Coheed and Cambria are throwing their own festival. Neverender, a new two-day rock and emo festival built around the band, runs Saturday and Sunday, October 3 and 4, 2026, at the Observatory Festival Grounds in Santa Ana. Coheed headlines Saturday and plays both halves of The Afterman in full. The newly reunited Circa Survive headlines Sunday.
This is the first edition. The name goes back to 2008, when Coheed played a four-night Neverender run in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and London, performing one of its first four albums in full each night. Here is what has been announced as of September 28, 2026, plus the venue rules for the Festival Grounds.
The quick version
| When | Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4, 2026 |
| Where | Observatory Festival Grounds, 3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana, CA 92704 (outdoors) |
| Headliners | Coheed and Cambria (Saturday), Circa Survive (Sunday) |
| Tickets | Two-day passes and single-day tickets through Ticketmaster |
| Re-entry | No |
| Payment | Cashless, except the merch stand |
| Bags | Up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches; no backpacks |
| Official site | neverenderfestival.com |
Who’s playing
The official poster splits the bill by day, so you can pick a single day without guessing.
Saturday, October 3
Coheed and Cambria, performing The Afterman: Ascension (2012) and The Afterman: Descension (2013) in their entirety. Also on the day: Sunny Day Real Estate, Turnover, Destroy Boys, Hail the Sun, Narrow Head (performing their album Satisfaction in full), Rocket, Joey Eppard, Willowake, Glixen, and The Rat Utopia Experiment.
Sunday, October 4
Circa Survive, plus PUP, Thursday, La Dispute, The Prize Fighter Inferno, Clarion, Covet, Elliott, Held., and Slow Mass. The Prize Fighter Inferno is the side project of Coheed singer Claudio Sanchez, so Coheed fans get something on both days.
Beyond the stage
The poster also promises comics, cosplay, and coffee. That fits a band whose albums tell one long science fiction story through Sanchez’s The Amory Wars comics. Details on vendors and activities have not been posted.
Know the song, find the day
If the names are fuzzy, the songs might not be:
| If you know… | Go see | Day |
|---|---|---|
| “Welcome Home” or “A Favor House Atlantic” | Coheed and Cambria | Saturday |
| “In Circles” | Sunny Day Real Estate | Saturday |
| “Super Natural” | Turnover | Saturday |
| “Act Appalled” | Circa Survive | Sunday |
| “Understanding in a Car Crash” | Thursday | Sunday |
| “DVP” | PUP | Sunday |
| “King Park” | La Dispute | Sunday |
Tickets
Tickets are sold through Ticketmaster, which the festival site links to directly. Two-day passes went on sale April 17, and single-day tickets for Saturday and Sunday were added later. Live Nation’s listing for the Sunday single-day ticket shows a 1 p.m. start. Check Ticketmaster for current prices and any remaining inventory.
A side note for road-trippers: Coheed also played a companion show, Neverender Rocks, at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado on September 29, with the same Afterman set.
Getting there
The Festival Grounds sit next to The Observatory on Harbor Boulevard. Parking is the big unknown. For the AFI show there on September 19, the venue said there was no parking at or around the site, warned that cars in nearby lots could be towed, and ran free shuttles from Orange Coast College. For Neverender, the venue says parking details will be shared by email and on social media closer to the show. Watch your inbox, and do not assume you can park next door.
What to bring
These are the Festival Grounds rules posted by The Observatory, which note that items are subject to change.
- A small bag. Bags up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or a small clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. Backpacks are not allowed, but empty plastic hydration packs are. Every bag gets searched.
- Water. One sealed bottle per person. No frozen bottles, cans, glass, or aluminum bottles.
- Snacks, carefully. The allowed list includes food in a clear, sealed, one-gallon plastic bag. Other outside food and drinks are not allowed.
- A phone charger and a handheld fan. Both are on the allowed list, and this is an outdoor show.
- A basic camera. Non-professional only, no detachable lenses.
- Medication. Prescriptions with ID. Sealed Chapstick, sealed tampons, and hand sanitizer are also fine.
- Vapes, without refill juice or extra tanks. Sealed cigarettes and lighters are allowed; matches are not.
What to leave at home
- Wallet chains and chain accessories. Also large metal key chains and any jewelry or clothing that could hurt someone. Worth knowing at an emo and post-hardcore show.
- Blankets, pillows, and lawn chairs. This is a standing show.
- Full face masks. Relevant if the cosplay part of the weekend has you planning a helmet.
- Markers and pens.
- GoPros, selfie sticks, drones, and professional recording gear.
- Strollers, skateboards, bicycles, wagons, and scooters.
- Umbrellas, beach balls, air horns, stuffed animals, and toys.
- Weapons, pepper spray, drugs, and anything glass.
Inside the gates
- No re-entry, at any time. Once you are in, you are in for the day.
- Cashless. Credit, debit, and mobile pay everywhere except the merch stand. Cash can be turned into a prepaid debit card with no fee at coat check or the General Store.
- Coat check is past the main entrance near the train tracks.
- It is outdoors and standing. Plan for sun in the afternoon and a cooler October night.
Accessibility
Festival Grounds shows are general admission and involve a lot of standing. Guests who need ADA assistance can use a designated, elevated viewing area to the right of the stage. It is first come, first served, so arrive early and speak with a staff member when you get there. If you bought reserved ADA-accessible tickets, the first-come rule does not apply. Service animals are welcome with proper documentation.
ASL interpretation is available by request only. Email ObservatoryOCInfo@livenation.com with the number of people who need interpretation and your ticket type. The venue says requests must arrive at least two weeks before the event and depend on interpreter availability.
Still to come
Parking and shuttle plans, set times, gate times, an age policy, and details on the comics, cosplay, and coffee vendors have not been published yet. The 824 Journal will update this guide when they are.
Sources
- Neverender Festival, official site (day-by-day lineup poster)
- The Observatory: Festival Grounds Know Before You Go (parking, ADA, cashless, bag policy, allowed and prohibited items, re-entry)
- Live Nation: Neverender Festival, Single Day 10/4
- Consequence: Coheed and Cambria Announce Neverender Festival with Co-Headliner Circa Survive (April 2026)
- Metal Insider: Coheed and Cambria announce Neverender festival and Red Rocks show
- JamBase: Neverender Festival 2026
- Wikipedia: Neverender (2008 concert series)
Featured photo: Sven Mandel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
