Crash Course in Science, A Split Second, with DJs Mozhgan and Jumpr. – Friday, October 23, 2026, doors 6:00 PM. Aux Animaux, Ghost Cop, Zanias, Kontravoid, Buzz Kull, TR/ST (DJ set), with DJ Omar. – Thursday, October 29, 2026, doors 6:00 PM. Violet Thrones, Clubdrugs, Madeline Goldstein, Sacred Skin, Mothermary, Desire, with DJs Starr Noir and Black Lipstick. – Friday, October 30, 2026, doors 6:00 PM. A.Cold.Era, False Figure, Houses of Heaven, SRSQ, Cold Cave (solo, performing “Cremations” in full), with DJs Pink Stiletto and Hot Goth GF.
Individual night tickets and the four-night San Francisco pass are available through Eventim.
Several of the San Francisco dates connect to current releases: Cold Cave closes the run performing 2009 release “Cremations” in full; Desire is the project of Megan Louise and Johnny Jewel; Mothermary’s debut, “I Am Your God,” came out on Italians Do It Better.
About Substance Festival
Substance Festival has run in Los Angeles since at least 2019, when its lineup included John Maus, Black Marble and A Place to Bury Strangers. The festival’s 2022 Los Angeles edition took place October 21-22 at the Los Angeles Theatre, anchored by The Jesus and Mary Chain and featuring The Chameleons, Kittin & The Hacker, Schwefelgelb, Absolute Body Control and Youth Code. For 2026, the festival expands to a five-stage, two-city format: a single multi-stage night at The Belasco in Los Angeles and a four-night run at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, spreading post-punk, darkwave, industrial, EBM and synthpop acts across both cities through October 30.
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