Rocklahoma Turns 20 in Pryor With Slayer, Papa Roach, Godsmack Headlining

Rocklahoma is celebrating its 20th anniversary this Labor Day weekend with a lineup topped by Godsmack, Papa Roach and Slayer, drawing tens of thousands of rock and metal fans to the Rockin' Red Dirt Ranch just outside Pryor, Oklahoma. The three-day festival, running Sept. 4-6, 2026, features more than 40 acts across its bill, according to the seed reporting.

According to The Journal Record, Godsmack headlines Friday's lineup alongside Stone Temple Pilots, Black Label Society, Hollywood Undead, Buckcherry, Crossfade, Jet and Yelawolf. Papa Roach tops Saturday's bill, which also includes Cypress Hill, Dropkick Murphys, Pennywise, Molly Hatchet, Living Colour, Black Veil Brides, Wolfmother and Militarie Gun. Slayer closes out the festival Sunday, sharing the day's lineup with The Pretty Reckless, Suicidal Tendencies, Insane Clown Posse, Ugly Kid Joe, Ill Niño, President and Barbarians of California.

Papa Roach and Slayer Mark Milestone Returns

Papa Roach's Saturday headlining set carries extra weight for the band: frontman Jacoby Shaddix noted in a statement announcing the 2026 lineup that the show marks the group's first Rocklahoma appearance since 2015, according to Revolver Magazine. Per the same outlet, The Pretty Reckless vocalist Taylor Momsen praised the festival's audience ahead of her band's Sunday set, saying Rocklahoma “isn't just another festival; it's for the loud, the misfits, and the lifers.”

Slayer's Sunday headlining slot doubles as a tribute to a landmark in thrash metal history. The band's performance functions as a commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Reign in Blood, the seminal album produced by Rick Rubin and released Oct. 20, 1986, by Def Jam Recordings, according to background compiled from Wikipedia. The record reached No. 94 on the Billboard 200 upon release and was certified Gold in 1992.

Founders Reclaim Local Ownership

The 2026 edition arrives amid a notable behind-the-scenes shift for the festival. Pryor Creek Music Festivals founders Mark Nuessle and Dave Giencke resumed full local ownership of Rocklahoma in December 2024, roughly eight months after national promoter Danny Wimmer Presents had acquired the event in April 2024, as reported by Blabbermouth. The move restored the festival's independent, locally-run identity heading into its milestone anniversary.

Rocklahoma's roots trace back to 2007, when it launched in Pryor as an 1980s hair-metal nostalgia festival. The event transformed after partnering with AEG Live in 2010, shifting to holiday weekends and broadening its bill to include modern active rock and heavy metal acts, per Noisecreep. Early editions featured hair metal acts like Poison and Ratt before bands such as Godsmack and Sevendust joined the fold in 2010.

Camping Tradition and Local Economic Impact

The festival's host site, Rockin' Red Dirt Ranch, spans more than 400 acres four miles north of Pryor along U.S. Highway 69 and includes permanent infrastructure with more than 3,500 campsites, VIP amenities and secondary stages, according to the Pryor Area Chamber of Commerce. The 2023 edition drew an estimated 60,000 music fans and accommodated more than 5,000 campsites across the three-day weekend, per the chamber's figures, with historic crowds ranging between 60,000 and 77,000 attendees in past years.

Rocklahoma's footprint on the host community goes beyond tourism dollars. During the 2023 event, the festival raised more than $80,000 in on-site donations for the Pryor Area Foundation, a local nonprofit supporting economic development, town beautification and public school volunteer initiatives in Mayes County, the chamber notes.

Longtime fan traditions remain part of the 20th anniversary weekend as well. The festival officially opens Sept. 3, 2026, with the DEB Concerts “Thursday Night Throwdown,” a pre-festival kick-off party hosted by SiriusXM emcee Eddie Trunk and featuring Plush, Ozzolution, She Hates Me Not and Jump, an early-arrival perk reserved for campers, according to Loudwire. Rocklahoma also continues its annual Miss Rocklahoma pageant, a fan tradition dating to 2009 in which an official festival ambassador is crowned on stage each year.

Passes and additional festival information are available at rocklahoma.com, per The Journal Record's reporting.