TunetrailThe best rock and metal festivals in Europe 2026
Wacken Open Air, Hellfest, Download and Graspop Metal Meeting are Europe's biggest rock and metal festivals. Almost all of them run between June and August, and tickets for the most popular ones often sell out long before the line-up is complete.
Last updated July 29, 2026 · 17 festivals in this guide
| Festival | Country | Dates | Genre | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wacken Open Air | Germany | July 29 – August 1 | Metal | Tickets |
| Hellfest | France | 18 – June 21 | Metal | Tickets |
| Download Festival | United Kingdom | 9 – June 11 2027 | Metal | Tickets |
| Graspop Metal Meeting | Belgium | 18 – June 21 | Metal | Tickets |
| Copenhell | Denmark | 24 – June 27 | Mixed/Multi-genre | Tickets |
| Nova Rock Festival | Austria | 11 – June 14 | Rock & Alternative | Tickets |
| Bloodstock Open Air | United Kingdom | 6 – August 9 | Metal | Tickets |
| Resurrection Fest | Spain | 1 – July 4 | Metal | Tickets |
| Summer Breeze Open Air | Germany | 12 – August 15 | Metal | Tickets |
| Alcatraz Metal Festival | Belgium | 6 – August 9 | Metal | Tickets |
| Brutal Assault | Czechia | 5 – August 8 | Mixed/Multi-genre | Tickets |
| Rock am Ring | Germany | 5 – June 7 | Rock & Alternative | Tickets |
| Sweden Rock Festival | Sweden | 3 – June 6 | Metal | Tickets |
| Rock for People | Czechia | 10 – June 14 | Metal | Tickets |
| Motocultor Festival | France | 13 – August 16 | Metal | — |
| Vagos Metal Fest | Portugal | 5 – August 9 | Metal | — |
| Hills Of Rock | Bulgaria | 24 – July 26 | Metal | — |
Europe is by far the densest market in the world for heavy music. Across a few summer weeks you can catch the same headliners on stages in Germany, France, England and Belgium – but the festivals around them differ enormously. Wacken Open Air turns a German village of 1,800 people into a town of 85,000, and has sold out from its waiting list for years. Hellfest in Clisson is the largest in raw scale, with around 180,000 visitors over four days and six stages covering practically every subgenre of hard rock and metal. Download at Castle Donington is the British cornerstone, while Graspop in Dessel, Belgium, draws much of the same crowd with a slightly more metal-focused profile.
If you're travelling far, it pays to plan around more than the headliners. Tickets are usually released in several rounds, and the earliest are the cheapest. Several of these festivals sit close enough together in the calendar that you can combine two in one trip – and since many share headliners, the choice may come down to location, scale and atmosphere rather than the bill itself.
- 1
Wacken Open Air
Wacken, Germany · July 29 – August 1
Line-up includes: Lovebites, The Butcher Sisters, Electric Bassboy, Hämatom, Broken By The Scream +190
- 2
Hellfest
France, France · 18 – June 21
Line-up includes: THE PLOT IN YOU, WE CAME AS ROMANS, ALESTORM, MIKKEY DEE WITH FRIENDS, ALL TIME LOW +136
- 3
Download Festival
circuito di Donington Park, United Kingdom · 9 – June 11 2027
Line-up not announced yet
- 4
Graspop Metal Meeting
Festivalpark Stenehei, Dessel, Belgium · 18 – June 21
Line-up includes: Accept, A Day to Remember, Ankor, Anthrax, BLACKGOLD +141
- 5
Copenhell
Refshaleøen, Denmark · 24 – June 27
Line-up includes: IRON MAIDEN, ALICE COOPER, TOM MORELLO, MASTODON, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES +94
- 6
Nova Rock Festival
Donaulände Linz, Austria · 11 – June 14
Line-up includes: Volbeat, Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, Bad Omens, KALEO, Trivium +79
- 7
Bloodstock Open Air
Catton Park, Derbyshire, United Kingdom · 6 – August 9
Line-up includes: SAXON, EVIL SCARECROW, HEAVYSAURUS, CRYPTOPSY, BLACK SPIDERS +104
- 8
Resurrection Fest
Viveiro, Spain · 1 – July 4
Line-up includes: Sabaton, A Day To Remember, Thrown, PRESIDENT, MAN WITH A MISSION +86
- 9
Summer Breeze Open Air
Dinkelsbühl, Germany · 12 – August 15
Line-up includes: IN FLAMES, AIRBOURNE, HATEBREED, ALCEST, PARADISE LOST +98
- 10
Alcatraz Metal Festival
Sportcampus/Campus Lange Munte, Belgium · 6 – August 9
Line-up includes: ALESTORM, CHANNEL ZERO, SOULFLY, IMMINENCE, MIKKEY DEE WITH FRIENDS +106
- 11
Brutal Assault
Josefov Fortress, Jaroměř-Josefov, Czechia · 5 – August 8
Line-up includes: 200 Stab Wounds, Armored Saint, Novembers Doom, Elder, Kylesa +6
- 12
Rock am Ring
Nürburgring, Germany · 5 – June 7
Line-up includes: Linkin Park, Iron Maiden, Volbeat, Limp Bizkit, The Offspring +49
- 13
Sweden Rock Festival
Norjebokevägen 2, Sölvesborg, Sweden · 3 – June 6
Line-up includes: 14:15–15:15 Dundertåget Med Vänner, 16:30–17:30 Down, 19:00–20:15 The Offspring, 22:00–23:30 Volbeat, 13:15–14:15 The Poodles +90
- 14
- 15
Motocultor Festival
Kerampuilh, France · 13 – August 16
Line-up includes: 200 Stab Wounds, Airbourne, Alcest, Amenra, Arch Enemy +46
- 16
Vagos Metal Fest
Quinta do Ega, Portugal · 5 – August 9
Line-up includes: Combichrist, Cro-Mags, Cryptopsy, Deicide, Godsmack +6
- 17
Hills Of Rock
Rowing Canal, Bulgaria · 24 – July 26
Line-up includes: Avatar, Black Label Society, Deafheaven, Electric Callboy, Front Line Assembly +18
Month by month
June
August
June 2027
Frequently asked questions
Which is Europe's biggest metal festival?
Hellfest in France is the largest by attendance, with around 180,000 visitors over four days. Wacken Open Air in Germany is the most famous, with roughly 85,000 visitors, but it always sells out.
When do Europe's rock and metal festivals take place?
The main season runs from June to August. Rock am Ring and Download fall in early June, Hellfest and Graspop in mid-June, while Wacken, Bloodstock, Alcatraz and Summer Breeze land in late July and August.
When do tickets go on sale?
Most of the big festivals open sales shortly after the previous edition ends, up to a year in advance. Wacken typically sells out before the line-up is announced, so it pays to be early.
Which festival suits a first-time visitor?
Graspop and Download have solid infrastructure, are easy to reach and offer broad bills spanning classic rock through to heavier metal. Both are straightforward to get to by public transport.
Can I fit several festivals into one trip?
Yes. Hellfest and Graspop often fall in the same week and are only a few hours apart by train or car. Rock am Ring and Rock im Park share a line-up and run simultaneously in Germany.
Are the line-ups already complete?
Rarely. The biggest names are announced the autumn before, while the rest of the bill fills out through winter and spring. The lists in this guide update automatically as new names are confirmed.
The list above is an editorial selection of the most established names, but Europe has far more rock and metal festivals than fit here – from small, specialist events to broader rock festivals that also book heavier acts. The dates and line-ups above come straight from the festivals' own announcements and update continuously, so it's worth checking back as the bills fill out over winter and spring.