![Best Rock & Metal Festivals 2024 [UK, Europe & The USA] (1)](https://www.electrikjam.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Best-Rock-Metal-Festivals-2024-UK-Europe-The-USA-1.png "Best Rock & Metal Festivals 2024 [UK, Europe & The USA]")
Here’s a quick overview of the all the best rock and metal festivals happening in the UK, Europe, and the USA during 2024…
Despite the ups and downs in the music industry, rock and metal fans can always rely on an incredible festival scene to get their fix of thunderous riffs and headbanging.
2024 promises another stellar year of top events celebrating hard rock, metal, punk, alternative, and everything loud. Let’s explore some of the can’t-miss fests in the UK, USA, and around the world.
Best Rock and Metal Festivals UK & Europe
The UK boasts some of the best rock and metal festivals in Europe, pleasing fans seeking either massive events or intimate gatherings.
ELECTRIKJAM’s Pick of The Litter:
- Derbyshire’s Bloodstock Open Air is the ultimate destination for metal enthusiasts, featuring a mix of emerging talents and well-established acts like Opeth, Architects, and many others, all ready to rock out with the horns-up crowd.
- Mid-August brings Bristol’s ArcTanGent Festival to life, drawing fans of math-rock, post-rock, and prog music genres. With favorites like And So I Watch You From Afar already on the lineup, it’s a must-attend event for aficionados of these distinctive musical styles.
- In June, France’s Hellfest lives up to its name, delivering a heavy dose of metal mayhem with headlining acts such as Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age, set to ignite the passions of tens of thousands of fervent fans.
From Bloodstock To Hellfest
Kicking off 2024 is Winter’s End in Wales this February. With 21 bands gracing a single stage, highlights include British rockers Massive Wagons, Those Damn Crows, and Stone Broken.
Bearded Theory in Derbyshire this May offers musical diversity with alt-rockers Jane’s Addiction and indie darlings Future Islands amid the lineup. Beyond the music, it provides a community vibe and has won “Best Family Festival” five years running.
Slam Dunk Festival across Leeds, Hatfield and Birmingham in late May aims to be the UK’s premier rock event. Pop-punk and emo acts like You Me At Six and The All American Rejects take top billing.
The hallowed grounds of Download Festival at Donington Park come alive in June. Metal titans Avenged Sevenfold and Queens of the Stone Age lead a heavyweight lineup. Pantera’s headlining slot will be their first UK show in over 20 years!
Details are still emerging for Glastonbury Festival in late June, but expect a high-caliber rock presence alongside the iconic pop acts.
Hellfest in France lives up to its name in June, promising the biggest names in metal like Foo Fighters and Queens of the Stone Age for tens of thousands of rabid fans.
Meanwhile, 2000trees Festival in Gloucestershire keeps things intimate, focusing on underground and up-and-coming British guitar bands throughout its mid-July run.
Wales hosts another banger with July’s Steelhouse Festival, introducing a “Berniefest” day to honor the legendary Bernie Marsden and featuring greats like King King and Living Colour.
Derbyshire’s Bloodstock Open Air in August showcases new and established metal with Opeth, Architects and more for the horns-up crowd.
Math-rock, post-rock and prog fans flock to ArcTanGent Festival in Bristol in mid-August, with genre faves And So I Watch You From Afar already confirmed.
Closing the UK summer in late August are the twin Reading and Leeds Festivals. With huge rock names alongside pop headliners like Lana Del Rey, these festivals have something for everyone.
Best Rock and Metal Festivals USA
You can count on the United States to deliver some of the biggest and best rock and metal fests on Earth. Let’s dive into the must-see events across America in 2024.
Taking over Daytona Beach, Florida in early May, Welcome to Rockville promises to be the East Coast’s biggest rock bash. Metallica and Nine Inch Nails are already locked as headliners.
Out west, California’s Aftershock Festival in October is the West Coast’s premier rock/metal event. The lineup is already massive with Slipknot, Kiss, and Judas Priest.
Louder Than Life brings the noise to Louisville, Kentucky in late September. Recently awarded “Festival of the Year,” it’s one of the country’s most prestigious metal fests.
For an intimate open-air metal experience, head to Full Terror Assault in Illinois in September. Fans can camp and bring their own booze while rocking to over 40 bands.
Oklahoma’s Rocklahoma takes over Memorial Day weekend with three days of nonstop rock and camping under the stars.
Maryland Deathfest in Baltimore every May is a pilgrimage for metalheads, bringing the heaviest bands from across the globe. The epic lineup will be announced soon.
Rock Fest in Cadott, Wisconsin is a long-running July 4th tradition, as generations of rock fans have packed its permanent venue to see legends grace the stage.
What happens when you mix Las Vegas with metal? Psycho Las Vegas in August 2024 will show you, taking over Mandalay Bay for a headbanging weekend.
ProgPower USA in Atlanta is a prog and power metal fan’s dream, bringing international talent stateside every September.
Can’t decide on a festival? How about all of them? 70000 Tons of Metal sets sail from Miami in January 2024, hitting two destinations with 60 bands onboard.
Sonic Temple in Columbus, Ohio keeps the spirit of Rock On The Range alive in May 2024, promising massive production and crowds.
Other standouts include Iowa’s Knotfest, Furnace Fest in Alabama, Texas’ Metal Threat Fest and more. There’s a rock festival for every state and taste!
Some are hopeful that legendary fests like Ozzfest will make a comeback in 2025. Have we missed any? Let us know and we’ll keep this guide updated. Wherever your musical passion lies, the USA festival circuit has you covered. See you in the pit!
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