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Prepare the Ground
Festivals›Prepare the Ground

Prepare the Ground

—
Lee's Palace, Canada
41 artists

Key facts

Dates
29 – 31 May 2026
Where
Lee's Palace, Canada
Tickets
edition over
Headliners
AMENRA, TORCHE, ORANSSI PAZUZU

Data updated on 20 February 2026 — source: official site

🎤Lineup

AMENRA – Stoner Metal
AMENRA
Stoner Metal
TORCHE – Stoner Metal
TORCHE
Stoner Metal
ORANSSI PAZUZU – Black Metal
ORANSSI PAZUZU
Black Metal
Oathbreaker – Sludge Metal
Oathbreaker
Sludge Metal
Wayfarer – Black Metal
Wayfarer
Black Metal
CONJURER – Stoner Metal
CONJURER
Stoner Metal
Portrayal of Guilt – Grindcore
Portrayal of Guilt
Grindcore
WITCH CLUB SATAN – Black Metal
WITCH CLUB SATAN
Black Metal
Habak – Screamo
Habak
Screamo
Kathryn Mohr – Indie Rock
Kathryn Mohr
Indie Rock
Bell Witch – Stoner Metal
Bell Witch
Stoner Metal
Blood Ceremony – Stoner Metal
Blood Ceremony
Stoner Metal
Blood Vulture – Sludge Metal
Blood Vulture
Sludge Metal
Burner – Hip-Hop
Burner
Hip-Hop
Cease – Hip-Hop
Cease
Hip-Hop
Dear Evangeline – Rock
Dear Evangeline
Rock
Final Gasp – Heavy Metal
Final Gasp
Heavy Metal
Hell – Pop
Hell
Pop
Hell is Other People – Heavy Metal
Hell is Other People
Heavy Metal
Indian Handcrafts – Rock
Indian Handcrafts
Rock
Malevich – Heavy Metal
Malevich
Heavy Metal
Minsk – Stoner Metal
Minsk
Stoner Metal
Mizmor – Rock
Mizmor
Rock
Pallbearer – Stoner Metal
Pallbearer
Stoner Metal
Pretty – Alternative
Pretty
Alternative
Sara Sloan – Pop
Sara Sloan
Pop
Stygian Bough
Stygian Bough
Svalbard – Screamo
Svalbard
Screamo
The Keening – Alternative Rock
The Keening
Alternative Rock
Tribunal – Heavy Metal
Tribunal
Heavy Metal
Tómarúm – Progressive Metal
Tómarúm
Progressive Metal
UUGGHH
UUGGHH
Unholy Altar – Heavy Metal
Unholy Altar
Heavy Metal
Unwell – Pop
Unwell
Pop
Weigedood
Rock
Wiegedood – Black Metal
Wiegedood
Black Metal
William Basinski – Minimalism
William Basinski
Minimalism
Wrekmeister Harmonies – Sludge Metal
Wrekmeister Harmonies
Sludge Metal
dogwhistle – Indie Rock
dogwhistle
Indie Rock
lowheaven – Rock
lowheaven
Rock
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead – Alternative Rock
…And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
Alternative Rock

✈️How to get to Prepare the Ground

Planning your trip to Prepare the Ground? Here's how to get there by plane, train or car, and plan your route to the festival site.

  • Nearest airport: Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ), about 4 km from the venue.
  • Major international airport nearby: Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), about 18 km away (more routes).
  • Allow about 6 min by car from the airport to the site.
  • By train, head for Toronto or the nearest major station, then finish by bus, shuttle or taxi to the site.
  • By car, plan for on-site parking and expect heavy traffic around the venue on festival days.
Lee's Palace, Canada
View on OpenStreetMap

🌤️Prepare the Ground 2026 weather

Weather in Lee's Palace in May 2026?

Actual weather at the 2026 edition

From May 29 to May 31, 2026: up to 27°, low of 10°, not a drop of rain.

no rainy days
  1. Fri, May 29Overcast27° / 11° 0 mm
  2. Sat, May 30Partly cloudy20° / 10° 0 mm
  3. Sun, May 31Overcast25° / 11° 0 mm

Day-by-day observed readings at the festival site (Open-Meteo archive).

Typical weather

Light drizzle
Typical high20°
Typical low9°

Chance of rain: about 11% of days

2025Light drizzle18° / 10°no rainy days
2024Overcast20° / 10°1 rainy day
2023Overcast21° / 8°no rainy days

Based on the last 3 years over the same period.

Hour by hour

Tap a day to see how temperature and rain changed across 24 hours.

Same week in 2025: Fri May 30 → Sun June 1 (days aligned on the edition's weekdays).

🎧Official playlist110 tracks

Log in to discover your scores for this festival.

📋About

Prepare the Ground 2026: Toronto's metal and post-rock festival

Prepare the Ground is a boutique festival held at Lee's Palace, an iconic venue in Toronto. Dedicated to extreme and experimental music, it brings together each year a sharp lineup combining metal, post-metal, and drone in an intimate and committed atmosphere.

The 2026 edition gathers 22 artists, headlined by Amenra, Torche, and …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. The programming explores stoner rock, psychedelic rock, and the dark territories of atmospheric black metal.

The festival casts a wide net across the heavy music universe: doom metal, sludge metal, funeral doom, and drone metal sit alongside more experimental propositions like blackgaze and neocrust. Post-hardcore and occult rock fans will also discover artists like Oathbreaker and Pallbearer.

From May 29 to 31, 2026, Lee's Palace becomes Toronto's temple of extreme music. Check out the full lineup and book your tickets for three intense nights.

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📋Practical info

Dates
—
Country
Region
City
Lee's Palace
Artists
41 artists
Main genre
Leading style
Official website
preparetheground.com
61%

Lineup focus score

Focused on Metal (61%) with touches of Rock, Electro. Explore Metal festivals

59%

Heavy Metal is the leading genre (24 artists). Explore Heavy Metal festivals

39 of 41 artists tagged.

Musical footprint

As a % of the 39 identified artists in the lineup (known genre), by genre — not to be confused with the focus score, computed on the whole lineup.

Explore more

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