VERBODEN FESTIVAL CELEBRATES 10 YEARS WITH MASSIVE PACIFIC NORTHWEST EXPANSION

Darkwave, Post-Punk, Industrial, and EBM communities unite across Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver — May 28–31, 2026

Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, Verboden Festival—founded in Vancouver, Canada in 2016—has become a cornerstone of the Pacific Northwest’s underground music scene. The festival honors the spirit of Darkwave, Post-Punk, Industrial, and EBM, creating a space where artists and audiences connect through the shared language of dark music and subculture.

What began as a local gathering for devotees of dark-wave and synth-punk, it has grown into one of North America’s most distinctive celebrations of underground art and performance.

In 2026, Verboden enters a new era—expanding across the Pacific Northwest to take place simultaneously in Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. This tri-city evolution unites a vibrant network of artists, fans, and creative communities, amplifying the festival’s mission to illuminate the darker edge of contemporary sound.

The 2026 lineup showcases a powerful cross-section of international and emerging artists representing the forefront of the modern darkwave movement.

Headliners:
 Male Tears • Sacred Skin • SRSQ • Street Fever

Featuring performances by:

Blone Noble · Carrellee · Ceremony Shadows · Damascus Knives · Datura · Dark Chisme · Die Sexual · Dildox · Dollhead · Dot Wall · Exeunt · God Tongue · HÄLT · Hexx Head · Hot Hail! · Hallows · Meldamor · More Ephemerol · Mvtant · Puerta Negra · Sleek Teeth · Small Breed · S.L.U.T · Somber Violets · Static Ghost · Voidwrmr · Vueltas · Wish Whip