From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an incomplete list of heavy metal festivals . The genre of heavy metal (or simply metal) is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United States and the United Kingdom.[ 1] [ 2] [ 3] blues rock and psychedelic rock , the first heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath and Deep Purple attracted large audiences, and during the late 1960s and mid-1970s these bands and others in their genre were featured at a number of historic rock festivals.[ 4] Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence.[ 5] [ 6]
After the genre fused with other related genres such as punk rock in the late 1970s, bands in the new wave of British heavy metal such as Iron Maiden and Saxon followed in a similar vein. Before the end of the decade, heavy metal fans became known as "metalheads " or "headbangers ", and there were festivals worldwide, both touring and stationary, dedicated to heavy metal subgenres and heavy metal itself. During the 1980s, glam metal became a commercial force, while Underground scenes and extreme subgenres of metal such as death metal and black metal remained subcultural phenomena, though they have their own dedicated festivals as well. Since the mid-1990s, popular styles have further expanded the definition of the genre.
Festival name
Location
Active
Approximate time of year
Notes
Overthrust Winter Metal Mania Festival[ 9]
Ghanzi
2010–present
May
featuring local and African metal bands
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Hammersonic Festival
Jakarta
2012–present
March–April
all heavy music
Hellprint
Bandung
2011–present
November–March
all heavy music
Rock In Celebes
Makassar
2010–present
November
rock genres
Rock in Solo
Surakarta
2004–present
October–November
heritage metal
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Loud Park Festival
Saitama City or Chiba City
2023-present
October
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Kaltenbach Open Air[ 10]
2003–present
August
Nova Rock
Nickelsdorf
2005–present
June
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Graspop Metal Meeting Dessel 1996–present
End of June
One of the biggest metal festivals in Europe
Alcatraz Hard Rock & Metal Festival [ 11] Kortrijk 2008–present
Beginning of August
Started indoor but changed to an outdoor festival in 2013
Hell's Balls
Kortrijk
2023-present
Beginning of November
Indoor festival organized by the organization of Alcatraz
Huginns Awakening Fest
Oostende 2009–present
April/May
Thrash Speed Heavy metal festival
Headbanger's Balls Fest
Izegem 2012–present
Beginning of May
Blast from the Past Festival
Kuurne 2013–present
December
Old school heavy metal festival
Ieper Hardcore Fest
Ypres
1992-present
Beginning of July
Hardcore
Durbuy Rock
Bomal
1997-present
Beginning of May
Hell Open Air
Diest
2023-present
Beginning of May
Heavy metal and cover festival
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Hills of Rock
Rowing Canal in Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2017 - current
July
rock, metal, crossover punk
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Brutal Assault Jaroměř
1996–present
August
extreme metal, heavy metal, hardcore punk, experimental music
Masters of Rock (festival) Vizovice
2003–present
July
heavy metal, power metal, rock
Metalfest Pilsen
2007–present
June
heavy metal, power metal, death
Obscene Extreme Trutnov
1999–present
July
grindcore, death metal, hardcore punk
Rock Castle
Moravský Krumlov
2021-present
August
metal
Basin Fire Fest
Spálené Poříčí
2003-present
June
metal, punk, international + local bands
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Copenhell Copenhagen
2010–present
June
featuring death, thrash, black, doom, heavy, power metal and hard rock
Aalborg Metal Festival
Aalborg
2002–present
November
featuring death, thrash, black, doom, heavy, power metal and hard rock
Royal Metal Fest
Aarhus
2008–present
April
featuring death, thrash, black, doom, heavy, power metal and hard rock
Viborg Metal Festival
Viborg
2014–present
March
featuring death, thrash, black, doom, heavy, power metal and hard rock
Metal Magic Festival Fredericia
2008–present
July
featuring death, thrash, black, doom, heavy, power metal and hard rock
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Hard Rock Laager Vana-Vigala
2002–present
June
The biggest metal festival in Estonia[ 12]
Howls of Winter Tallinn
2014–present
February
black metal
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Dark River Festival
Kotka
August
all subgenres of metal
Hellsinki Metal Festival
Helsinki
2023-present
August
all subgenres of metal
John Smith Rock Festival[ 13]
Laukaa
2016–present
July
The best rock festival in Finland[ 14]
Nummirock
Kauhajoki
1987–present
June
all subgenres of metal
Saarihelvetti
Tampere
August
all subgenres of metal
Steelfest Open Air
Hyvinkää
2008–present
May
black and death metal
Turku Saatanalle
Turku
2011–present
March
black metal
Tuska Open Air Helsinki
1998–present
July
all subgenres of metal
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Hellfest Summer Open Air Clisson
2006–present
June
up to 60.000 people; all subgenres of Metal
Motocultor Festival Brittany
2007–present
August
death, black, thrash metal
Plane'R Fest
Colombier-Saugnieu
2012–present
July
all subgenres of Metal
Sylak Open Air
Saint-Maurice-de-Gourdans
August
all subgenres of Metal, hardcore
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. month
Audience
Notes
Chronical Moshers Open Air
Heinsdorfergrund
1982–present
June
Up to 1.000
Death, Black and Thrash Metal
Dark Troll Festival
Bornstedt
2009-present
May
Est. 1,200
Pagan, Black, Folk, Post, Melodic Death, Death Metal, Celtic Metal
Dong Open Air Neukirchen-Vluyn
2001–present
July
up to 5,000
All subgenres of Metal
Elbriot Hamburg
2013–present
August
up to 12,000
Metal Festival in Hamburg[ 15]
Euroblast Festival Cologne
2008–present
October
up to 12,000
Progressive and Avantgarde Metal
Full Force Löbnitz
1994–present
July
Est. 25,000
Hardcore, Metalcore, Punk and Metal
Impericon Festivals
Leipzig, Hamburg, Munich, Oberhausen
2011-present
March
up to 11,000
Biggest indoor festivals in Europe; Metalcore
In Flammen Open Air
Torgau
July
up to 6,000
Death, Black and Thrash Metal
Mammut Festival
Königsbrunn
2022-present
March
min. 500
Audience increasing fast; all subgenres of Metal
Metal Frenzy Open Air Festival
Gardelegen
2014–present
June
up to 5,000
Metal and Hard Rock
Party.San Metal Open Air
Schlotheim
1996-present
August
up to 10,000
All subgenres of Metal
Ragnarök Festival Lichtenfels, Bavaria 2004–present
April
up to 4000
Black, Pagan, Viking, Death Metal
Rock am Ring and Rock im Park Nürburgring
1985-present
June
up to 92,000
Biggest rock festival in the world; Metalcore, Death Metal, Thrash, Heavy Metal, Punk Rock, Rock
RockXplosion
Leonberg
1984-present
July
up to 2,000
Death Metal, Metalcore, Hardcore Punk, Punk Rock
Rock Hard Festival Gelsenkirchen
2003–present
June
7,000
Heavy, Power, Thrash and Death Metal
Rockharz Open Air
Ballenstedt
1993/94-present
July
up to 24,000
All subgenres of Metal
Rock um zu helfen
Freiberg, Saxony
October
Rock genres
Reload Festival
Sulingen
2006-present
August
up to 15,000
Metal, Hardcore, Punk & Party
Summer Breeze Open Air Dinkelsbühl
1997–present
August
up to 40,000
Death, Black, Thrash Metal
Under the Black Sun
Friesack near Berlin
1997-present
June or July
up to 1000
Black Metal
Wacken Open Air Wacken
1990–present
August
up to 85,000
Largest metal festival in Germany; all subgenres of Metal
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Zobens un Lemess
Bauska
2014–present
June
folk, pagan, metal subgenres; 3 day festival
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Kilkim Žaibu Varniai
1999–present
June (end)
black, Viking metal and folk music
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Dynamo Open Air Eindhoven
2015–present
July
Into the Grave
Leeuwarden
2010–present
June
MidsummerProg
Valkenburg
2017–present
June
ProgPower Europe Baarlo
1999–present
October
featuring power, progressive metal
Roadburn Festival Tilburg
1999–present
April
large festival featuring doom, stoner, death, black metal
Metalyard Arnhem
2015–present
April
indoor festival featuring thrash, heavy metal, death, black metal and so on.
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Inferno Metal Festival Oslo 2001–present
April
featuring black, death, thrash, doom metal
Tons of Rock
Oslo 2014-present
June
wide range of metal subgenres
Karmøygeddon Metal Festival
Kopervik 2004–present
May
wide range of metal subgenres
Garasjefestival
Reinsvoll 2017–present
July
black, death, trash and other subgenres of metal
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
HARDMETALFEST
Mangualde
1997–present
January
featuring power, death, black, thrash, doom metal
Laurus Nobilis Music
Famalicão
2015–present
August
featuring power, death, black, thrash, doom metal
Rock in Rio Lisboa Lisboa
2004–present
May
featuring various genres
SWR Barroselas Metalfest
Barroselas
1998–present
April
featuring power, death, black, thrash, doom metal
Vagos Metal Fest
Calvão 2016–present
August
featuring power, death, black, thrash, doom metal
Evil Live
Lisboa
2009–present
June
featuring power, death, black, thrash, doom metal
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Artmania Festival Sibiu
2006–present
August
art festival featuring heavy metal
Metalhead Meeting
Bucharest
2013–present
June/July
death metal, black metal, heavy metal
Rockstadt Extreme Festival
Rasnov
2013–present
August
death metal, black metal, heavy metal
Metal Gates Festival
Bucharest
2017–present
November
death metal, black metal, doom metal
Posada Rock Fest
Campulung Muscel
1986–present
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Metal Over Russia
Moscow
July
3-day doom, death, black, dark, pagan, folk metal
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Tolminator Tolmin 2023–present
July
all styles of metal, attendance capped at 5000 visitors. Spiritual successor to Metaldays and MetalCamp
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Barcelona Rock Fest
Barcelona
2014–present
July
featuring hardcore, metalcore, thrash, death, black metal, punk
Leyendas del Rock
Villena
2006–present
August
mostly traditional, thrash, power and gothic metal
Resurrection Fest Viveiro
2006–present
July
featuring hardcore, metalcore, thrash, death, black metal, punk
Rock Imperium
Cartagena
2022-present
June
mostly traditional, glam, power metal.
Z! Live Rock Fest
Zamora
2016-present
June
mostly traditional, thrash and power metal.
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
House of Metal Umeå
2007–present
February or March
all subgenres of metal
Sweden Rock Festival Sölvesborg
1992–present
June
classic rock, hard rock and metal
Huskvarna Metal Fest
Jönköping
Spring and fall
black, death, thrash metal
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Bloodstock Open Air Walton-on-Trent, Derbyshire
2005–present
August
outdoor festival featuring death, black, thrash, folk metal, with attendance of 13,000 (2013)
Damnation Festival Manchester, England
2005–present
November
one-day festival featuring death, black, thrash, doom metal
Download Festival Donington Park, Leicestershire
2003–present
June
large rock festival featuring hard rock, nu-metal, metalcore, death metal, black metal and pro wrestling from NXT UK
Hard Rock Hell Gwynedd, North Wales
2007–present
November
Three day metal festival held at a resort[ 16]
Incineration Festival
London, England
2014–present
May
extreme metal festival for fans of death metal, black metal, doom metal, thrash metal, and slam
Slam Dunk Festival[ 17]
Stonedead Festival
Newark, Notts, England
2018–Present
August
One Day, One Stage, One Monster Rock Show[ 18]
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Gaspesian Metal Fest
Matane
June
Underground metal festival
Hyperspace Metal Festival
Vancouver
April
Canada's premier melodic & power metal festival
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
Candelabrum Metal Fest
León
September
Hell & Heaven Metal Fest
Mexico City (Toluca)
2010–present
November - December
3 Day Open-Air Metal Festival, featuring death, thrash, black, doom, heavy, power metal & hard rock
México Metal Fest
Monterrey
2016–present
November
1 Day
Total Death Over México
Mexico City
2018–present
May
3 Day Underground Death, Black Metal Festival
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
98RockFest Tampa, FL 2007–present
April
Metal, grunge and hard rock festival[ 19]
Aftershock Festival Sacramento, CA 2012–present
October
Hard rock and heavy metal festival[ 20]
AURA Fest[ 21]
Savannah, GA 2017–present
June
All Underground Rock All Day[ 22]
Full Terror Assault[ 23]
Cave-In-Rock, IL 2021–present
September
European style Open Air Festival for extreme music fans[ 24]
Hell's Heroes[ 25]
Houston, TX 2018–present
March
Thrash and epic metal festival[ 26]
INKcarceration[ 27]
Mansfield, OH 2018–present
July
Rock music and tattoo festival[ 28]
Legions of Metal Fest[ 29]
Chicago, IL 2017–present
June
Louder Than Life Louisville, KY 2014–present
September
Hard rock/heavy metal festival[ 30]
Mad With Power Fest[ 31]
Madison, WI 2018–present
August
Power Metal/Traditional Heavy Metal festival[ 32]
Maryland Deathfest Baltimore, MD 2003–present
May
Extreme Music[ 33]
Mass Destruction Metal Fest[ 34]
Atlanta, GA 2017–present
November
Extreme Metal Festival[ 35]
Milwaukee Metal Fest[ 36]
Milwaukee, WI 1987–2004, 2023–present
May
New England Metal and Hardcore Festival Worcester, MA 1999–2018, 2023–present
September
ProgPower USA Atlanta, GA 2001–present
September
Progressive and Power Metal[ 37]
Rocklahoma Pryor, OK 2007–present
September
Hard rock and metal festival[ 38]
Sick New World Festival[ 39]
Las Vegas, NV 2023–present
April
Nu-Metal Fest[ 40]
Sonic Temple Columbus, OH 2019, 2023–present
May
Hard rock and metal festival[ 41]
Welcome to Rockville Daytona Beach, FL 2011–present
April/May
Hard rock and heavy metal music festival[ 42]
The following is an incomplete list of traveling metal festivals, both active and defunct:
Festival name
Location
Active
Approx. time of year
Notes
MetalCamp Tolmin 2004–2012
August
replaced by Metaldays, featuring death, black, folk, thrash, doom metal
Metaldays Velenje 2013–2023
August
replaced Metalcamp and previously held in Tolmin, featuring death, black, folk, thrash, doom metal
^ Du Noyer (2003), p. 96; Weinstein (2000), pp. 11–13.
^ "The History of Heavy Metal" . musicianwave.com . 9 August 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2022 .^ Weinstein (2000), pp. 14, 118.
^ Fast (2005), pp. 89–91; Weinstein (2000), pp. 7, 8, 23, 36, 103, 104.
^ Walser (1993), p. 6.
^ "As much as Sabbath started it, Priest were the ones who took it out of the blues and straight into metal." Bowe, Brian J. Judas Priest: Metal Gods . ISBN 0-7660-3621-9 .
^ "Welcome to Rockville gives first look at 2022 lineup" . clickorlando.com . Retrieved 14 December 2024 .^ "Welcome To Rockville 2025 Returns to Daytona International Speedway with North America's Largest Rock Festival and Its Biggest Lineup Ever" . gratefulweb.com . Retrieved 14 December 2024 .^ "African Heavy Metal Bands Give Back to their Communities" . BORGEN . 10 September 2015. Retrieved 21 May 2016 .^ "Kaltenbach Open Air" . kaltenbach-openair.at . Retrieved 15 April 2024 .^ "History" . alcatraz.be . Retrieved 25 September 2022 .^ "Live Report: HARD ROCK LAAGER 2017 Festival: "A Hidden Treasure In Deep Forests Of Estonia" . metalshockfinland.com . 29 July 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2023 .^ "John Smith Rock Festival 2023 in Laukaa (FI)" . festivalsunited.com . Retrieved 4 April 2023 .^ "John Smith Rock Festival" . johnsmith.fi . Retrieved 4 April 2023 .^ "Elbriot Festival 2016" . tilogo.com . Retrieved 5 June 2023 .^ "Hard Rock Hell 2002" . musicfestivalwizard.com . Retrieved 4 April 2023 .^ "Slam Dunk Festival" . slamdunkfestival.com . Retrieved 2 June 2024 .^ "One Day, One Stage, One Monster Show" . stonedeadfestival.co.uk . Retrieved 2 April 2023 .^ "98ROCKFEST lineup" . tampabay.com . Retrieved 24 April 2023 .^ "Aftershock Festival Featuring Guns N' Roses, Queens of the Stone Age, Megadeth, Tool, Incubus, Pantera, and More Taking Place This Fall" . 955klos.com . 21 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023 .^ "AURA Fest announces" . savannahnow.com . Retrieved 25 May 2022 .^ "AURA Fest announces" . savannahnow.com . Retrieved 24 September 2022 .^ "Full Terror Assault" . fullterrorassault.com . Retrieved 15 May 2022 .^ "About" . fullterrorassault.com . Retrieved 24 September 2022 .^ "HELL'S HEROES Festival Reveals Full 2025 Band Lineup" . knac.com . Retrieved 14 December 2024 .^ "Hells Heroes Festival 2025" . musicfestivalwizard.com . Retrieved 14 December 2024 .^ "INKcarceration" . mansfieldnewsjournal.com . Retrieved 31 August 2022 .^ "Inkcarceration announces lineup for 2022 rock festival at Ohio State Reformatory" . richlandsource.com . 3 February 2022. Retrieved 2 October 2022 .^ "Legions of Metal Fest" . reggieslive.com . Retrieved 15 December 2023 .^ "REVIEW: Here's What We Experienced At Louder Than Life 2022" . leoweekly.com . Retrieved 25 March 2023 .^ "Mad With Power Fest" . madwithpowerfest.com . Retrieved 20 August 2022 .^ "Mad With Power Fest" . madwithpowerfest.com . Retrieved 24 September 2022 .^ "About Deathfests" . deathfests.com . Retrieved 24 September 2022 .^ "Mass Destruction" . massdestructionmetalfest.com . Retrieved 15 May 2022 .^ "MASS DESTRUCTION METAL FEST" . earsplitcompound.com . 19 December 2019. Retrieved 24 September 2022 .^ "Milwaukee Metal Fest" . milwaukeemetalfestival.com . Retrieved 16 December 2023 .^ EvilG. "Heart of Steel: Interviews Glenn Harveston Organizer of ProgPower USA" . Metal-Rules. Retrieved 24 September 2022 . ^ "Rocklahoma To Include MEGADETH, ROB ZOMBIE, DEVILDRIVER And More This Year!" . metalinjection.net . 14 January 2016. Retrieved 24 April 2023 .^ "Sick New World Festival" . sicknewworldfest.com . Retrieved 16 January 2024 .^ "Sick New World Festival Announces 2024 Lineup" . stereogum.com . 9 October 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2024 .^ "Sonic Temple 2023" . consequence.net . 10 January 2023. Retrieved 4 June 2023 .^ "Welcome to Rockville gives first look at 2022 lineup" . clickorlando.com . 8 December 2021. Retrieved 3 September 2022 .^ "Headbangers Boat" . headbangersboat.com . Retrieved 15 January 2024 .^ "Monsters of Rock Cruise 2024" . monstersofrockcruise.com . Retrieved 17 January 2024 .
Subtypes Travelingitalics = ongoing) Culture Related events
England
Netherlands
Russia
Germany
Sweden
Belgium
France
United States
