Heavy Metal Music Festivals to Check Out This Year
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Looking for some killer heavy metal music festivals to check out this year? Here are some of the best ones around the globe that are sure to get your head banging.
Wacken Open Air
If you’re a fan of heavy metal music, then you’ll definitely want to check out Wacken Open Air. This festival is held in Wacken, Germany and it is one of the largest metal festivals in the world. With over 80,000 attendees, you’re sure to find a mosh pit that you can headbang in.
Location
Wacken Open Air is a heavy metal music festival held annually in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany. It was founded in 1990 by Thomas Jensen and Rüdiger May. It usually takes place during the last weekend of July or the first weekend of August. The festival grounds are located about 17 kilometres (11 mi) northwest of the town of Wacken in the middle of farmland.
Dates
Wacken Open Air is a summer heavy metal music festival held in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany. The festival was first held in 1990, and has been held annually since then. It is usually held on the first or second weekend in August.
This year, Wacken Open Air will be held from August 1-3.
Bands
There are so many great bands playing at Wacken Open Air this year! Here are just a few that you won’t want to miss:
-Slayer
-Amon Amarth
-Judas Priest
-Arch Enemy
-Kreator
-Sodom
-Meshuggah
Download Festival
Download Festival is a rock festival, held annually at Donington Park in England since 2003. The 2015 festival featured headliners Muse, Kiss, and Motörhead. Download Festival is considered one of the big four music festivals, along with Reading and Leeds Festivals.
Location
In the United Kingdom, Download Festival is held at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England. The area is about 110 miles north of London. If you’re coming from the States, that’s the rough equivalent of driving from New York City to Hershey, Pennsylvania.
The location has a long and storied history in the world of rock music. It was originally built as a racing circuit in 1931 and played host to the British Grand Prix 11 times between 1964 and 1986. Its most famous moment came in 1988 when Guns N’ Roses played to an audience of 70,000 people.
In recent years, it has become one of the world’s premier destinations for heavy metal music fans. If you want to mosh your heart out to some of the biggest names in metal, this is the place to be.
Dates
The 2020 Download Festival will take place from June 12-14 at Donington Park in Derbyshire, England. The festival lineup has not yet been announced, but previous headliners have included Metallica, Kiss, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, and Foo Fighters. Tickets for the 2020 festival are on sale now.
Bands
The bill for this year’s Download Festival has just been announced, and it’s shaping up to be one of the best metal festivals of the year. Headliners include Metallica, Slipknot, and Tool, and there’s an incredible lineup of supporting bands as well.
If you’re a fan of metal music, this is definitely a festival you won’t want to miss. Here’s a look at some of the other bands that will be performing:
-A Day To Remember
-Bring Me The Horizon
-Cane Hill
-Deaf Havana
-Gojira
-Judas Priest
-Kvelertak
-Mastodon
-Meshuggah
-Nile
-Parkway Drive
-Skindred
Hellfest
Location
Hellfest is a French music festival specializing in heavy metal, held annually in Clisson. The first edition was held on June 19, 2003, with about 1,500 people attending. Bands such as Slayer, Motörhead, Venom and Grim Reaper performed. It is one of the biggest metal festivals in Europe and takes place every year on the first weekend of June.
Dates
Hellfest is a French music festival specializing in heavy metal, held annually in June in Clisson in Loire-Atlantique. The festival was the brainchild of Olivier Hardier and Benjamin Barbaud, who wished to experience festivals like Woodstock and Roskilde. Since then, the festival has become one of the largest and most popular metal festivals in Europe.
The first edition of Hellfest was held on June 21-22, 2002, and featured Node, Rotten Sound, Watcha, and Soilent Green. Since then, the festival has grown exponentially, welcoming over 200 bands from all over the world. Headliners have included Slayer, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Metallica, Hindzzergardtnerzzbzzlzzey (Hatebreed), Slipknot, Megadeth, Lamb of God, Korn, System of a Down (canceled), Ozzy Osbourne
Bands
Founded in 2006, Hellfest is a three-day music festival that takes place in Clisson, France. The festival is one of the largest metal festivals in Europe, and has featured some of the biggest names in metal, rock, and punk over the years. This year’s lineup includes Slipknot, Metallica, Slayer, Lamb of God, and many more. If you’re a fan of metal music, Hellfest is definitely a festival you don’t want to miss.
