For the longest time, the hardcore scene in Trondheim was all but non-existent, so being able to build this from the ground up and now having reached a point where we can pull off a two-day festival with lots of local hardcore bands, as well as some of our favorite Swedish bands, is something I think all of us in Trondheim Hardcore feel very stoked to have accomplished.
Against the Grain 2026 was a two-day, all-ages, drug-free hardcore festival held on August 14–15 in Trondheim, Norway. Trondheim Hardcore (also known as TRDHC) organized the event, the second edition of Against the Grain; the first was a one-day event held in July 2025.
Friday’s lineup was a great showcase of both new and older local bands, with Nødblinkers kicking things off, followed by First Charge and Nagirčalmmiid. Closing out the first day in style were Gnasher, who had a release show for their new EP, Eye of God.
Gnasher could probably be called Trondheim Hardcore veterans at this point, seeing as they have been around for six years and are the oldest band on the lineup at this year’s fest. I guess this is a testament to just how new the scene here is as well! I was surprised to see so many new faces in the crowd and stoked to see so many new kids moshing, dancing, and generally having a great time!
Saturday started early, but the energy stayed high all day. Local bands Hydee, xStalkerx, and Drop Knee played, along with Swedish acts Viggen, xSerenityx, and Master Killer.
I play in both xStalkerx and Drop Knee and had a blast playing with both bands that day. Getting to play our LP release show for our new album, Life is Beautiful, with Drop Knee at a festival filled with friends felt truly special, and the crowd's energy was awesome. This was definitely one of my favorite shows I’ve ever played.
Master Killer from Örebro were phenomenal, and I am so grateful to Örebro Hardcore for helping us make this happen. This day was also xSerenityx and Viggen’s first time playing outside of Sweden, and I am so happy we were able to make that happen. They absolutely killed it!
xSerenityx headlining the festival and playing such a sick set has to be the coolest thing I’ve seen happen in Trondheim in a long time, maybe ever.
Growing up in Trondheim, live music wasn’t accessible to me as a teenager. Most venues have an 18/20+ policy, and there are very few all-ages and/or drug-free music events.
To get to be a part of organizing these types of events that I would’ve killed for when I was younger, and to see so many people of all ages come together and enjoy hardcore for a weekend in my hometown, is something that feels incredibly rewarding.
Overall, I’d say Against the Grain this year was a big success, and we’ve already started planning for next year!
Tagged: drop knee, master killer, xserenityx, xstalkerx
