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
French
Deutsch
England 
Netherlands 
Russia 
Germany 
Sweden 
Belgium 
France 
United States 
