2025 Metal Music Festival Guide: Lineups, Cities, Tickets
A list of upcoming metal music festivals for 2025
JUNE
Tons of Rock
June 25–28 | Oslo, Norway | Tickets available here
Headliners: Muse, Greenday, Kaizer Orchestra, Avenged Sevenfold
Established in 2014, Tons of Rock is Norway’s largest rock and metal festival, drawing over 100,000 attendees.
Resurrection Fest
June 25–28 | Viveiro, Spain | Tickets available here
Headliners: Judas Priest, Korn, Falling In Reverse, Slipknot
Celebrating its 20th anniversary, Resurrection Fest returns with an all-star lineup featuring metal, punk, and hardcore bands. Over the past two decades, it has grown into one of Spain’s largest festivals, drawing over 55,000 fans across four days of shows.
Jera On Air
June 26–28 | Ysselsteyn, Netherlands | Tickets available here
Headliners: Turnstile, Pendulum, Sex Pistols w/ Frank Carter, Bullet For My Valentine
One of Holland’s biggest festivals for punk, hardcore, and metalcore — while also featuring artists from a range of genres. There’s nothing quite like moshing in the Dutch countryside.
Barcelona Rock Fest
June 26–29 | Barcelona, Spain | Tickets available here
Headliners: Slipknot, Lynyrd Skynyrd, King Diamond, Scorpions
Barcelona Rock Fest was established in 2014 and has remained dedicated to bringing together metal legends, established rock icons, and rising stars for three full days of non-stop music. Fun fact: the festival features a tent called the Motortent, a tribute to Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead.
Tuska Open Air
June 27–29 | Helsinki, Finland | Tickets available here
Headliners: In Flames, Electric Callboy, Powerwolf, Slaughter to Prevail, Lorna Shore, Motionless in White
Finland's premier metal festival that started in 1998 and brings in over 60k attendees.
JULY
Rock Fest
July 17–19 | Cadott, Wisconsin, USA | Tickets available here
Headliners: Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Bad Omens, Eve 6
This four-day festival is one of the largest rock and metal events in the US, and it also features a WFC kickboxing tournament.
Upheaval Festival
July 18 – 19 | Grand Rapids, Michigian, USA | Tickets available here
Headliners: Rob Zombie, Falling In Reverse
This festival totes the slogan “Welcome to the Uprising”
Inkcarceration Festival
July 18–20 | Mansfield, Ohio, USA | Tickets available here
Headliners: Falling In Reverse, Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch
Combining music and tattoo culture, this festival, established in 2018, features a heavy three-day lineup alongside over 100 tattoo artists. It’s a perfect way to kill two birds with one stone.
Unhinged Festival
July 26–27 | Denver, Colorado, USA | Tickets available here
Headliners: Knocked Loose, Lamb of God
Unhinged is another festival that combines heavy metal music with live tattooing, packing both into a two-day celebration of sound and ink.
Wacken Open Air
July 31–August 2 | Wacken, Germany | Tickets available here
Headliners: Guns N’ Roses, Machine Head, Papa Roach, Gojira
Established in 1990, this is one of the world’s largest heavy metal festivals, drawing over 85,000 attendees. Held on a massive 593-acre site in the small German village of Schleswig-Holstein, the fest also features a metal marketplace and a battle of the bands competition.
AUGUST
Bloodstock Open Air
August 7–10 | Walton-on-Trent, UK | Tickets available here
Headliners: Trivium, Machine Head, Gojira
Dubbed the largest indie metal festival in the UK, Bloodstock was established in 2005. The event features a metal marketplace, themed bars, and even a full-on fairground.
Rocklahoma
August 29–31 | Pryor, Oklahoma, USA | Tickets available here
Headliners: Five Finger Death Punch, Breaking Benjamin, Shinedown
Since 2007, Rocklahoma has been bringing the metal and rock heat to Pryor, Oklahoma. Name a better way to celebrate Labor Day.
SEPTEMBER
Louder Than Life
September 18–21 | Louisville, Kentucky, USA | Tickets available here
Headliners: Slayer, Avenged Sevenfold, Deftones, Bring Me The Horizon
Louder Than Life isn’t just known for its massive lineup — it also boasts an impressive selection of bourbon, craft beer, and food vendors. Established in 2014, the festival continues to deliver year after year.
New England Metal and Hardcore Festival
September 20 | Worcester, Massachusetts, USA | Tickets available here
Headliners: Lorna Shore, Cannibal Corpse, Kublai Khan TX
"This time, it's one day, but we didn't cut corners. This lineup is stacked from top to bottom. We're bringing you the best of the best. All gas, no brakes. Weeeeeee." – co-founder Scott Lee on this year lineup and fest.
OCTOBER
Metal Threat Fest
October 2–5 | Elgin, Illinois, USA | Tickets available here
Headliners: Unleashed, Sinister, Master, Dead Congregation
According to the Fest’s website: “Metal Threat Fest is an underground death and black metal festival set to shake the foundations of Illinois in the autumn of 2025. Known for its raw energy and dedication to extreme metal genres, the fest brings together a diverse lineup of underground bands from around the globe.”
Furnace Fest
October 3–5 | Birmingham, Alabama, USA | Tickets available here
Headliners: Jimmy Eat World, Dropkick Murphys, Knocked Loose
Furnace Fest has become a staple heavy music festival in the U.S., known for its all-star lineups, surprise sets, and long-awaited reunions.
Aftershock Festival
October 10–13 | Sacramento, California, USA | Tickets available here
Headliners: Blink-182, Deftones, Korn, Bring Me The Horizon
Established in 2012 in sunny California, Aftershock has grown from a one-day event into a three-day festival, drawing over 160,000 fans each year.
Loud Park Festival
October 13 | Saitama, Japan | Tickets available here
Headliners: Parkway Drive
Loud Park is one of Japan’s largest heavy metal festivals, known for featuring both local and international artists. The most recent edition was held in 2023, with Pantera headlining the event.
DECEMBER
Metal & Beer Fest: Denver
December 5-6 | Denver, Colorado | Tickets available here
Headliners: Acid Bath, Blood Incantation
Few things in life pair better than craft beer and heavy metal breakdowns. It’s a match made in mosh pit heaven.