European Metal Festivals 2026
No algorithm. No sponsor placement. Just the festivals I'd spend my own money on. Sorted by month. Rated by gut feeling.
April
Roadburn
3-6 April 2026
Tilburg, Netherlands
The festival for people who think Wacken is too mainstream. Doom, post-metal, experimental. Indoor. No mud.
Read the guideInferno Metal Festival
1-4 April 2026
Oslo, Norway
Black metal's spiritual home festival. Easter weekend in Oslo. Cold, dark, perfect.
Read the guideMay
Desertfest
1-3 May 2026
Antwerp, Belgium
Doom, stoner, sludge. Indoor. Multiple venues across town. The heavy side of Belgium.
Read the guideRock Hard Festival
22-24 May 2026
Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Small, intimate, proper metal. No pop acts diluting the bill. The Amphitheater venue is perfect.
Read the guideJune
Graspop Metal Meeting
18-21 June 2026
Dessel, Belgium
Home turf. Best mid-card in Europe. Four days of metal in a Belgian field. The camping is chaos. The music is not.
Read the guideHellfest
18-21 June 2026
Clisson, France
French efficiency meets metal chaos. Six stages. 200+ bands. The production is absurd. It works.
Read the guideCopenhell
17-20 June 2026
Copenhagen, Denmark
Scandinavia's biggest. Right on the water. The Danish know how to run a festival.
Read the guideDownload Festival
12-14 June 2026
Donington Park, United Kingdom
The UK's biggest. Donington mud is legendary. The headliners deliver, even when the weather doesn't.
Read the guideJuly
Metaldays
22-28 July 2026
Tolmin, Slovenia
A river runs through it. Literally. Metal festival on a riverbank in the Slovenian Alps. Swimming between bands.
Read the guideWacken Open Air
30 July - 1 August 2026
Wacken, Germany
The one everyone knows. Legendary but the line-ups are getting predictable. Still worth it for the atmosphere alone.
Read the guideAugust
Brutal Assault
5-8 August 2026
Josefov, Czech Republic
Inside a military fortress. Extreme metal. Best line-up per euro in Europe. The Czech know what they're doing.
Read the guideAlcatraz
7-9 August 2026
Kortrijk, Belgium
Smaller, friendlier, better beer. The Belgian alternative to Graspop. Growing every year.
Read the guideBloodstock
6-9 August 2026
Catton Park, United Kingdom
The UK's underground answer to Download. Heavier line-up, smaller crowd, better vibe.
Read the guideParty.San
13-15 August 2026
Schlotheim, Germany
Extreme metal in a field in Thuringia. No frills. No mainstream acts. Pure death and black metal.
Read the guideSummer Breeze
12-15 August 2026
Dinkelsbühl, Germany
Underrated. Great mid-card, good camping, medieval town nearby. Germany's best-kept festival secret.
Read the guideDates and line-ups are subject to change. Ratings are personal. I've been to most of these. The ones I haven't been to yet are on the list for a reason. If your favourite festival is missing, tell me about it via contact.