William Shatner has undertaken a whole new career change at the age of 95 and will perform at Riot Fest, a heavy metal festival in Chicago later this year09:18, 17 Jul 2026William Shatner has undertaken a whole new career change at the age of 95, as he announces heavy mental gig.‌The Star Trek actor will perform live at Riot Fest - a heavy metal festival - alongside guitarist-musical director Marcus Nand, bassist Phil Soussan, guitarist Britt Lightning and drummer Fred Aching this September.‌Promoting his new venture, he said: "Riot fest fans, Shatner here, 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. 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."‌Announcing the exciting news, the festival added: "After years of writing letters… Riot Fest 2026: Now with 100% more williamshatner, with his heavy metal band The *uckers. Appearing Sunday. Tickets on sale now."To further promote their latest signing, the festival joked about the 'rider' they had been requested.‌"Hey Chicago, we just received a personal video message from williamshatner. His rider is a lot. But we’re committed to showing him what he means to us and we’re going to need your help. We don’t want years of letter-writing to go to waste. Anybody willing to lend a hand?" they wrote before making a hilarious list.They quipped that he wanted a bot renamed in his honour "so he can captain a ship again" in a nod to his famous Star Trek role as Captain Kirk and they joked that he also wanted "a classic Chicago food item to be named in tribute to William Shatner".Other asks including "four feet of Polish sausage", a "bouquet of flowers in a vase", and a Montreal Canadians hockey sweater signed by John Stamos, who had played at the festival the previous year.‌Speaking about how much music means to him, William said: "I've always believed that music, like space, is about exploration. 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."‌Last year, Shatner hit the headlines when he was rushed to hospital. It was thought he had experienced a medical emergency involving his blood sugar levels. It was later revealed he was "resting comfortably" and doing "good".However, he was forced to deny he had been diagnosed with cancer in the months before that, branding it all a hoax. "I wanted to put this out yesterday but given the day and the possibility that it would look like a joke I waited for today. There is a page on Facebook that is using AI to create horrible fake news stories about me," he said."None of these stories are true but they apparently seem genuine enough for fans to repost them across social media and send messages of support to me and my family all while the culprits behind the account make money. If you see a bizarre story about me; unless you see it posted on one of my verified accounts take it with a grain of salt."Article continues belowHe did have a stage four melanoma a few years back but is recovering well and is now cancer-free.Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.