6.66 reasons why you want to rock in Europe at these awesome rock & metal festivals

Fans of rock, metal, and punk(rock) live music will have heaps of opportunities to get their horns up in Europe. The new rock festival season will be an awesome one. We've selected 6.66 of the best rock festivals throughout Europe for the upcoming season. Check out the line-ups, ticket info and start planning your trip. Horns up, rock fans.

We've listed our favourite rock festivals in alphabetical order (by country)... 6.66 rock festivals in Europe that have impressed us by either the line-up they have announced so far. We'll update the info below when new bands are announced, so stay tuned.

1) Belgium: Graspop Metal Meeting

The 25th-anniversary edition of Graspop Metal Meeting will be awesome. Check it out!

• Dates: 18, 19, 20 and 21 June 2026
• Where: Stenehei in Dessel (Belgium)
• Line-up 2026: Accept, A Day to Remember, Alice Cooper, Alter Bridge, Anthrax, Bad Omens, Breaking Benjamin, Cavalera "Chaos A.D.", Chop Suey, Deaftones, Distant, Drain, Drowning Pool, Europe, John Coffey, Lagwagon, Life of Agony, Mastodon, Megadeth, Moonspell, Pennywise, Queensrÿche, Sabaton, Sepultura, The Gathering, Wind Rose, Within Temptation and many more.
• Camping: yes, included in the ticket price
• Accommodation: great deals for cheap accommodation in the area of the Graspop festival
• Tickets: on sale now
• More info: check out the official website of the Graspop rock festival

2) Germany: Rock am Ring & Rock im Park

Another anniversary in the rock/metal festival scene in 2022. Rock Am Ring / Rock Im Park is celebrating its 35th anniversary. Prepare for awesomeness!

• Dates: 5, 6 and 7 June 2026 (2 festivals @ 2 locations on the same date)
• Where: Mendig Airport / Vulkaneiffel (Rock am Ring) or Nuremberg (Rock im Park)
• Line-up 2026: Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park, Papa Roach, Architects, Babymetal, The Hives, Trivium, Within Temptation, Ankor, Bush, Danko Jones, Don Broco, DRAIN, Loathe, Magnolia and more
• Camping: yes
• Accommodation: great deals on accommodation close to the festivals: Rock Am Ring accommodation or Rock im Park accommodation
• Tickets: on sale now
• More info: official website of Rock am Ring or Rock im Park

3) Germany: Wacken Open Air

• Dates: 29 July - 1 August 2026
• Where: Wacken (50km North of Hamburg) in Germany
• Line-up 2026: Alestorm, Alien Ant Farm, Arch Enemy, Black Label Society, Corrosion of Conformity, Def Leppard, Electric Bassboy (side project of Electric Callboy), Europe, Hatebreed, Lagwagon, Lacuna Coil, Life of Agony, Mambo Kurt, Nevermore, Paradise Lost, Sabaton and many more
• Camping: yes
• Accommodation: great deals for cheap accommodation close to the festival
• Tickets: via official ticket site
• More info: official website of the Wacken Open Air festival

4) Germany: Vainstream festival

• Dates: 26 and 27 June 2026
• Where: Am Hawerkamp in Münster, Germany
• Line-up 2026: Rise Against, Architects, Landmvrks, Social, Bury Tomorrow, All Time Low, Pennywise, Set It Off, Lionheart, Sleep Token, Soft Play, Hollywood Undead, Sondaschule, Suicidal Tendencies, Black Veil Brides, Alkaline Trio, Bloodywood, Thrown, We Came As Romans, Agnostic Front, Boundaries, Dog Eat Dog and more
• Camping: no, it's a one-day festival
• Accommodation: great deals for accommodation close to the festival
• More info: official website of the Vainstream Festival

5) France: Hellfest

• Dates: 18, 19, 20 and 21 June 2026
• Where: Clisson in France (near Nantes)
• Line-up 2026: PAPA ROACH, HELLOWEEN, A PERFECT CIRCLE, THE HIVES, ALICE COOPER, OPETH, MEGADETH, ARCHITECTS, RISE AGAINST, BREAKING BENJAMIN, TOM MORELLO, ULTRA VOMIT, DOWN, ACID BATH, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, HATEBREED, SOCIAL DISTORTION and many more
• Camping: yes
• Accommodation: great deals for accommodation close to the festival
• Tickets: SOLD OUT!
• More info: official website of the Hellfest festival

6) Germany: Summer Breeze Open Air

• Dates: 12 - 15 August 2026
• Where: close to the town of Dinkelsbühl in Bavaria, Germany
• Line-up 2026: In Flames, Lamb of God, Helloween, Arch Enemy, Testament, Soulfly, Alestorm, Eisbrecher, Amorphis, Deicide, Thy Art Is Murder, Skindred, Paradise Lost, Municipal Waste, Decapitated, Arch Enemy, Lamb of God, Helloween
• Camping: yes
• Accommodation: great deals for accommodation close to the festival
• Tickets: on sale now
• More info: official website of the Summer Breeze festival

6.66) Austria: Nova Rock

• Dates: 11 - 14 June 2026
• Where: Burgenland, near Nickelsdorf, Austria... And close to Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
• Line-up 2026: Volbeat, Sex Pistols (feat. Frank Carter), Bad Omens, KALEO, Trivium, Tom Morello, Black Veil Brides, Mastodon, Bilmuri, Mittel Alta, Lemo, dArtagnan, Shmiffy, Return to Dust, Ego Kill Talent, Soul Asylum, The Cure, The Offspring, A Perfect Circle, Ice Nine Kills, Social Distortion, Breaking Benjamin, The Pretty Reckless, THE PLOT IN YOU, Royal Republic, President, Thrown, Catch Your Breath, Magnolia Park, Six Feet Under, Just Mustard, Black Label Society, Skindred, Annisokay, Quicksand, Melrose Avenue, TX2, The Pretty Wild, Zascha, Iron Maiden, A Day To Remember, Sabaton, Alter Bridge, Sepultura, All Time Low, Kanonenfieber, The Rasmus, Kublai Khan TX, Future Palace, Madsen, Bad Nerves, Querbeat, Nickelsdorfer Böhmische, Palaye Royale, Lagwagon, Loathe, Kupfergold, ChuggaBoom, A New Chapter, Frevd, Cousins, Bring Me The Horizon, Papa Roach, Architects, Hollywood Undead, Malevolence, Three Days Grace, P.O.D., VOILÀ, All Them Witches, Drain, Slay Squad, Vinegar Hill, The Funeral Portrait.
• Camping: yes
• Accommodation: great deals for accommodation close to the festival, in Mosonmagyaróvár (Hungary) as the festival takes place close to the Hungarian border.
• Tickets: on sale now
• More info: official website of this rock festival in Austria

More amazing festivals in Europe

If you want to add even more festivals to your musical trip in Europe, make sure to check out these European festivals as well. We travel and we like to party at lots of festivals.

Festival tip: free live streams

Can't make it to all metal, rock or punk festivals mentioned above? Most of these festivals have a free live stream that broadcasts a big part of the program. You just need to be able to unlock the geo-block and here's how to do it.