Beam him up. And crank it to 11. William Shatner, yes, Captain Kirk, will make his live heavy metal debut at Riot Fest this September, adding another unexpected chapter to the legendary actor’s decades-long career.
The 95-year-old Star Trek icon is set to perform on Sept. 20 at Chicago’s Douglass Park alongside his newly formed heavy metal band, The *uckers, during the festival’s final day.
“I’ve always believed that music, like space, is about exploration,” Shatner said in a statement. “Riot Fest is exactly the kind of place where anything can happen. We’re bringing volume, intensity, and a few surprises. I can’t wait to share this experience with the fans.”
Shatner also teased the performance on Instagram, telling followers, “This is an event you definitely will be telling your grandchildren about!”
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According to People, the set will feature heavy metal reinterpretations of songs from Shatner’s catalog, as well as material from the band’s debut album, What the F Is Heavy Metal.
The lineup for The *uckers includes Marcus Nand on guitar, Fred Aching on drums, Britt Lightning on guitar and Phil Soussan on bass.
Riot Fest founder Mike “Riot Mike” Petryshyn joked that landing the actor had been years in the making. “After years of persistently, and perhaps annoyingly, writing letters to William Shatner about performing at Riot Fest, it appears that he was finally compelled,” Petryshyn said. “I for one cannot wait to see Shatner get heavy.”
Shatner joins a stacked 2026 Riot Fest lineup that includes Morrissey, Iggy Pop, Sex Pistols, Twenty One Pilots and Patti Smith, adding yet another memorable moment to the Chicago festival’s reputation for booking the unexpected.
