The San Diego Metal Swap Meet 2026 hit Fall Brewing Company Miramar on Saturday, October 10, and the weather kept things interesting. Rain came and went all afternoon, so most of the action stayed under the vendor’s tents. People still moved between the stage, the vendor tables, and the taproom, just with a little more huddling than usual. The event has run since 2009 as an all-ages mix of metal marketplace and live music, and this year’s version held up fine despite the wet pavement.
Doors opened at 11 a.m. Tickets started around $24.50 on Eventbrite. The set order ran Heartworm, Insecticide, Anna Fiori, Nukem, and Sanctuary as the closer. I stayed through Nukem and left before Sanctuary so I can’t speak much about their set.
Heartworm and Insecticide opened while the tables were still filling up. I missed Heartworm but for what I head, both sets fit the outdoor vibe and gave people time to dig through vinyl, patches, and shirts before the later bands.
It was good seeing Mondo after their set. Haven’t crossed paths with him in a few years. One of those things the Metal Swap Meet still does well—pulling old friends back into the same place. – Raymond Melendez
Fall Brewing had a limited collaboration Metal Swap Meet American Lager in black cans with gold tops available for “in premises consumption”, which made the rounds along with the regular taps. It was mentioned that a 4-packs of the collab lager would be available, however that was not the case. The rain never fully stopped for long, but it also never cleared everyone out. The tents just got busier.
Metal Swap Meet American Lager
Anna Fiori played next. She was making her first U.S. appearance at the meet, and the set landed well. Her style sits in that cinematic, symphonic space with Hispanic elements, and it gave the afternoon a different feel before the thrash bands. From where I was standing it came across clean and committed. Not every outdoor swap-meet stage is ideal for that kind of material, but it worked here.
Nukem followed. The San Diego thrash band has been around since 2012 and plays the kind of direct, Bay Area-influenced thrash that fits these local events. Their newer record The Grave Remains was in the set alongside older material. The performance was tight and energetic under the tents. People were moving, and the band looked locked in. It was the last set I caught.
Between sets I spent time at the tables. One of the highlight was Derek Riggs. The Iron Maiden artist has been a regular presence at the San Diego Metal Swap Meet for years, and he was there again signing. My good friend & Beer Alien business partner, Terry Bunch, walked away with an original sketch of Eddie that he signed. Vinny Appice was also listed among the special guests for the day, consistent with past editions.
The rain shaped the afternoon more than I expected. It kept more people under the tents and around the stage area instead of spreading out across the lot, which made the whole thing feel a little more concentrated. Parking still filled up early in the industrial area, same as usual. The all-ages crowd was the typical mix of longtime local metal fans, younger kids, and families moving through the vendors. Ran into our friends and neighbor Kate and Stephen from Hexed Exotics and their daughter wandering around the stage and the tables.
I left after Nukem, so I missed Sanctuary. They closed the live portion and made their first appearance at the meet, with the expectation of material from Refuge Denied and Into the Mirror Black. From what I saw of the earlier sets, the turnout, and the marketplace activity, the day still delivered on the core appeal of the event even without the headliner and even with the weather.
The free afterparty at The Tower Bar gave people who wanted to keep going another option once the Miramar stage wrapped.
The San Diego Metal Swap Meet continues to work because it stays simple: vendors, a live stage, special guests like Derek Riggs, and a local metal crowd that actually shows up. The rain this year just added another layer. Next year’s edition will almost certainly bring another strong headliner and the same combination of trading and music. For future dates, check the Metal Swap Meet channels and the sdmetal.com calendar.
