12 of the best rock and metal festivals in Europe you cannot miss in 2024

From the UK’s Download festival to Graspop Metal Meeting – and beyond

  • Meike Jentjens & TicketSwap Team
  • Do., 7. März
  • THE AGENDA INTERNATIONAL

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IMAGE CREDIT: Matthew Higgs, C/O Download Festival

Unlock a festival season to remember with TicketSwap’s THE AGENDA INTERNATIONAL, featuring dedicated round-ups of the best festivals in Europe from summer season open air events to electrifying festivals, techno weekenders to underground gatherings.

You'll find recommendations for the best festivals in 2024, plus insider tip-offs for 2024 festival date announcements, lineups and ticket sale dates.

Ready to rock this summer? From metal to post-punk and post-hardcore, this guide covers Europe’s best rock and metal festivals in 2023.

We’ve rounded up the best and biggest metal festivals, along with rock and indie rock festivals in the Netherlands, Belgium, Slovenia, France, Czech Republic and beyond, all with tickets still available to buy via TicketSwap.

Here's our guide to the best music festivals for metal music fans in Europe, whether you're looking to mosh at heavy metal festivals or planning your next hard rock festival experience, whatever the genre: whether you're looking for crust punk or thrash metal, nu metal or black metal - or even viking metal (yes, it's a thing), something more hardcore like death metal, folk-infused indie rock or some good old screamo madness, from Spring through to the end of August.

Best rock festivals and best metal festivals in Europe in 2024


Download Festival

Download Festival 2024

Jun 14 – 16, Download Festival, Castle Donington, Donington Park, United Kingdom

Plenty of choice for rock lovers in the United Kingdom this summer: Reading Festival and Leeds Festival well and truly know how to stack their lineups with indie, rock, and metal acts (yes, including heavy metal).

The two festivals take place in the last weekend of August, but if you can’t wait that long and need your guitar fix even sooner, Download Festival, held annually at Donington Park is the place to be. Dedicated to the harder genres, the four-day event covers pretty much all loud styles.

From punk to rock all through post-hardcore, catch bands playing like Queens of the Stone Age, Fall Out Boy, Avenged Sevenfold, Royal Blood, The Offspring, Machine Head and even Pantera, for their first performance in two decades.

Download Festival - Best Rock and Metal Festivals
CREDIT: Abbie Shipperley - C/O Download Festival

Resurrection Fest 2024

June 26 – 29, Avenida Ramón Canosa, Viveiro, Spain

Possibly the sunniest metal festival in Europe, Resurrection fest has tempted crowds from all over the world to indulge in something a little more extreme, all under a Spanish summer breeze. Festival goers can expect a whole world of grungy joy, with a whole buffet of metal genres.

Bands playing at Resurrection Fest 2024 include Bring Me The Horizon, Alice Cooper, Sum 41 (for their final ever tour) Megadeth, Bad Omens, Bruce Dickinson, Corey Taylor, Babymetal, Electric Callboy, Accept, Fear Factory, Slaughter to Prevail, Biohazard (with their original line-up), and many others.

Pirata Beach Fest Gandía 2024

Jul 10 – 13, Gandia, Spain

Another tip-off for those seeking out something in warmer climates (especially if you like your rock with a side of rap and fustion).

Valencia's Pirata Beach Fest offers more than 70 artists across 5 stages, and this year's edition boasts ZOO, SFDK, Natos y Waor, Trueno, Oques Grasses, Mägo de Oz, Non Servium, La Plazuela, Chambao, La Fuga and many more on the festival bill.

Rock for People

Rock for People 2024

June 12 – 16, Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, Hradec Kralove, Czechia

Where to begin with this lineup? Rock for People weekend festival kicks off in June, taking place in Hradec Králové, around 80 minutes from Prague.

This is your chance to see many massive names like Yungblud, The Prodigy, Bad Omens, Avril Lavigne and many more set the stage on fire over the four days of absolute mayhem.

Sweden Rock Festival 2024

June 5 – 8, Sweden Rock Festivalen, Sölvesborg, Sweden

The festival’s name might suggest otherwise, but if you’re a true metalhead, this is where you need to be. Offering "classic rock, hard rock, metal and even some blues", this one's a crowd pleaser.

For this year's edition they invite iconic acts like Five Finger Death Punch, High on Fire, Primal Fear, Steel Panther, Rival Sons, Vicious Rumors, Steel Panther, Graveyard and more.

Best Kept Secret

Best Kept Secret 2024 

June 7 – 9, Beekse Bergen, Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands

Best Kept Secret often gets described as one of the finest festivals in The Netherlands because of the idyllic festival site next to a lake, the relaxed atmosphere, and the carefully curated lineup.

Alt-rock legend PJ Harvey, garage rock band Osees, post-hardcore act Mannequin Pussy, plus Amyl & The Sniffers, The Armed: you get it.

If you’re into avant-garde, niche genres, this one’s for you.

W-Festival 2024

Aug 23 – 25, Oostende Klein Strand, Ostend, Belgium

W-Festival 2024 is a good choice for rock and metal fans who appreciate the roots of the genre. With acts like Asia featuring John Payne and Dire Straits Legacy, the festival offers classic rock that has influenced many modern metal bands. It's a celebration of the foundational sounds that shaped today's rock and metal music.

Graspop Metal Meeting

Graspop Metal Meeting 2024

June 20 – 23, Festivalpark Dessel, Dessel, Belgium

When we say metal meeting, we mean metal meeting. Graspop Metal Meeting is where metal heads from all over Europe come together every year to stomp the holy grounds of Festivalpark Stenehei.

Held annually since 1996, Graspop Metal Meeting is the stage that artists want to play.

This year, black metal act Abbath peforms Immortal, along with appearances from Alice Cooper, Black Stone Cherry, Brand of Sacrifice, Deathbyromy, Avenged Seenfold, Babymetal, Body Count feat. Ice-T, Bring Me The Horizon, Deep Purple, Doro, Megadeth, Scorpions, Steel Panther, Tarja, and Tool, and many others.

One of the most popular metal festivals in Europe, and we can see why.


Jera On Air 2024

June 27 – 29, Ysselsteyn, Netherlands

Starting as an independent and small festival somewhere on some grass fields in the south of The Netherlands, Jera On Air has quickly become a staple in the punk rock scene.

Alice Cooper, Judas Priest, and Megadeth headline the three festival days, next to performing bands like Avenged Sevenfold, Bring Me The Horizon, Deep Purple, and Scorpions.

Did we mention the punk parties in the evening?


Les Eurockéennes 2024

July 4 – 7, Eurockéennes de Belfort, Sermamagny

Les Eurockéennes is a must if you’re into bands like Alice Cooper, Avenged Sevenfold, and Megadeth, and if you’re not afraid to dance a little.

Deep Purple, Judas Priest, and Scorpions bring their danceable hits to France this summer, where you can camp at the lakeside of the blissful Lake Malsaucy.


Rock Werchter

Rock Werchter 2024

July 4 – 7, Festivalpark Werchter, Werchter, Belgium

Four days, four stages. Rock Werchter is one of Belgium’s largest festivals and draws people in from all European countries.

We can see why: Lenny Kravitz, Måneskin, Dropkick Murphys, Foo Fighters, Bad Omens, Royal Blood, The Gaslight Anthem and more, all in one weekend? You bet.


August metal festivals in Europe


Punk Rock Holiday

Punk Rock Holiday 2.4

August 6 – 10, Tolmin, Slovenia

Are you into punk rock?

Another green and sunny holiday destination in August where you can catch the hottest rock bands is Slovenia’s Punk Rock Holiday, where Rise Against, Flogging Molly, Alkaline Trio, Descendents, Less Than Jake, Mad Caddies, Comeback Kid, Zebrahead, Strung Out and beyond are ready to knock your socks off. Dive in!


Alcatraz Open Air '24

August 8 – 12, Sportcampus Lange Munte, Kortrijk, Belgium

Belgians must love rock and metal because Alcatraz Open Air is another one of those legendary and brutal festivals you don’t want to miss this summer, starting on August 8.

Epica, WHITECHAPEL, Carcass, Stratovarius, peter pan speedrock, asphyx, Sonata Arctica, SUICIDAL ANGELS, BARK, Carnation and Temptations for the Weak: it’s clear that this isn’t one for the light-hearted.

No need to escape Alcatraz Open Air; after three days of guitars and fun, you’ll be sent home with some new mates and good stories this August. 


GIVEAWAY: Grab your tickets for Pretty Woman in January to be in with the chance of to winning a backstage tour


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