(Special Report)

Written by:  Cody Denning

Ladies and gentlemen thank you for reading another Soundwave Report, this report serves as a heads up to stoner and desert rock fans in the USA! A look into what’s to come in 2026. As the dust settles from RippleFest Texas 2025's blistering four-day assault on the music scene, a sold-out festival that drew over 5,000 fans to Austin's Far Out Lounge and Sagebrush venues. The event was so good we are already collecting information on RippleFest 2026.

Hours after the close out of the 2025 edition RippleFest on September 21. festival curator Ryan Garney dropped a bombshell, naming the first wave of bands for RippleFest Texas 2026. It's a lineup so stacked, it will make your head spin. 12 acts strong so far, spanning stoner titans, doom veterans, and psych explorers. Greenleaf's soaring Swedish grooves, Solace's Jersey heaviness, and High Desert Queen's desert born fury are just the start, signaling that 2026 won't just continue the tradition, it'll surly eclipse it. Dubbed "the largest family reunion in heavy music,"

RippleFest has transcended its scrappy origins to become America's premier open air stoner/doom/psych gathering. One of the biggest things setting RippleFest apart from other festivals is the massive respect for the music, No overlapping sets, zero corporate gloss, and a musical environment that turns strangers into family. After all, that's the Ripple way.

The leap to 2026 announcements underscores a festival hitting its stride. Dates are already locked in for September 17-20, 2026, at the same sun-baked Austin spots. Tickets will be on presales on Black Friday 2025 via Eventbrite, with full pricing TBA (expect $150-250 for weekend passes, based on prior years). But as Garney himself teased on the fest's Facebook page, "This is the year we go interstellar." This festival is a rock n roll dream, a sweat-drenched, beer-soaked haven for riff worshippers. From its pandemic-pummeled birth to its current status as a must-attend pilgrimage, Ripplefest is becoming a genre defining event.

RippleFest's story begins with Ryan Garney, frontman of Austin psych-stoner outfit High Desert Queen and founder of Lick of My Spoon Productions. A lifelong devotee of the heavier arts (think Kyuss, Sleep, and Electric Wizard), Garney bootstrapped the inaugural edition in 2019 as a one-day rager at New Braunfels' Texas Ski Ranch. Billed as a "family reunion for heavy heads," it featured 15 bands, headliners like Wo Fat and Elder drawing 800 fans for a $50 day pass. No frills, just two stages, food trucks slinging brisket tacos, and a vibe that felt like crashing your uncle's backyard BBQ. The 2020 edition, planned as a sophomore expansion, collided head-on with COVID-19. Canceled amid lockdowns, it could've been a death knell for a fledgling event. Instead, Garney pivoted, He live streamed "RippleFest Virtual" from his living room, roping in acts like Howling Giant and Jakethehawk for a free online blowout that garnered 10,000 views worldwide. "We weren't gonna let a virus kill the family," Garney later told The Obelisk. That resilience turned RippleFest from a local curiosity into a beacon for the global underground, proving heavy music thrives on grit, not glamour.

After the pandemic things got back on track, from Ski Ranch to Sagebrush Glory (2021–2023) By 2021, restrictions lifted, and RippleFest relocated to Austin's Sagebrush venue.. a sprawling outdoor oasis with room for 2,000+ per day. The lineup swelled to 25 acts, headlined by Corrosion of Conformity and Fu Manchu, selling out in weeks. Attendees raved about the "zero overlap" policy, Every band gets a full 45-60 minutes, no sprinting between stages. Reviews from Monster Riff called it "the antidote to festival fatigue," with craft beer tents, vinyl swap meets, and late-night jam sessions.

Fast forward to 2024's edition, fresh off Sleep's seismic set (their first Texas gig in a decade.) The festival grew to 4,500 attendees with a 38-act bill that nodded to Ripple's label roots, acts like High Desert Queen and Robots of the Ancient World getting prime slots. The afterparty at Sagebrush, featuring local openers and fest alumni, became a staple, extending the high into Monday. Texas heatwaves pushed hydration stations into overdrive, and supply-chain snarls jacked up stage rental costs by 20%. But Garney's team, a volunteer army of 50+, kept it intimate, Yoga sessions at dawn, a "Riff Workshop" for aspiring players, and a silent auction benefiting MusiCares that raised $8K. The fest's most ambitious yet, with 40 non-overlapping acts across four days (Thu-Sun).

Ticket revenue hit $300K, merch flew and partnerships with Doom Charts expanded global reach via podcasts. Now, 2026 Announced September 20, 2025, mid-fest, the first 12 bands read like a who's-who of heavy's golden era and rising stars. Greenleaf (Sweden's psych lords, fresh off a 2025 LP), Solace (doom icons reuniting for select dates), Borracho (DC stoner crushers), Daily Thompson (stoner blues revivalists), Freedom Hawk (Virginia riff-meisters), High Desert Queen (Garney's own, teasing new material), Kal-El (Norwegian space cadets), Plaindrifter (fuzz outlaws), Robots of the Ancient World (Ohio prog-doom), Blue Heron (emerging psych), and Thunder Horse (Austin locals with thunderous riffs) 2026 is going to go wild.

Expected spring 2026, with projections of 50 acts, 6,000 attendees, and expectations of it being the best edition yet! What sets RippleFest apart is the "family" RippleFest Texas isn't just a festival, it's a lifeline for heavy music's soul. From 800 outsiders in 2019 to a projected 6,000 kin in 2026, Garney's vision ripples. And continues to be one of the fastest growing festivals in Texas.

We will be having Ryan back on The Green Room later this year to talk about all the hard work and dedication he has put into Ripple Music Fest over the years and what new music is coming out of HDQ! That does it for this report, We will do our best to keep you up to date. Support us and shop Soundwave!

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