Get ready to bang your head, fellow metal wizards. If you are a fan of the harder stuff, then Europe is the only place to spend your summer. Below are just a few of the many, many metal festivals taking place from England to Romania and all points in between.
Rock Am Ring 2023
When: June 2-4, 2023
Where: Nürburg, Germany
The Scene: The simultaneous Rock Am Park/Rock Im Ring is Germany's largest mega-festival with a combined attendance of 150,000 at both festivals. The same artists play two different locations during the first weekend in June. Festivals may evolve and change over the years, but rock music will always remain the core of these festivals.
The Lineup: Arch Enemy, Bring Me The Horizon, Die Toten Hosen, Evanescence, Flogging Molly, Foo Fighters, Gojira, Halestorm, Hollywood Undead, Incubus, Jinjer, Kings of Leon, Limp Bizkit, Machine Gun Kelly, Motionless in White, NoFx, Nothing But Thieves, Papa Roach, Rise Against, Steel Panther, Sum 41, Tenacious D, Three Days Grace, Turnstile, Yungblud
More Info: Rock Am Ring 2023 Guide
Mystic Festival 2023
When: June 7-10, 2023
Where: Gdańsk, Poland
The Scene: Mystic Festival is a heavy metal music festival held at the Kraków Arena in Poland. Huge international names from the world of metal descend for two days of the heaviest music around.
The Lineup: Electric Wizard, Testament
More Info: Mystic Festival 2023 Guide
Sweden Rock Festival 2023
When: June 7-10, 2023
Where: Solvesborg, Sweden
The Scene: Established in 1992, this rock and metal festival brings genre legends to Sweden for a wicked weekend. Previous alumni like Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, Judas Priest, and Whitesnake have all played this fest.
The Lineup: Clutch, Deep Purple, DEF LEPPARD, Gojira, Skid Row, Testament
More Info: Sweden Rock Festival 2023 Guide
Nova Rock 2023
When: June 7-10, 2023
Where: Nickelsdorf, Austria
The Scene: The king of Austrian rock festivals sees 50,000 hard-partying fans descend on Pannonia Fields in the eastern part of the country. The lineup is one of the best in the country and has become an important part of the Austrian festival calendar.
The Lineup: Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy, Hollywood Undead, Motionless in White, Nothing But Thieves, Papa Roach, Slipknot, Tenacious D
More Info: Nova Rock 2023 Guide
Greenfield Festival 2023
When: June 8-10, 2023
Where: Interlaken, Switzerland
The Scene: Switzerland’s biggest rock festival takes place in Interlaken in the heart of the Swiss mountains.
The Lineup: Arch Enemy, Enter Shikari, Halestorm, Hollywood Undead, Less Than Jake, Papa Roach, Parkway Drive, Slipknot
More Info: Greenfield Festival 2023 Guide
Download Festival 2023
When: June 8-11, 2023
Where: Donington Park, UK
The Scene: It's loud. It’s crazy. Download isn't pretty and the metal fans that make the annual pilgrimage to the spiritual home of rock in Donington Park wouldn't have it any other way. The largest rock and metal festival in the UK has featured genre legends like Faith No More, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slipknot, Motörhead, and System of a Down.
The Lineup: Asking Alexandria, Bring Me The Horizon, Clutch, Coheed and Cambria, Disturbed, Evanescence, Five Finger Death Punch, Halestorm, Hatebreed, I Prevail, Jinjer, Metallica, Motionless in White, Parkway Drive, Pendulum, Placebo, Slipknot, The Bronx
More Info: Download Festival 2023 Guide
Into The Grave 2023
When: June 9-11, 2023
Where: Leeuwarden, Netherlands
The Scene: This Dutch metal festival makes brings out the hard rock during the sunny days of June at the foot of the Oldehove (an unfinished medieval tower) in Leeuwarden. The small two-day festival is perfect for metal fans who want to some incredible bands in a close atmosphere.
More Info: Into The Grave 2023 Guide
Hellfest 2023
When: June 15-18, 2023
Where: Clisson, France
The Scene: The postcard-perfect French village of Clisson, known for its historic ruins and picturesque river, transforms one weekend each June into the heavy metal mecca known as Hellfest. More than 160 bands show up to perform on six stages with subgenres that include pagan metal, stoner, punk, thrash, grind, and black metal. The 150,000+ extreme music typically spend the weekend camping and exploring the wide-ranging Hellfest experience. Act quick. Hellfest sells out every year.
The Lineup: Amon Amarth, Arch Enemy, Asking Alexandria, Clutch, Coheed and Cambria, DEF LEPPARD, Escape the Fate, Gogol Bordello, Halestorm, Hatebreed, Hollywood Undead, In Flames, Incubus, Iron Maiden, Kiss, Less Than Jake, Machine Gun Kelly, Motley Crue, Papa Roach, Parkway Drive, Rancid, Seether, Slipknot, Sum 41, Testament
More Info: Hellfest 2023 Guide
Graspop Metal Meeting 2023
When: June 16-18, 2023
Where: Dessel, Belgium
The Scene: When it comes to metal festivals, there's few that can match the worldwide reputation of the famous Graspop Metal Meeting. 150,000 hard core festival fans make their way to Dessel for a weekend of hard rock, punk, metal, and everything else that's loud. The only thing wilder than this four-day festival is the camping. Bring a tent!
The Lineup: Airbourne, Arch Enemy, Asking Alexandria, Billy Talent, Clutch, Coheed and Cambria, DEF LEPPARD, Disturbed, Enter Shikari, Escape the Fate, Gojira, Guns N' Roses, Halestorm, Hatebreed, Hollywood Undead, In Flames, Less Than Jake, Motionless in White, Motley Crue, Parkway Drive, Rancid, Skid Row, Slipknot, Three Days Grace
More Info: Graspop Metal Meeting 2023 Guide
Full Force Festival 2023
When: June 23-25, 2023
Where: Ferropolis, Germany
The Scene: Welcome to the City of Metal and Iron! Full Force Festival is three-day camping and metal fest that takes place in one of Germany's most iconic venues - Ferropolis.
The Lineup: Gojira, Hatebreed, Jinjer, Motionless in White, Papa Roach
More Info: Full Force Festival 2023 Guide
Resurrection Fest 2023
When: June 28-July 1, 2023
Where: Vivero, Spain
The Scene: Heavy metal is reborn in Spain every summer during Resurrection Fest in Viveiro. 55,000+ worshipers of hardcore, punk rock, and metal congregate for four days of headbanging in this tiny northwestern coastal town.
The Lineup: Hatebreed, Motionless in White, Papa Roach, Slipknot
More Info: Resurrection Fest 2023 Guide
Tuska Metal Festival 2023
When: June 30-July 2, 2023
Where: Helsinki, Finland
The Scene: In Finnish, Tuska translates to pain and agony, which seems to be an apt name for this hard rock and heavy metal music festival. Up to 40,000 metalheads make their way to the 'Capital of Metal' (Helsinki) for this annual fest.
The Lineup: Arch Enemy, Butcher Babies, Clutch, Delain, Diablo, Electric Callboy, Finntroll, Ghost, Gojira, Imminence, In Flames, Jinjer, Lorna Shore, Motionless in White, The Hu, While She Sleeps
More Info: Tuska Metal Festival 2023 Guide
Obscene Extreme 2023
When: July 5-9, 2023
Where: Trutnov, Czech
The Scene: While some metal festivals stray into other genres, the freak-friendly Obscene Extreme in Czech proudly embraces the underground metal scene. They believe in no shitty rules, no shitty security, and an affordable ticket price that is not beholden to energy drink mega-festival bullshit.
More Info: Obscene Extreme 2023 Guide
Masters of Rock 2023
When: July 13-16, 2023
Where: Vizovice, Czech
The Scene: Do you like power metal? Speed metal? Heavy metal? Then you're going to love Masters of Rock, a 25,000 strong metal festival held in the Czech Republic.
More Info: Masters of Rock 2023 Guide
Amphi Festival 2023
When: July 29-30, 2023
Where: Cologne, Germany
The Scene: Cologne's sublime goth and industrial festival. Amphi is where the dark music world meets!
More Info: Amphi Festival 2023 Guide
Wacken 2023
When: August 2-5, 2023
Where: Wacken, Germany
The Scene: It's been dubbed The Mecca of Heavy Metal Culture. For three days in August, the population of the tiny town of Wacken swells from 2,000 to 75,000 for this annual gathering of German metalheads. This monster of a festival started off small in 1990 as a showcase for local bands, but has become a juggernaut of the metal festival scene.
The Lineup: Beartooth, Dropkick Murphys, Iron Maiden, Jinjer, Killswitch Engage, Kreator, Megadeth, Pennywise, Trivium
More Info: Wacken 2023 Guide
Rockstadt Extreme Fest 2023
When: August 2-5, 2023
Where: Râșnov, Romania
The Scene: Romania's most metal festival meets the stunning scenery of Transylvania for this epic five-day camping celebration.
More Info: Rockstadt Extreme Fest 2023 Guide
Beyond The Gates 2023
When: August 2-5, 2023
Where: Bergen, Norway
The Scene: It's metal. It's Scandinavia. It's 5 days of darkness in the heart of Bergen, Norway.
More Info: Beyond The Gates 2023 Guide
Brutal Assault 2023
When: August 9-12, 2023
Where: Jaroměř, Czech
The Scene: It's metal to the extreme at this open-air festival held in an 18th-century army fortress. Started in 1996, this camping festival hosts about 15,000 attendees.
The Lineup: Anthrax, Beartooth, Converge, In Flames, Knocked Loose, Sepultura, Trivium, Zeal & Ardor
More Info: Brutal Assault 2023 Guide
Bloodstock 2023
When: August 10-13, 2023
Where: Derbyshire, UK
The Scene: Over 100 international rock and metal acts descend on the peaceful village of Walton on Trent in Derbyshire for four days of mayhem. Bloodstock has earned a fan favorite reputation 'by consistently showcasing the strongest metal line up on UK soil.'
The Lineup: In Flames, Killswitch Engage, Megadeth, Sepultura, Zeal & Ardor
More Info: Bloodstock 2023 Guide
M’era Luna 2023
When: August 12-13, 2023
Where: Hildesheim, Germany
The Scene: Heavy metal and goth mix it up at this German festival outside of Hannover at a former British military airbase. The atmospheric experience is only heightened by with a fine selection of gothic, industrial, and metal artists.
More Info: M’era Luna 2023 Guide
Summer Breeze 2023
When: August 16-19, 2023
Where: Dinkelsbuhl, Germany
The Scene: With such a whimsical name, one hardly expects what the Summer Breeze Open Air Festival actually delivers -- heavy metal and lots of it to over 40,000 attendees. Summer Breeze just turned twenty years old, so if you're looking for experience and hard metal in Germany, then this is the place.
The Lineup: In Flames
More Info: Summer Breeze 2023 Guide
Rock Castle 2023
When: August 17-19, 2023
Where: Moravsky Krumlov, Czech
The Scene: Rock Castle is an open-air music festival focusing on quality international rock and metal music. Thanks to the perfect location of the castle park, nearby meadows and the beautiful surroundings of Moravský Krumlov, this is one of the most unique spots to festival.
More Info: Rock Castle 2023 Guide
Freak Valley Festival 2023
When: June 8-10, 2023
Where: Netphen, Germany
The Scene: Welcome to a weekend of metal at this heavy-psych-stoner-blues open air festival held in Germany.
The Lineup: Clutch
More Info: Freak Valley Festival 2023 Guide