Former Megadeth drummer Shawn Drover officially made his live debut with Accept, joining the German/American heavy metal veterans as a “special guest artist” during their first 50th-anniversary concert of 2026. The milestone performance took place on May 1 at the Karmøygeddon Metal Festival in Kopervik, Norway, with fan-filmed video footage quickly surfacing online.
Shawn Drover‘s stint behind the kit is part of a special three-show run to help kick off the band’s golden anniversary celebrations. In addition to the Norwegian festival appearance, he is scheduled to play the following Scandinavian dates:
- May 03 – Gothenburg, Sweden @ Filmstudion
- May 06 – Stockholm, Sweden @ Cirkus
When the collaboration was initially revealed in April, Accept expressed their excitement in a public statement:
“The one and only drummer Shawn Drover (ex-Megadeth) will be the first special guest artist for Accept‘s 50th-anniversary celebrations LIVE! Joining the band for the first three shows in May. An absolute legend and beast of a drummer, we are thrilled to have him join us on stage as part of this very special and unique year. Join us today, reserve your place to metal’s biggest party of 2026.”
Beyond this initial run of dates, Accept is gearing up for a massive European tour in late 2026 to properly commemorate their extraordinary five-decade career at the forefront of the heavy metal genre. The expansive trek will consist of 24 headline shows spread across 11 different European countries.
The upcoming tour will bring half a century of heavy metal history to fans in major cities throughout Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic.
Reflecting on the monumental achievement, founding Accept guitarist Wolf Hoffmann shared his gratitude for the band’s enduring legacy:
“It’s incredible to be celebrating 50 years of Accept, and taking this anniversary tour across Europe makes it even more special. The support from our fans over the decades has been overwhelming, and we can’t wait to bring these shows to so many countries and celebrate this milestone together.”
For the late 2026 European run, Accept will be joined by special guests Dynazty, a Swedish melodic metal act, alongside rising UK heavy metal band Tailgunner.
Accept 2026 “Half A Century Of Metal” Tour Dates:
- Nov. 19 – Leipzig, DE @ Haus Auensee
- Nov. 20 – Lingen, DE @ Emsland Arena
- Nov. 21 – Oberhausen, DE @ Turbinenhalle
- Nov. 22 – Paris, FR @ L’Olympia
- Nov. 24 – Balingen, DE @ Volksbankmesse
- Nov. 25 – Lyon, FR @ Transbordeur
- Nov. 27 – Valencia, ES @ Auditorio
- Nov. 28 – Madrid, ES @ La Cubierta
- Nov. 29 – Toulouse, FR @ Bikini
- Dec. 01 – Zurich, CH @ Komplex 457
- Dec. 02 – Milano, IT @ Alcatraz
- Dec. 04 – Vienna, AT @ Gasometer
- Dec. 05 – Zlin, CZ @ Sports Hall Datart
- Dec. 06 – Budapest, HU @ Barba Negra
- Dec. 08 – Berlin, DE @ Uber Eats Music Hall
- Dec. 09 – Gliwice, PL @ Arena Gliwice
- Dec. 11 – Hamburg, DE @ Inselpark Arena
- Dec. 12 – Offenbach, DE @ Stadthalle
- Dec. 13 – Brussels, BE @ AB
- Dec. 15 – Herford, DE @ Kulturwerk
- Dec. 16 – Tilburg, NL @ O13
- Dec. 18 – Ulm, DE @ Ratiopharm Arena
- Dec. 19 – Geiselwind, DE @ Eventhall
- Dec. 20 – Munich, DE @ Zenith
