With summer well upon us, it brings to mind the plethora of metal festivals that are offered every year. From small events to enormous gatherings, there are several to choose from. Europeans seem to be the winners in this game as there are an endless variety of festivals and the travel distances are shorter. While it’s unlikely that I will be able to personally attend any of these festivals any time soon, here are my top five picks for metal festivals to attend based on personal line-up choices and travel destinations:
Location: Tolmin, Slovenia
Mid-July
Formerly going by the title of METALCAMP, the line-up for this festival has proved to be stellar for the last several years. Not to mention the location. Judging by photos, the festival grounds must be some of the most picturesque that one can imagine. The grounds themselves boast two beaches and lie between the Tolminka and Soca rivers. Camping is also free with a valid festival pass, with an additional minimal fee if you’d like to arrive a few days early. METALCAMP always has plenty of bands that I want to see and tends to have the best line-up (for me personally), especially as the festival continues to grow.
2. Tuska Open Air Metal Festival
Location: Helsinki, Finland
End of June / Beginning of July
Having missed this particular gem by a single day on both instances when I traveled to Finland, it is still high on my list of festivals to attend. Tuska generally manages to draw a few big-name acts and several equally good, lesser-knowns. Until 2011, Tuska was located in central Helsinki, in Kaisaniemi park. This location was fantastic due to the close proximity to excellent accommodation options, restaurants, and everything else that one could possibly want to do while in Helsinki. I feel as though I missed a great opportunity by missing out on Tuska while it was staged in Kaisaniemi.
3. Summer Breeze
Location: Dinkelsbühl, Germany
Mid-August
Summer Breeze is another of those festivals that always seems to have a fantastic line-up. The festival takes place on an airfield, and at under a hundred euros for a full festival pass, including camping and shuttle buses, the cost of the festival itself is not going to break the bank.
4. Wacken Open Air
Location: Wacken, Germany
Beginning of August
Wacken Open Air is the festival that is on every metal-head’s must-go-to-once list. Arguably the most recognized metal festival, bands from every area of metal can be found playing Wacken. Wacken has managed to sell out and set attendance records several times in it’s history, with visitors totaling often totaling over 80,000. This festival creates a small city around itself, complete with merchandise markets and anything else a metal head could ask for.
5. Brutal Assault Festival
Location: Fortress Josefov, Czech Republic
Mid-August
Brutal Assault caters to the more extreme side of metal. The festival actually takes place inside an old army fortress, offering undoubtably one of the most unique festival experiences. With pre-cautions about the inherent dangers of being set up inside a fortress and the option for guarded campsites, one may wonder about the safety of attending Brutal Assault. Either way, if proper measures are taken beforehand, it seems to be an experience that would be worth undertaking.
Honorable mention:
70 000 Tons of Metal
While this isn’t quite your typical festival, as it’s offered on a cruise ship, this is another that I’d like to give a try. Happening in January and sailing from Miami, it offers four days of music, including one stop in a port. Having participated in the inaugural (and potentially final) Barge to Hell Cruise, I would like to give 70 000 Tons a try. With a new cruise ship promised to replace the tired one currently used, and an increased capacity, it promises to be a better experience than Barge to Hell. 70 000 Tons always sells well (opposite to what Barge did), and everyone seems to have an excellent time. Hopefully with a new ship will come vastly improved dining and improvements to make the expensive price tag carry more value for the money.