Sweden Rock Festival is a rock festival outside the town of Sölvesborg in Blekinge in southern Sweden. The festival offers a mix of classic rock, hard rock, metal, blues and related genres.
The first version of the festival, known as Sommarfestivalen i Olofström, was held in Olofström in 1992. In 1993 the festival moved to Karlshamn, and changed its name to Karlshamn Rock Festival. In 1998, the festival moved to Norje, although the name Karlshamn Rock Festival was kept. In 1999 the name was changed to Sweden Rock Festival.
When the festival began in 1992, it featured nine relatively unknown bands and only lasted one day. The next year the festival was expanded to two days and more bands were added to the line-up. From 1993 to 2002 the festival would last two days; over those years it would also begin to feature bigger name acts. In 2000 the festival was expanded to three days but it returned to two days the following year.
From 2003 to 2006 the festival lasted three days and had by then featured some of the biggest acts. From 2007 the festival has been expanded to four days and will feature approximately 100 different bands/artists.
Some notable appearances in the past have been Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Mötley Crüe, Dio, Bruce Dickinson, Yngwie Malmsteen, Twisted Sister, Whitesnake, Uriah Heep, Europe, Deep Purple, Accept, Motörhead, Saxon, Nazareth, Poison, Status Quo, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Scorpions, Porcupine Tree, Kamelot, Def Leppard, Alice Cooper, Testament, W.A.S.P, ZZ Top, The Orchestra, Thin Lizzy, Ted Nugent, Slayer, Ghost and Guns N' Roses.
The festival has also worked as a comeback scene for bands like Triumph and Thundersteel line-up Riot.
Bachman & Turner started their world reunion tour here in June 2010. In 2013 both Rush and Kiss together with Europe were headliners for the festival.
The festival was acquired by Live Nation Entertainment in 2016.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused the festival to be cancelled in 2020 and 2021.
Lineups 2025 4-7 June, Norje Havsbad802 Abbath Adrian Vandenberg Alien Apocalyptica Aviana Battering Ram Black Country Communion Blind Guardian Bloodstain Bombus Bror Gunnar Jansson & Nameless Fear Brothers of Metal Cattle Decapitation Crimson Glory Crucified Barbara D-A-D Dark Tranquillity Donnatellus Danko Jones Doro Dragonfire Dream Theater Eagles of Death Metal Exodus Fredlös The Ghost Inside The Good The Bad and the Zugly Goodnight Greatness Guenna Hardline The Headlines Huggorm Jinjer Joddla med Siv King Diamond Knogjärn Korn Kreator L.A. Guns (canceled) The Mercury Riots Meshuggah Metalite The Mind Palace Myles Kennedy Myrkur Nephila The Night Flight Orchestra Nothing More Old Man's Child Opeth Orbit Culture Pretty Maids Remedy Royal Republic Running Wild Sabaton Sabïre Samantha Fish Sarcator Scorpions Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter Signs of the Swarm Skillet Slipknot Slomosa Soen Stryper Transport League Tryin' Within Turbonegro Unfound Reliance Vola The Warning Wind Rose Within Temptation
2024 5-8 June, Norje HavsbadAlice Cooper Avantasia Avatarium The Baboon Show Battle Beast Beast in Black Biohazard The Black Crowes Black Stone Cherry Bruce Dickinson Bullet Canned Heat Carcass Care of Night Chainsaw Holiday Cirith Ungol The Cruel Intentions Crypta The Dahmers Dampf The Darkness Decapitated Dewolff Dimmu Borgir Dismember Dream Evil The Drippers Ebba Bergkvist & the Flat Tire Band Electric Boys Electric Callboy Eternal Evil Evanescence Extreme F.K.Ü. Five Finger Death Punch Gaupa The Gems Gloryhammer Graveyard Hammerfall The Haunted Heavy Load Hellgroove High on Fire The Hives Hulkoff Humanity's Last Breath Ice Nine Kills Igorrr Imminence Iron Savior Journey Judas Priest Kebnekajse Kerry King Lillasyster Lucifer Megadeth Michael Schenker Group Mystic Prophecy Nazghor Nestor Orden Ogan Pain Parkway Drive Primal Fear Prins Svart Rexoria Richie Kotzen Riot V Rival Sons Riverside Rockklassiker Allstars Satyricon Scarlet Skraeckoedlan Slaughter to Prevail The Southern River Band Spiders Steel Panther Svarta Sanningar Swedish Erotica Talisman - a Tribute to Marcel Jacob Thy Art is Murder Treat Truckfighters Tyketto Týr Velveteen Queen Vicious Rumors Vltimas W.A.S.P. We Are to Blame Winger Xion Zeal & Ardor
2023 7–10 June, Norje Havsbad1349 Abramis Brama Airbourne Alter Bridge Angra Avatar Behemoth Billy Gibbons and the BFGS Bloodbound Blue Öyster Cult Blues Pills British Lion Brutus Children of the Sün Christone Kingfish Ingram Clutch Coney Hatch Crowne The Crown Dahlia Deathstars Deep Purple Def Leppard Defleshed Dynazty Employed to Serve Enforcer Eradikated Europe Florence Black Lita Ford Ghost Gojira Grave Green Lung Grimner H.E.A.T Hot Breath Iron Maiden Jinjer Joddla med Siv Kamelot Chez Kane Karmanjakah Katatonia Korpiklaani Liar Thief Bandit Mammoth WVH Marduk Mindless Sinner Modesty Monster Magnet Mötley Crüe Motvind Myrath Nakkeknaekker Napalm Death Die Oberherren The Overthrone Pantera Perfect Plan Phil Campbell and The Bastard Sons Powerwolf Raised Fist Rancid The Raven Age Rockklassiker Allstars Running Cooper Sanctrum Sator Self Deception Skid Row Skynd Smash Into Pieces Soilwork Spidergawd Spiritbox Ström Symphony X Testament Thorbjörn Risager and the Black Tornado Threshold Thundermother TNT Mike Tramp - Songs of White Lion Tribulation Tungsten Twilight Force U.D.O. Vended Wig Wam Wolfmother
2022 8–11 June, Norje Havsbad10cc Lee Aaron Accept Agonize the Serpent Alestorm Amaranthe Art Nation Artillery Baest Jean Beauvoir Belphegor Bomber Bombus Browsing Collection Clawfinger The Coffinshakers Rosalie Cunningham D-A-D Death by Horse Dirty Money Dropkick Murphys Eclipse Elden Eleine Eluveitie Evergrey Fejd Freedom Call Eric Gales Grave Guns N' Roses The Halo Effect Hardcore Superstar The Hellacopters Hexed Honeyburst Honeymoon Suite Horndal Hällas In Flames Kadavar Kingdom Come Kvelertak Magic Pie Mass Worship Megadeth Mercyful Fate Metalite Michael Monroe Månegarm Narnia Nashville Pussy Nationalteatern Nestor Night Ranger Nightwish Nile (band) Opeth Orange Goblin Orbit Culture Orphaned Land Overdrive Praying Mantis Rage Raubtier Rockklassiker Allstars Ross the Boss Saga Satan Takes a Holiday Saxon Siena Root Social Distortion Sodom Sonata Arctica Sorcerer Ten Years After Tiamat Walter Trout Devin Townsend Trouble VA Rocks Victory Violator Volbeat Warner E Hodges Band The Wildhearts Witchcraft Within Temptation Wormwood
2021 9–12 June, Norje Havsbad (Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic)10cc Lee Aaron Accept Agonize the Serpent Alestorm Amaranthe Art Nation Artillery Baest Baroness Jean Beauvoir Belphegor Bombus Browsing Collection Clawfinger The Coffinshakers Rosalie Cunningham D-A-D Death by Horse Dropkick Murphys Eclipse Elden Eleine Eluveitie Evergrey Fejd Freedom Call Eric Gales Gojira Grave Guns N' Roses Haken The Hellacopters Hexed Honeyburst Honeymoon Suite Horisont In Flames Kadavar Kingdom Come Kvelertak Magic Pie Mass Worship Megadeth Mercyful Fate Metalite Michael Monroe Månegarm Narnia Nashville Pussy Night Ranger Nightwish Nile (band) Opeth Orange Goblin Orphaned Land Overdrive Praying Mantis Rage Raubtier Ross the Boss Saga Satan Takes a Holiday Siena Root Social Distortion Sodom Sonata Arctica Sorcerer Ten Years After Tiamat Devin Townsend Trouble Turbonegro Unleash the Archers VA Rocks Victory Violator Volbeat Walter E Hodges Band The Wildhearts Witchcraft Within Temptation Wormwood
2020 3–6 June, Norje Havsbad (Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic)10cc Lee Aaron Accept Agonize the Serpent Alestorm Amaranthe Art Nation Jean Beauvoir Baest Baroness Belphegor Black Star Riders Blue Öyster Cult Bombus Browsing Collection Clawfinger The Coffinshakers Rosalie Cunningham D-A-D Death by Horse Eclipse Elden Eluveitie Evergrey Fejd Freedom Call Eric Gales Gojira Grave Guns N' Roses Haken Harem Scarem The Hellacopters Hexed Honeyburst Horisont In Flames Kadavar Kingdom Come Kvelertak Magic Pie Mass Worship Mercyful Fate Metalite Michael Monroe Månegarm Narnia Nashville Pussy Nightwish Nile (band) Opeth Orange Goblin Orphaned Land Overdrive Praying Mantis Rage Raubtier Saga Satan Takes a Holiday Siena Root Social Distortion Sonata Arctica Sorcerer Stryper Devin Townsend Trouble Walter Trout Turbonegro Unleash the Archers Violator VA Rocks Victory Volbeat Walter E Hodges Band The Wildhearts Witchcraft Within Temptation Wormwood
2019 5–8 June, Norje Havsbad "Artister 2019" Sweden Rock, Retrieved 9 June 2019.ACT Amon Amarth Annihilator (cancelled, replaced by Unleashed"Annihilator ställer in, Unleashed ersätter!" Sweden Rock, 27 May 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.) Arch Enemy At the Gates Bataar Batushka Blaze Bayley Beast in Black Behemoth (cancelled,"Behemoth ställer in – fast på flygplats", SVT Nyheter, 8 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019. replaced by Myrath"Myrath spelar igen", Sweden Rock, 8 June 2019. Retrieved 9 June 2019.) Blackberry Smoke Black Mamba Blue Coupe The Bones Brothers of Metal Burning Witches Candlemass Zal Cleminson's Sin Dogs Cobra Cult Danko Jones Darkane Deadland Ritual Death Angel Def Leppard Demon Demons & Wizards Disturbed Dizzy Mizz Lizzy Dream Theater Dust Bowl Jokies Dynazty Easy Action Electric Boys Electric Hydra FM Gathering of Kings The Generations Army Gorgoroth Gravestone Green Jellÿ Hällas HammerFall James Holkworth and the Coolbenders In Silence Jag Panzer KISS Krisiun Krokus Lillasyster LOK Lucifer Lisa Lystam Family Band Magnum Myrath Jared James Nichols The Night Flight Orchestra Oz Axel Rudi Pell Powerwolf The Quill Rainbow Rock på svenska: en hyllning till strängen Uli Jon Roth Royal Republic Saxon Scarlet Seventh Wonder Sins in Vain Sir Reg Skid Row Slayer Styx Tenacious D Three Days Grace Thundermother Joe Lynn Turner UFO Hank von Hell Pete Way Band The Wild Witchfynde ZZ Top
2018
6–9 June, Norje Havsbad99Plajo The 69 Eyes Astral Doors Avatarium Backyard Babies Baroness Battle Beast Body Count Buckcherry Buckets Rebel Heart Bullet Circus Maximus The Mick Clarke Band Coldtears Coven Crashdïet Crazy Lixx CyHra The Dark Element Dark Funeral The Darkness Dark Tranquility Destruction Doc Holliday Brian Downey's Alive and Dangerous Electric Mary (Canceled) F.K.Ü Focus Frontback Gain Eleven Gaupa Girlschool Graveyard Hackensack (Canceled) Hardcore Superstar H.E.A.T. Hedda Hatar Heavy Load Helloween Glenn Hughes In This Moment Inglorious Iron Maiden Shooter Jennings (Canceled) Judas Priest Junkyard Drive Killswitch Engage Kreator Lacuna Coil Lugnet Madam X Meshuggah Misery Loves Co. Nala Nazareth Nekrokraft The New Roses Nocturnal Rites Ozzy Osbourne PAIN Pestilence Pist.On Pop Evil (Canceled) Pretty Maids Primordial The Quill The Quireboys The Raven Age Rockklassiker Allstars Rose Tattoo Rotting Christ Skindred Sky high Slade Spiral Skies Steelheart Stone Sour Stratovarius Suffocation Tarja Three Dead Fingers Torch Bernie Tormé Turbonegro Joe Lynn Turner (Canceled) Uriah Heep Vixen Wilmer X Yes Featuring Jon Anderson, Trevor Rabin, Rick Wakeman
2017
7–10 June, Norje HavsbadAerosmith Alter Bridge Amorphis Apocalyptica Artch Art Nation Black Ingvars Black Star Riders The Brandos Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons Candlemass Carcass Clutch Coheed and Cambria Stacie Collins Corroded Dare (Replaced Kansas) The Dead Daisies Dead Sleep Edguy Electric Boys Fates Warning Gotthard Grand Magus Grave Digger Great King Rat Hardline The Haunted Heavy Tiger Helix (Replaced Y&T) Ian Hunter & The Rant Band Iced Earth In Flames King's X Kix Knogjärn Leading Light Lionheart Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul Lost Society Lucifer's Friend Merciless Metal Church Ministry Motvind Mustasch Myrkur Nifelheim Nocean Picture Primal Fear Primus RATT Rhapsody Rival Sons Rockklassiker All-Stars Running Wild Sator Saxon Scorpions Skeleton Birth Steel Panther Supralunar Svartanatt Sweden Rock Symphony Orchestra Thunder Thyrfing Rob Tognoni Treat A Tribute to Led Zeppelin The Unguided Emma Varg VA Rocks Venom Veonity Voivod Warlock