ProgStock

ProgStock 2026 is the tenth edition of an annual volunteer-run event whose mission is to shine light on one of the most exciting and creative genres of rock music, Progressive Rock. The festival has been designed as a hybrid event, including in-person attendance at our on-stage performances, access to artist meet-and-greets, vendor tables and fine artist exhibits, and many other unique attractions that make this much more than a music festival…it’s a Prog convention! And, since 2021, we also offer live-streaming of our main on-stage performances for those who can’t attend in-person.

Once popularized in the late 1960s and early 1970s by bands like Yes, Genesis, Jethro Tull and Rush (to name but a few), the genre has spawned hundreds of bands all over the world ever since its heyday. Despite the near-demise of the record industry that once exposed this music to the masses, artists from all over the world have continued to create this kind of music and have found audiences that cherish it and crave for more. Since 2017, ProgStock has provided a vehicle for these artists to play to audiences and in surroundings that they might not be able to achieve on their own.

In that spirit, ProgStock provides its international audience (which includes visiting patrons from Europe, South America, Canada, and elsewhere) with a varied menu of Progressive Rock acts from all over the world (when we can). Although there are (and always will be) many American bands on our roster gaining this valuable exposure, we also try to include some examples of international acts that are either less well-known in the USA and deserve the chance for international exposure, or are seasoned performers with a rich history of musical achievements, as incentive for more patrons to attend the festival. It is exactly the mission of ProgStock to bring such music to our stage, because we strive to be one of the few places in the USA where such music can be experienced by our audience.

ProgStock is the American Northeast’s only Progressive Rock music festival, due to the demise of another storied music festival, RoSfest. We are located in the tri-state area conveniently close to New York City, which attracts patrons and performing artists from all over the USA and the world. Our audience had grown tremendously since we began in 2017, and we were expecting healthy growth for our 2020 edition…until the pandemic scuttled those hopes. As in prior years, we planned to continue bringing new experiences to the festival to complement the performances, including special guest appearances and meet-and-greets, audience participation opportunities, fine artists whose artwork is renown within Progressive Rock circles, and the involvement of sponsors and foundations related to music education, historical preservation, and support of independent musical artists. As of 2021, we proudly resumed that plan!

In 2017 and 2018, ProgStock was blessed to have Tom Brislin, a New Jersey native, perform both singly and with his band, Gold Rotation, and now Tom is a full-fledged member of the multiple Platinum-selling American rock band, Kansas. In 2018, ProgStock was honored to have the extraordinary talents of Eddie Jobson headlining the festival, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Platinum-selling English rock band, Roxy Music. In 2019, ProgStock featured the Juno Award winning and Canadian Platinum-selling rock band, SAGA, and we were honored to feature and help raise funds for the Bob Moog Foundation, which preserves and carries forward the legacy of Bob Moog’s revolutionary innovations in music synthesis that has impacted almost every genre of music for decades. In 2020, ProgStock persevered through the pandemic by bringing over 100 live-streamed performances to the living rooms of our audience, culminating in a virtual 2-day festival featuring the classic American prog-rock band, Crack The Sky. In 2021 and 2022, ProgStock returned to the stage as a hybrid event offering both in-person and live-streaming experiences, and once again delivered some once-in-a-lifetime performances. In 2023, ProgStock went back to the drawing board and partnered with a new venue in a new city, greatly expanding what the festival can offer its attendees. This great new partnership blossomed in 2024 as the festival welcomed back the legendary SAGA and brought the UK’s progressive rock powerhouse, Lifesigns, to the US for the very first time. In 2025, ProgStock set a new bar by hosting a stunning and eclectic performance by none other than the lead singer of Marillion, Steve Hogarth.

More festival info here:
ProgStock 2026 – The American Northeast's Only International Progressive Rock Festival, October 8-10, 2026 in Rutherford, NJ

Tickets will be here when available:
ProgStock Box Office Events

Check out this Collection for The Band Wagon USA artists who will be playing this year's festival.