William Shatner is boldly going where few would have expected at 95 years old—straight onto a heavy metal stage.

The legendary Star Trek actor surprised fans after being announced as part of the lineup for Riot Fest 2026, where he will front his new band, *The uckers, during a performance scheduled for September 20 at Douglass Park in Chicago.

The unexpected career move was revealed Thursday alongside a humorous video message from the actor, who embraced the announcement with his trademark sense of humor.

“Riot Fest fans, Shatner here,” he said in the clip. “I’ve been dinking around, found all those letters you sent me, and I’ve decided, you’re such big fans of mine, that I’m gonna debut my heavy metal record at Riot Fest.”

He continued with a playful request: “And I hope you’re there, and I hope I’m there. And I hope that you have my rider—and yes, don’t forget, my bowl of sauerkraut, if you please.”

The festival also unveiled the news on Instagram with what appeared to be an AI-generated image showing Shatner dressed like a rock star, complete with a black outfit, guitar and signature heavy metal hand gesture.

“After years of writing letters… Riot Fest 2026: Now with 100% more William Shatner, with his heavy metal band *The uckers,” the festival joked. “Appearing Sunday. Tickets on sale now.”

Fans quickly flooded social media with amused reactions.

“One 95-year-old man doing heavy metal at Riot Fest, damn lol,” one commenter wrote.

Another joked, “Stamos in 25, Shatner in 26… Johnny Depp and Hollywood Vampires in 27?”

Others celebrated the unexpected announcement, with one fan praising Shatner’s memorable spoken-word cover of Pulp’s Common People, calling it “amazing,” while another admitted, “I’ve never been more excited about a thing I never knew existed.”

Additional reactions ranged from “Aye Aye Captain” to “This is everything” and “U got the best agent WS.”

Adding to the fun, Riot Fest released a mock tour rider packed with tongue-in-cheek demands supposedly requested by the actor.

Among the humorous items were requests for Chicago to rename a boat in his honor “so he can captain a ship again,” create a classic Chicago food named after him, provide four feet of Polish sausage, a bouquet of flowers, and even a Montreal Canadiens hockey jersey signed by John Stamos, who performed at the festival last year.

Speaking about the upcoming performance, Shatner compared music to exploring the final frontier.

“I’ve always believed that music, like space, is about exploration,” he told People. “Riot Fest is exactly the kind of place where anything can happen. We’re bringing volume, intensity, and a few surprises. I can’t wait to share this experience with the fans.”

Backing Shatner on stage will be guitarist and musical director Marcus Nand, bassist Phil Soussan, guitarist Britt Lightning, and drummer Fred Aching.

The band’s performance will feature songs Shatner has previously recorded along with music from his upcoming album, What the F Is Heavy Metal.

Laughing about the title, he explained, “That’s the name of the album because I know nothing—or didn’t know anything until I found out how little I do know.”

Riot Fest 2026, running from September 18–20 at Douglass Park, will also feature performances by Twenty One Pilots, Iggy Pop, Morrissey, Pixies, Sex Pistols, Nas, Public Image Ltd., Bad Religion, Taking Back Sunday, and many more.

The announcement comes just months after Shatner publicly addressed false online rumors about his health. In April, he warned fans about AI-generated Facebook posts falsely claiming he was battling stage 4 brain cancer, feuding with Erika Kirk, or dying.

“These stories are monetized,” he wrote, explaining that fake AI-generated images were being used to spread misinformation. He urged fans not to believe shocking reports unless they appeared on his verified social media accounts, adding that none of the circulating claims were true.

Source: Various Sources.