Festival season is already upon us and with heavy metal music as popular as ever, the scramble for tickets has begun. But you could also take a relaxed approach and attend one of the many festivals taking place in late summer and early fall. Let’s take a look at the best heavy metal festivals taking place in this period.
Heavy metal music continues to inspire innovations in the wider entertainment industry, as demonstrated by the news that Slipknot will appear as playable characters in the online game Smite. Such crossovers have also inspired another area of the entertainment industry. The iGaming sector has capitalized on the popularity of the music genre in the development of slots games such as the Rock the Reels megaways. The online casino slot features a metal soundtrack and comes on the back of a number of games featuring legendary rock gods. Heavy metal-themed slots attract fans of the music genre to try out these types of slot games.
ROCKLAHOMA 2022 SEPTEMBER 2-4, 2022
This year is the 15th anniversary of Rocklahoma, which takes place in Pryor, Oklahoma, on Labor Day weekend. The three-day festival offers various camping options, including RVshare packages and glamping alongside traditional camping. The Rocklahoma line-up has been confirmed and will feature bands such as Even in Death, Five Finger Death Punch, and Megadeth.
BLUE RIDGE ROCK FESTIVAL SEPTEMBER 8-11 2022
The four-day Blue Ridge Rock Festival is America’s second-largest rock festival and takes place at Virginia International Raceway. The festival features five stages and 171 bands and artists. Visitors can purchase camping passes for tent camping and RV camping and festival passes can be bought for single days and the entire four-day festival. The line-up includes bands such as Slipknot, Hollywood Undead, and Motionless in White.
FULL TERROR ASSAULT OPEN AIR 2022 SEPTEMBER 7-10, 2022
Full Terror Assault Open Air 2022 takes place at Cave-In-Rock, Illinois, and is accessible from cities such as Nashville, Louisville, Memphis, and Cincinnati. The festival is described by the organizers as the very first “TRUE” European-style open-air festival for fans of heavy metal music. The line-up includes bands like Meet the Mailman and Pig Destroyer. The festival also includes various contests, a metal market, the possibility of after-parties with bands, and the party is guaranteed to go all night long with a DJ.
AFTERSHOCK FESTIVAL OCTOBER 6-9, 2022
The Aftershock Festival is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year at Discovery Park in Sacramento, California. Visitors can purchase tickets for a single day or make it a four-day weekend. The line-up on the four stages features over 90 bands, including the ubiquitous Slipknot, the Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine, and Ice Nine Kills.
There is something for every metal fan at four of the biggest heavy metal festivals in the late summer and early fall months of 2022. Hopefully, this guide has given you some inspiration and encouraged you to experience the best rock and heavy metal bands at a festival this year.
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.