William Shatner reveals surprising Riot Fest metal debut
William Shatner reveals surprising new career move as the 95-year-old Star Trek icon books Riot Fest 2026 with his heavy metal band The *uckers. The Sunday, Sept. 20 Chicago date will debut his metal record and mark the band’s first live show, months after he slammed fake cancer death reports.
Key Takeaways
- Shatner, 95, will perform at Riot Fest 2026 on Sunday, Sept. 20, at Chicago’s Douglass Park.
- The set with his heavy metal band The *uckers will be the group’s first live performance and the debut of his metal record.
- Riot Fest announced the booking Thursday and shared a tongue-in-cheek rider list from the actor.
- The news follows April comments in which Shatner slammed AI-fueled Facebook claims that he was dying of cancer.
What career move did William Shatner just announce?
According to Page Six, William Shatner reveals surprising plans to take his new heavy metal project onstage at a major festival.
Riot Fest said Thursday that the lineup now includes Shatner “with his heavy metal band The *uckers.” The festival post joked that the booking came “after years of writing letters,” and featured a playful photo of Shatner making the rock horns sign.
In an Instagram Reel shared by the festival, Shatner said he decided to “debut my heavy metal record at Riot Fest,” adding, “I hope that you’re there — and I hope I’m there.”
When and where will Shatner play Riot Fest?
The performance is set for Sunday, Sept. 20, at Douglass Park in Chicago. Tickets are already on sale, per the festival’s announcement.
Page Six reported the date will mark The *uckers’ first live show. The outlet also noted that last year’s Riot Fest featured John Stamos appearing alongside the Beach Boys.
Riot Fest later posted what it called Shatner’s rider, including cheeky asks such as renaming a boat so he can “captain a ship again,” “Fire breathers. Many of them,” a Chicago food item named after him, a DeLorean instead of a golf cart, “four feet of Polish sausage,” white tube socks and underwear, and a dressing room themed “Shatner’s Shag Shack.”
Fans flooded the comments with excitement, with one writing, “I’ve never been more excited about a thing I never knew existed,” and another summing it up as, “This is everything.”
How does this follow Shatner’s clash with death rumors?
The festival news arrives about three months after Shatner publicly hit back at a Facebook group he said used AI images and monetized false stories claiming he had stage 4 brain cancer and was dying.
In an April 2 post, he named “The Beanstalk Functions Group,” said the stories were untrue, and warned fans to treat bizarre claims with skepticism unless they appear on his verified accounts. He also said Facebook had not removed the page despite requests.
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