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.Du Noyer (2003), p. 96; Weinstein (2000), pp. 11–13.Weinstein (2000), pp. 14, 118. With roots in 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.Fast (2005), pp. 89–91; Weinstein (2000), pp. 7, 8, 23, 36, 103, 104. Judas Priest helped spur the genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence.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. .
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.
Historical heavy metal festivals +Historically notable heavy metal festivals held since the 1980s Festival name Location Years Details Monsters of Rock England 1980-1996 music festival held in Castle Donington (later it branched into other locations) Dynamo Open Air Netherlands 1986–present biggest annual metal festival during the 1990s, with 118,000 visitors in 1995 Moscow Music Peace Festival Russia 1989 part of an era of momentous change in the Soviet Union Wacken Open Air Germany 1990–present larger heavy metal festival Sweden Rock Festival Sweden 1992–present classic rock, hard rock and metal Graspop Metal Meeting Belgium 1996–present larger heavy metal festival Mangualde Hard Metal Fest Portugal 1997–present Oldest heavy metal festival in the Iberian Peninsula. It's also in the top 10 of the oldest heavy metal festivals in the world. Heavy metal, hard rock and punk. Download Festival England 2003–present Hard rock, heavy metal, punk Bloodstock Open Air England 2001–present Heavy Metal festival Hellfest Summer Open Air France 2006–present larger heavy metal festival Welcome to Rockville United States 2011–present The hard rock and heavy metal music festival is the largest rock festival in North America.
Current heavy metal festivals
Africa
Botswana Festival name Location Active Approximate time of year NotesOverthrust Winter Metal Mania FestivalGhanzi2010–presentMayfeaturing local and African metal bands
Asia
India Festival name Location Active Approx. time of year NotesBangalore Open Air Karnataka2012–presentJuly Thunderstrock FestivalRanchi, Jharkhand2008–presentSeptember
Indonesia 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
Japan Festival name Location Active Approx. time of year NotesLoud Park FestivalSaitama City or Chiba City2023-presentOctober
Europe
Austria Festival name Location Active Month Audience Format NotesKaltenbach Open AirSpital am Semmering2003–presentAugustopen-air, 3 daysextreme metalNova RockNickelsdorf2005–presentJuneup to 225,000open-air, 4 daysvarious rock and metal subgenres
Belgium Festival name Location Active Month Audience Format NotesGraspop Metal Meeting Dessel 1996–present June up to 220,000 open-air, 4 days one of the biggest metal festivals in EuropeAlcatraz Hard Rock & Metal Festival Kortrijk 2008–present August open-air Hell's BallsKortrijk2023–presentNovemberindoor organized by the organization of AlcatrazHuginns Awakening Fest Oostende 2009–present April/May heavy metal, speed metal, thrash metalHeadbanger's Balls Fest Izegem 2012–present May Blast from the Past Festival Kuurne 2013–present December old school heavy metalDurbuy RockBomal1997–presentMayHell Open AirDiest2023–presentMayopen-airheavy metal and cover festival
Bulgaria Festival name Location Active Month Audience Format Notes Hills of RockPlovdiv 2017–2019, 2022, 2024-present July open-air rock, metal, crossover punk
Czech Republic Festival name Location Active Month Audience Format Notes Brutal Assault Jaroměř (Josefov Fortress) 1996–present August up to 20,000 open-air, 4 days extreme metal, heavy metal, hardcore punk, experimental music Monsters of Rock Vizovice 2003–present July open-air, 4 days heavy metal, power metal, speed metal, hard rock Metalfest Plzeň 2007–present June heavy metal, power metal, death metal Obscene Extreme Trutnov 1999–present July open-air grindcore, death metal, hardcore punkRock CastleMoravský Krumlov2021–presentAugust Basin Fire FestSpálené Poříčí2003–presentJune
Denmark Festival name Location Active Month Audience Format Notes Copenhell Copenhagen 2010–present June open-air, 4 days all genres of heavy rock and metal Aalborg Metal Festival Aalborg 2002–present November Royal Metal Fest Aarhus 2008–present April Viborg Metal Festival Viborg 2014–present March Metal Magic Festival Fredericia 2008–present July
Estonia Festival name Location Active Month Notes Hard Rock Laager Vana-Vigala 2002–present June biggest metal festival in Estonia Howls of Winter Tallinn 2014–present February black metal
Finland Festival name Location Active Month Audience Format Notes Dark River Festival Kotka ? August Hellsinki Metal Festival Helsinki 2023-present August John Smith Rock Festival Laukaa 2016–present July Nummirock Kauhajoki 1987–present June Saarihelvetti Tampere August Steelfest Hyvinkää 2008–present May open-air black and death metal Turku Saatanalle Turku 2011–present March black metal Tuska Open Air Helsinki 1998–present July open-air all metal subgenres
France Festival name Location Active Month Audience Format Notes Hellfest Summer Open Air Clisson 2006–present June up to 420,000 (60,000 a day) open-air, 4 days all metal subgenres Motocultor Festival Brittany 2007–present August death, black, thrash metalPlane'R Fest Colombier-Saugnieu 2012–present July Sylak Open Air Saint-Maurice-de-Gourdans August
Germany Festival name Location Active Month Audience Format Notes Chronical Moshers Open Air Heinsdorfergrund 1982–present June up to 1,000 open-air extreme metal Dark Troll Festival Bornstedt 2009–present May 1,200 open-air folk metal, extreme metal Dong Open Air Neukirchen-Vluyn 2001–present July up to 5,000 open-air all metal subgenres Elbriot Hamburg 2013–present August up to 12,000 open-air all metal subgenres Euroblast Festival Cologne 2008–present October up to 12,000 progressive metal Full Force Löbnitz 1994–present July 25,000open-air all metal subgenres In Flammen Open Air Torgau July up to 6,000open-air extreme metal Mammut Festival Königsbrunn 2022–present March 500 all metal subgenres Metal Frenzy Open Air Gardelegen 2014–present June up to 5,000open-air all metal subgenres Party.San Metal Open Air Schlotheim 1996-present August up to 10,000open-air all metal subgenres Ragnarök Festival Lichtenfels, Bavaria 2004–present April up to 4000indoor pagan metal, folk metal, extreme metal Rock am Ring and Rock im Park Nürburgring 1985–present June up to 92,000open-air various rock and metal subgenres RockXplosion Leonberg 1984–present July up to 2,000 Rock Hard Festival Gelsenkirchen 2003–present June 7,000open-air all metal subgenres Rockharz Open Air Ballenstedt 1993/94-present July up to 24,000open-air all metal subgenres Rock um zu helfen Freiberg, Saxony October Reload Festival Sulingen 2006-present August up to 15,000 Summer Breeze Open Air Dinkelsbühl 1997–present August up to 40,000open-air all metal subgenres Under the Black Sun Friesack 1997–present June/July up to 1000 black metal Wacken Open Air Wacken 1990–present July/August up to 85,000open-air, 4 days biggest metal festival in Germany; all metal subgenres
Latvia Festival name Location Active Month Notes Zobens un Lemess Bauska 2014–present June folk and pagan metalMunky PrideVandāni2021–presentJulygrindcore, thrash metal, death metal, punk
Lithuania Festival name Location Active Month Notes Kilkim Žaibu Varniai 1999–present June (end) black metal, folk metal and Viking metal
Netherlands Festival name Location Active Month Audience Format Notes Dynamo Open Air Eindhoven 1986–present July indoor and outdoor all metal subgenres Into the Grave Leeuwarden 2010–present June MidsummerProg Valkenburg 2017–present June ProgPower Europe Baarlo 1999–present October power metal, progressive metal Roadburn Festival Tilburg 1999–present April indoor various metal genres South of Heaven Maastricht 2025–present June
Norway Festival name Location Active Month Audience Format Notes Beyond the Gates Bergen 2012–present August indoor, 4 days extreme metal Inferno Metal Festival Oslo 2001–present April indoor, 4 days extreme metal Tons of Rock Oslo 2014–present June Karmøygeddon Metal Festival Kopervik 2004–present May Garasjefestival Reinsvoll 2017–present July extreme metal
Portugal Festival name Location Active Month Audience Format NotesHARDMETALFESTMangualde1997–presentJanuaryLaurus Nobilis MusicFamalicão2015–presentAugustSWR Barroselas MetalfestBarroselas1998–presentAprilVagos Metal Fest Calvão 2016–present August Evil LiveLisbon2009–presentJune
Romania Festival name Location Active Month 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
Russia Festival name Location Active Month Notes Metal Over Russia Moscow July extreme metal, folk metal
Slovenia Festival name Location Active Month Notes Tolminator Tolmin 2023–present July all styles of metal, attendance capped at 5000 visitors. Spiritual successor to Metaldays and MetalCamp
Spain Festival name Location Active Month Audience Format 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 open-air metalcore, thrash, death, black metal, punkRock ImperiumCartagena, Spain2022–presentJunemostly traditional, glam, power metalZ! Live Rock FestZamora, Spain2016–presentJunemostly traditional, thrash and power metal
Sweden Festival name Location Active Month Notes House of Metal Umeå 2007–present February/March open-air; all metal subgenres Sweden Rock Festival Sölvesborg 1992–present June open-air; classic rock, hard rock and metal
United Kingdom