Countdown to 2026: 184 Days

SOOOOOOON, a word 70000tons of Metal cruisers know all too well, love it or hate it. 70000tons of Metal, The Original, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise, returns for its 2026 edition from January 29 – February 2, 2026, setting sail from Miami, Florida to Nassau, The Bahamas aboard Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas. For booking and full details are available on the official website. Read our essential packing guide here. Check out the testimonials from several 2025 artists at this location.

70000tons 2025 Round 13: ARTIST 6 of 61 Candlemass

Stats

2025 Voyage:

Dates: January 30 – February 3, 2025
Destination: Miami to Ocho Rios, Jamaica
Ship: Independence of the Seas 

Artist Spotlight

Band: Candlemass
Number of 70000tons Appearances: 3 (2012, 2020, 2025)
Set 1: January 30, 2025 – Royal Theater – 1:15 am
Set 2: February 2, 2025 – Pool Deck – 4:15 pm
Attended: Set 1 – Yes, Set 2 – No
Country: Sweden
Genre: Doom Metal
Latest Album: Black Star – EP – 2025 (Napalm Records) / Sweet Evil Sun – LP – 2022 (Napalm Records)
Standout Moment(s): 
Opening night didn’t stop the crowd from packing out the Royal Theater; there was barely room to move as bodies swayed along to the crushing weight of doom legends, Candlemass. Making their return to the stage, was it more epic than their 2020 performance? That’s up for debate. With so few doom acts on board, it felt like a rare gift to witness such icons, even at the late hour. But neither the band nor the crowd showed any signs of slowing. Candlemass delivered a masterful set, and the audience welcomed every hazy, thunderous note. A grand return, indeed.

Candlemass – Set 1

Latest Candlemass News

2025 marks 40 years of Candlemass, and the doom legends have been celebrating their milestone. From the release of their latest EP Black Star,  in May, to tour and festival appearances, the band continues to celebrate, beyond the taste they provided during this year’s 70000tons. Their tour schedule continues, including Beyond the Gates and several more European shows lined up through the rest of 2025. For all tour dates, visit their website.

What is the Artist Spotlight?

Well, it’s more than a review of their performance; as 70000tons goes, each band is a headliner, and we treat each one as such, giving them their own spread, discussing who they are and what they’ve been up to since the cruise. Each spotlight coincides with any updates from 70000tons organizers (if any), leading to days before setting sail. An extensive coverage like no other.

70000tons 2026 Lineup 31 out of 60:

Amorphis
Beast in Black
Dark Tranquillity
Dødheimsgard
Eluveitie
Ereb Altor
Firewind
Gama Bomb
Groza
Haggard
Harakiri For The Sky
Heathen
Hiraes
Hirax
Hour of Penance
Insomnium
Kamelot
Orden Ogan
Persefone
Rhapsody of Fire
Satan
Saturnus
Seven Spires
Skeletal Remains
Soen
Soilwork
Tyr
Vader
Vio-lence
Wind Rose
Xandria

Artist Spotlight 2025:

Abysmal Dawn
Arcturus
Benighted
Beyond Creation
Cabrakaän

2025 Recap

2025 Testimonials
Review/Photos: 70000 Tons of Metal 2025 – another successful voyage where metal meets the Caribbean Seas

Artist Spotlight 2024:

2024 Artist Spotlight

Artist Spotlight 2023:

2023 Artist Spotlight

 

author avatar
Zenae Zukowski