Behemoth frontman Adam ‘Nergal’ Darski has revealed that the band plans to go on an extended hiatus following their 2026 tour.
Speaking about the decision, Nergal outlined the band’s need to step back from live activities and recharge, while also hinting at upcoming music releases.
“We need to recharge batteries,” Nergal said. “Basically, we need to rethink, rejuvenate, so to say, and for that you need time. So I definitely don’t wanna rush anything. So we’re looking for at least one year off — nothing, no activities.”
Despite the planned break from live performances, Nergal confirmed that some musical output is still on the way before the hiatus fully takes effect.
“We might be dropping some music,” he continued. “We are releasing a new EP album. It’s 40 minutes of music. So we’re dropping that right before the tour. We’re planning something for the next year as well, some special release. I can’t say much about it now. So there’s gonna be things happening in the Behemoth camp, but there’s gonna be no live activities from us. I have stopped doing interviews for most part as well. So we just wanna chill.”
Nergal also explained the reasoning behind the band’s selective festival appearances this summer and confirmed the details of their final tour run.
“The thing was that we either choose to do a full summer run or we do a proper headlining, co-headlining tour in the fall. And we chose the latter,” he said. “It’s already been announced — Dimmu Borgir, Behemoth and Dark Funeral across Europe, 16 dates. So this is the main focus.”
“So in order not to jeopardize that tour, we just decided to do very selected festivals only in June,” Nergal added. “So nothing in July or August that would just interfere with those October dates. So just four festivals, big festivals, big slots, and then a full-on production, and then three months nothing, and then the final tour. Because beyond that tour, we plan nothing. So, basically, we wrap that October tour, and Behemoth is on hold.”
The October European co-headlining run with Dimmu Borgir and Dark Funeral will mark the end of Behemoth’s live activities. The band will then enter a planned period of rest in 2027.
The announcement caps off what has been an exceptionally active stretch for the Polish extreme metal outfit. The band maintained a relentless touring and release schedule heading into the back half of 2026. The hiatus is expected to last at least through 2027, signaling a deliberate shift in pace for one of extreme metal’s most prolific acts.
The band released a collaborative single titled “ADJOURN IT,” adding to a string of recent musical activity. The release underscores Nergal’s point that the camp will not go entirely silent during the downtime — just dark on the live front.
Earlier in 2026, Behemoth undertook a North American run with special guests including Deicide, Rotting Christ, and Immolation. The run demonstrated the kind of high-output touring pace that Nergal has now cited as a key reason for the upcoming break.
Nergal also performed Behemoth’s 1995 debut album Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic) live in full for the first time, joined by Icelandic black metal act Misþyrming. The special performance marked the album’s 30th anniversary and was presented as a full conceptual work. It appeared at festivals including Brutal Assault 2026 and stands as one of the more historically significant moments of the band’s current cycle.
With the October tour set to serve as the final curtain on Behemoth’s live activities for the foreseeable future, the band appears intent on going out at full force before stepping away. Fans should not expect to see Behemoth on a stage again until late 2027 at the earliest — or possibly 2028.
