American metal band Megadeth will step in to fill the slot left by Avenged Sevenfold, who abruptly canceled their appearance just a day prior to the show.
Organizers of the Busan International Rock Festival announced on October 2, "Megadeth's performance as the headliner for the Samnak Stage on the festival's opening day has been confirmed. In addition to their previously scheduled set on October 3, they will now perform across both days, October 2 and 3."
Avenged Sevenfold was originally scheduled to headline opening night on October 2. However, festival organizers shared an urgent notice on the afternoon of October 1, the day before the launch, stating, "Due to a band member's health condition, the performance scheduled for Friday, October 2, can no longer take place. A member is currently unable to board a flight bound for South Korea for medical reasons." What was set to be their first performance in the country in 11 years since January 2015 fell through just hours before showtime.
Because Avenged Sevenfold delivered the cancellation notice immediately after wrapping up their Asia tour stop in Tokyo, Japan, on September 30, and with specific details regarding the member's health remaining undisclosed, fans expressed both disappointment and confusion.
Stepping up to save the day was Megadeth, who was already on the ground in Busan preparing for their October 3 headline set. For a single artist to headline two consecutive days at a major domestic music festival is an exceptionally rare move. Fans celebrated the news, sharing reactions like "True legends showing how it's done" and "This is what real rock spirit looks like."
This visit marks Megadeth's return to South Korea after 19 years, following their 2007 solo concert. Representatives from the Busan International Rock Festival remarked, "We would like to express our deepest gratitude to Megadeth for graciously accepting our sudden request."
The 2026 Busan International Rock Festival runs for three days from October 2 to 4 at Busan's Samnak Ecological Park. On October 2, performers include Broccoli, you too, Lee Seung-yoon, Jang Beom-june, N.Flying, and Xdinary Heroes. On October 3, JANNABI, TOUCHED, WOODZ, and KWON JINAH will share the bill alongside Megadeth. The final day on October 4 will feature The Libertines, Songgolmae, CNBLUE, and HANRORO.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Kyung-youn)
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