Rock Hard Festival is a heavy metal festival organized and sponsored by the Rock Hard magazine. First established in Lichtenfels, Bavaria, Germany, in 1990 on an irregular basis,Danke, Captain Hollywood ! - Rock Hard, in German mostly for magazine anniversaries, it is held annually in Gelsenkirchen, since 2003. Its 2016 edition was taken place on 13–15 May 2016.
The 2003 festival was also initially planned for the 20th anniversary of the magazine as a single event. But the fans voted it as the best metal open-air in Germany and so they continued. The festival is still held at the amphitheater which is located directly at the Rhein-Herne-Kanal in the Nordsternpark in Gelsenkirchen. The amphitheater has a maximum capacity of 7,000 people. The festival was the only festival with international metal bands in the Ruhrgebiet areaRock Hard Festival - Derwesten.de, Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, in German until the Rock am Ring offshoot Rock im Revier, which was organized by the Nürburgring operating company Deutsche Entertainment AG (DEAG), took place in Gelsenkirchen in 2015., in German Kreator canceled the show at Rock im Revier for their headlining appearance at the smaller Rock Hard Festival.
Lineups
2016 Friday 13 MaySaturday 14 MaySunday 15 MaySodom Destruction Tankard Satan Year of the Goat Sulphur AeonTurbonegro Metal Church Kadavar The Exploited Grand Magus Tribulation Sorcerer Accu§erBlind Guardian Cannibal Corpse Riot V Moonspell Orden Ogan Nightingale Black Trip Discreation
2015 Friday 22 MaySaturday 23 MaySunday 24 MayVenom Pentagram Space Chaser God Dethroned Flotsam and Jetsam Architects of ChaozKreator Doro Sanctuary Kataklysm Avatarium Voivod Motorjesus Deserted FearBlack Star Riders Overkill Michael Schenker's Temple of Rock Refuge Sinner Air Raid Channel Zero Spiders
2014 Friday 6 JuneSaturday 7 JuneSunday 8 JuneTriptykon Die Apokalyptischen Reiter Midnight Decapitated Zodiac NocturnalCarcass Sacred Reich Obituary Pretty Maids Sólstafir Screamer Dead Lord RoxxcaliburTestament (replacing Megadeth) Tesla Annihilator Monster Magnet Insomnium Orphaned Land Blues Pills Iron Savior
2013 Friday 17 MaySaturday 18 MaySunday 19 MayU.D.O. Ashes of Ares Audrey Horne Denial of God (replacing Nachtmystium) Fleshcrawl Hellish CrossfireQueensrÿche D-A-D Ensiferum Naglfar Desaster Mustasch Horisont SlingbladeKing Diamond Sepultura Threshold Tank Orchid Orden Ogan Gospel of the Horns Attic
2012 Friday 25 MaySaturday 26 MaySunday 27 MayTurbonegro Kvelertak Krisiun Ram Jex Thot DeathfistBolt Thrower Psychotic Waltz Tankard Unleashed Hell Portrait Motorjesus Dr. Living Dead!W.A.S.P. Unisonic Magnum Girlschool Graveyard High Spirits '77 Alpha Tiger
2011 Friday 10 JuneSaturday 11 JuneSunday 12 JuneTriptykon Enslaved Primordial Postmortem Procession ContradictionIced Earth Amorphis Morgoth Bullet Epica Disbelief In Solitude DreamshadeDown Overkill Vicious Rumors Anacrusis Metal Inquisitor Atlantean Kodex Enforcer Vanderbuyst
2010 Friday 21 MaySaturday 22 MaySunday 23 MayThe Devil's Blood Bloodbath Sabaton Katatonia Necros Christos KetzerKreator Accept Exhorder Raven Artillery Bulldozer Evile Orden OganRage & Lingua Mortis Orchestra Sonata Arctica Nevermore Virgin Steele Orphaned Land Crashdïet Keep of Kalessin Sacred Steel
2009 Friday 29 MaySaturday 30 MaySunday 31 MayOpeth Jag Panzer Prong Deströyer 666 Angel Witch WitchburnerChildren of Bodom Jon Oliva's Pain Forbidden DragonForce Hail of Bullets Audrey Horne Grand Magus EvocationSaxon Sacred Reich UFO Heathen D-A-D Bullet Firewind Tracedawn
2008 Friday 9 MaySaturday 10 MaySunday 11 MayTestament (replacing Celtic Frost) Die Apokalyptischen Reiter Y&T Lake of Tears Stormwarrior The ClaymoreImmortal Exodus Amorphis Exciter Enslaved Helstar Moonsorrow The SorrowIced Earth Paradise Lost Volbeat Napalm Death Jorn Asphyx Sieges Even Enemy of the Sun
2007 Friday 25 MaySaturday 26 MaySunday 27 MayHammerFall Grave Digger Heaven Shall Burn Cataract Crucified Barbara BulletAmon Amarth Death Angel Armored Saint Vader Ross the Boss Korpiklaani Turisas Maroon Metal InquisitorThin Lizzy Axel Rudi Pell Paul Di'Anno Spock's Beard Tankard Dark Funeral Dew-Scented (replacing Naglfar) Hardcore Superstar Sabaton
References
External links Official website