VOA – Heavy Rock Festival (formerly VOA Fest and Vagos Open Air) was an open-air heavy metal/hard rock festival held annually in Lisbon, Portugal. The festival was held from 2009 in four different locations: the first four editions, from 2009 to 2012, were held in Calvão (a small town in the municipality of Vagos, near Aveiro), the next three (2013 to 2015) were held in the town of Vagos, the following two editions (2016 and 2017) were held in Corroios, a city in the municipality of Seixal, and after a year break the festival returned in 2019 in Lisbon. It was organized by Prime Artists, a Portuguese event promoter.
The origins of a music festival in the Aveiro region are traced to a small event, called Rock in Ria, featuring a few Portuguese and international bands, but in 2009 that event gave way to a new full-fledged international festival which turned out to be one of the biggest heavy metal festivals in Portugal.
In late 2015, it was then announced the festival would relocate from Vagos to the city of Corroios. The name of the festival was also changed from Vagos Open Air to VOA Fest."Vagos Open Air muda-se para Corroios e anuncia os primeiros nomes", Wav Magazine, 14 January 2016. Retrieved on 22 August 2017.
A few months later, the municipality of Vagos ensured the creation of a new heavy metal festival in the city, named Vagos Metal Fest."Realização de Festival Heavy Metal Vagos 2016", Município de Vagos. Retrieved on 22 August 2017. The new festival held the first edition in 2016, featuring Dark Funeral and Helloween as headliners. It is organized by Amazing Events, a Portuguese event promoter.
In 2018, after a sabbatical year, Prime Artists announced on their Facebook page the return of the event for 2019. It returned to a two-day festival, on July 4 and 5, changed name (to VOA – Heavy Rock Festival), changed location and venue (moving to Estádio do Restelo in the city of Lisbon) and had Slipknot – one of the biggest names to ever perform in the festival – as one of the headliners."Slipknot atuam em julho em Lisboa no Voa - Heavy Rock Festival" [Slipknot will perform in July in Lisbon at Voa - Heavy Rock Festival] (in Portuguese), Diário de Notícias, 23 October 2018. Retrieved on 23 October 2018.
In 2022, the final festival took place in Estádio Nacional, in Oeiras.
Lineups 2009 2009 saw the first incarnation of the festival, a two-day event held on Friday, 7 August and Saturday, 8 August at GD Calvão's football ground (Campo de Futebol Padre Batista) in the village of Calvão, near Vagos.
FridaySaturdayF.E.V.E.R. Process of Guilt Kathaarsys Epica Katatonia The GatheringEchidna Thee Orakle Dawn of Tears Cynic Dark Tranquillity Amon Amarth
2010 The 2010 edition was held on Friday, 6 August and Saturday, 7 August.
FridaySaturdayPrayers of Sanity Miss Lava Gwydion Ensiferum My Dying Bride MeshuggahThe Firstborn Oblique Rain Ghost Brigade Amorphis Kamelot Carcass
2011 The 2011 edition was held on Friday, 5 August and Saturday, 6 August.
FridaySaturdayRevolution Within Crushing Sun Essence Anathema Tiamat OpethWe Are the Damned Malevolence Kalmah Ihsahn Devin Townsend Project Morbid Angel
2012 The 2012 edition was held on Friday, 3 August and Saturday, 4 August.
FridaySaturdayDisaffected Northland Eluveitie Enslaved Arcturus At the Gates Nasum [Special guests]Mindlock Chthonic Textures Coroner Overkill Arch Enemy
2013 The 2013 edition was held on Friday, 9 August and Saturday, 10 August. The festival was moved to Quinta do Ega, a place in the city of Vagos.
FridaySaturdaySecret Lie Bizarra Locomotiva Moonsorrow Evergrey Sonata Arctica Lacuna CoilWeb Tarantula Rotting Christ Iced Earth Gamma Ray (replacing Saxon) Testament
2014 The 2014 edition saw Vagos Open Air became a three-day festival with the addition of Sunday. It was held on Friday, 8 August, Saturday, 9 August and Sunday, 10 August.
FridaySaturdaySundayGates of Hell Kandia Sylosis Soilwork Epica KreatorRequiem Laus Angelus Apatrida The Haunted Behemoth Annihilator OpethOpus Diabolicum Murk Vita Imana The Quartet of Woah! Paradise Lost Gojira
2015 The 2015 edition was held on Friday, 7 August, Saturday, 8 August and Sunday, 9 August. It was the final edition in the municipality of Vagos.
FridaySaturdaySundayScar for Life Moonshade Vildhjarta Heaven Shall Burn Amorphis Within TemptationW.A.K.O. Mutant Squad Destruction Triptykon Black Label Society Venom Filii Nigrantium Infernalium [Special guests]Midnight Priest Ne Obliviscaris Alestorm Orphaned Land Overkill Bloodbath Ironsword [Special guests]
2016 The 2016 edition was held on Friday, 5 August and Saturday, 6 August, returning to a two-day lineup. The festival was renamed VOA Fest and moved to Quinta da Marialva, a place in the city of Corroios, Seixal. A new festival called Vagos Metal Fest."Realização de Festival Heavy Metal Vagos 2016", Município de Vagos. Retrieved on 22 August 2017. was created exactly on the same location of the past editions.
FridaySaturdayDark Oath Adimiron Mantar Katatonia Anathema OpethSoldier Equaleft Schammasch Abbath Paradise Lost Kreator
2017 The 2017 edition returned to a three-day format. For the first time, the festival was held on two stages, as a new secondary stage was added (exclusive to Portuguese bands). It was held on Friday, 4 August, Saturday, 5 August and Sunday, 6 August.
Palco Principal (Main Stage)FridaySaturdaySundayProcess of Guilt The Charm The Fury Insomnium Epica CarcassTerror Empire Childrain Death Angel Venom ApocalypticaColosso Killus Obituary The Dillinger Escape Plan Trivium
Palco LOUD! (LOUD! Stage)FridaySaturdaySundayNévoa Earth Drive The Black WizardsAdamantine Cruz de Ferro RasgoDon't Disturb My Circles Grog The Ominous Circle
2019 The 2019 edition returned to a two-day format. Renamed to VOA – Heavy Rock Festival, it was held on Estádio do Restelo, in the city of Lisbon, on Thursday, 4 July and Friday, 5 July.
ThursdayFridayRasgo While She Sleeps Thormentor Trivium Arch Enemy SlipknotW.A.K.O. Cane Hill Moonspell Gojira Lamb of God Slayer 2022
The last and final 2022 edition happened in Estádio Nacional, in Oeiras, on Thursday, 30 June, Friday, 1 July and Saturday, 2 July
ThursdayFridaySaturdayBIZARRA LOCOMOTIVA
KVELERTAK
KREATOR
MEGADETH
GOJIRAALIEN WEAPONRY
GAEREA
CROSSFAITH
PHIL CAMPBELL AND THE BASTARD SONS
MASTODON
BRING ME THE HORIZONDEADLY APPLES THE RAVEN AGE
ME AND THAT MAN
EPICA
RISE AGAINST
SABATON
External links Prime Artists official website VOA official website
References