In Hearts Wake have withdrawn from Hellbound 2026, becoming the fourth act from the cruise’s original lineup to pull out before the inaugural voyage.
The Byron Bay metalcore band confirmed they will no longer appear on the sold-out three-night metal cruise, citing an unexpected family situation that means they need to remain at home with loved ones over the coming months.
Hellbound organisers Choose Your Cruise said they respected the band’s privacy and wished them well.
“Due to an unexpected family situation, we need to remain present at home with our loved ones for the next few months,” In Hearts Wake said in a statement.
“We always put 100% into our live show and preparing for an upcoming festival with multiple days away at sea is just not possible at this time. So unfortunately we have made the difficult decision to withdraw.”
The band added: “We’ll see you in 2027 stronger than ever.”
Hellbound is scheduled to depart Sydney on October 22 and return on October 25, with Parkway Drive still leading the bill for what was announced as Australia’s first dedicated heavy metal cruise.
Four acts from the original Hellbound lineup have now withdrawn
In Hearts Wake’s exit follows three earlier withdrawals from the original 17-band Hellbound announcement.
The Beautiful Monument and Diamond Construct were the first two original acts to withdraw, with DREGG and LATE 90s subsequently added to the bill. No detailed reasons for either departure were given in BLUNT’s previous Hellbound coverage.
Northlane then became the third original act to pull out. The band said plans surrounding their forthcoming album Anemoia had changed significantly and they needed to prioritise preparation for their Australian headline tour and the live introduction of the record. Gold Coast heavy veterans Sunk Loto were added in their place.
With In Hearts Wake now out, four of the 17 bands named in the original announcement have withdrawn, almost a quarter of the initial lineup. Northlane and In Hearts Wake were also among the six highest-billed acts in that announcement, alongside Parkway Drive, Polaris, The Butterfly Effect and Make Them Suffer.
No replacement for In Hearts Wake was announced in the update provided to ticket holders.
What does the ACCC say about significant event changes?
With four original acts now off the bill, the refund question is likely to come up for some ticket holders.
Hellbound’s current FAQ states that its artist lineup is subject to change and says refunds will not be offered if a band or performer cannot fulfil their performance obligations. It also says tickets are for the overall festival experience rather than any individual act.
The ACCC’s general guidance on event tickets says consumers may have refund rights where an event is cancelled or “significantly changed”, depending on factors including the reason for the change, its nature and the ticket terms. The ACCC also gives the replacement of a festival headline act as an example of a major change where the organiser makes that change.
The same ACCC guidance also notes that a consumer may not be entitled to a remedy where a cancellation or change is due only to the actions of someone other than the event organiser. That may be relevant when individual artists withdraw for their own reasons.
That does not mean Hellbound ticket holders are automatically entitled to refunds, and BLUNT is not suggesting the event is legally required to offer them. Whether the lineup changes meet any legal threshold depends on the specific circumstances.
Four of the 17 acts originally announced are now off the bill, including Northlane and In Hearts Wake. The ACCC guidance is relevant context, but it does not settle whether refunds apply in this case.
Hellbound 2026 remains scheduled for October 22 to 25 aboard Carnival Splendor, departing and returning to Sydney.
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