News & Articles
Judas Priest, Rotting Christ & Grave Digger: 25 Festivals in a Single Weekend
417 shows in 176 cities across Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Judas Priest play Bern, Rotting Christ the Turbinenhalle, Grave Digger for free on the Zollernalb — and 25 festivals run at the same time.
30+ Festivals in One Weekend: Mapping the Home Straight
Between Friday and Sunday, Germany hosts more than 30 festivals with some 490 performances — from a limestone cave to a castle moat in Bonn to the river Inn. The overview, with a map.
Die Toten Hosen, Candlemass & Raven: The First KRACH Week for All of Germany
270 shows in 108 cities — and from this week on, KRACH covers the whole country. From Soulfly's groove metal in Flensburg to Tiamat in the Balve Cave to Raven in Essen's tiny Don't Panic.
Metal Friday in the Ruhr: Kula, Pejman & My Dearest Dear Kick Off the Weekend
The weekend brings 194 shows to the Ruhr area! From Kula, Pejman & My Dearest Dear to local acts - here are the highlights.
Powerwolf, Hollywood Vampires & Grave Digger: The Weekend When Everything Happens At Once
Over 50 shows between 24 and 30 August: Powerwolf on the Loreley, Alice Cooper at the Lanxess Arena, Saxon and Grave Digger at NOAF – plus three free festivals on Saturday alone.
Spearhead: Hanover's Bolt Thrower tribute hits the road – opening at the Pitcher in Düsseldorf
Since 2017, Spearhead from Hanover have kept Bolt Thrower's catalogue alive on stage. "Return of the War Master 2026/27" is their longest run yet: 17 dates across five countries through summer 2027, opening 21 August at the Pitcher in Düsseldorf.
Deathfeast Open Air 2026: Signs Of The Swarm, Internal Bleeding and Revocation – 33 bands in Andernach
Three days, one stage, 33 bands from 18 countries: Deathfeast Open Air opens at the JUZ Live Club in Andernach. Signs Of The Swarm, Internal Bleeding and Revocation close the three nights – and a missing passport rewrote the running order at the last minute.
Deafheaven, Lord Of The Lost & The Night Eternal: Seven Festivals in One Weekend
65 shows across NRW – and from Thursday, seven festivals run in parallel. From 33 death metal bands in Andernach to three free-entry festivals to Deafheaven at Sputnikhalle: the highlights from 17 to 23 August.
Black Label Society, Savatage & Adolescents: Seven Days of Classics, Noise and Basement Clubs
This week brings 46 shows to NRW! From Zakk Wylde’s doom riffs to Savatage’s return to the summer stage to the Adolescents in a tiny Essen basement club – here are the highlights.
Opeth, Testament & Sober Truth: Concert Week in NRW
From 3 to 9 August, over 45 shows pack into 14 cities: Opeth play their only German date, three thrash legends share one Cologne bill, and three festivals kick off on the same weekend.
Dortmund Deathfest 2026: Deicide, Asphyx and Immolation in the Junkyard – Saturday Sold Out
24 bands, two alternating stages, a scrapyard in Dortmund's Nordstadt: the fourth Dortmund Deathfest brings a bill on 31 July and 1 August that you would normally have to chase across three festivals.
Arch Enemy, Cro-Mags & Deafheaven: The Concert Week in NRW
From Dortmund Deathfest to Cro-Mags to Arch Enemy: from 27 July to 2 August, NRW gets one of the densest concert weeks of the summer. Here are the highlights.
Judas Priest, Dropkick Murphys & Eisbrecher: Three Festivals, Three Scenes, One Weekend
28 shows in one week — and a weekend juggling three festivals at once: metal at BOBfest, the punk rodeo in Hünxe and Amphi at the Tanzbrunnen. Plus Voivod, The Haunted and a sold-out Amenra. Here are the highlights.
Overkill, Die Toten Hosen & Gum Bleed: Festival Dust and Club Sweat in NRW
Over 30 shows this week: Dong Open Air with Overkill & Satyricon, Die Toten Hosen twice in the stadium, Gum Bleed's 20th anniversary in Münster – plus Slumcult Gathering and more.
Night In Gales: Limited 7" Single "The Iron Maiden" – and a Hometown Show at Dong Open Air
Voerde's melodic death pioneers Night In Gales drop "The Iron Maiden" as a 7" single limited to 300 copies worldwide – and play Dong Open Air in Neukirchen-Vluyn on July 17.
Phantoms of Future: 40 Years of Dark Rock and a Homecoming Show in Lünen
Dortmund's dark rock cult band turns 40: comeback album "Forever Dark" and a headline slot at Alternative Stage Lünen on Saturday.
OIRO: 25 Years of Düsseldorf Mofapunk – New Album and a Home Show at AK47
25 years of Düsseldorf punk: OIRO release their new album "Zweite Kasse Bitte" – eleven songs of discount-store punk, vinyl with shopping-cart chip. Home show at AK47 on Kiefernstraße this Friday.
Call of Charon: 20 Years of Ruhrpott Deathcore – Three Anniversary Shows and a Demo That Was Never Meant to Be Released
Call of Charon have played deathcore in the Ruhr area since 2006 – for their 20th anniversary they play three NRW shows (Wesel, Essen, Oberhausen) and release a 50-copy demo of their very first 2006 rehearsal recordings.
System of a Down, Accept & Toxic Order: NRW's loudest summer week, from mega open air to youth centre
This week brings 42 shows to NRW! From System of a Down's sold-out mega open air to Accept's festival homecoming and a free DIY metal fest in Dinslaken – here are the highlights.
Airbourne: New Album in August – Pre-Listening in Cologne & BOBfest in Mönchengladbach
Airbourne release their self-titled album on August 28 (Spinefarm). An exclusive pre-listening with meet & greet hits Cologne on August 13 – and they play BOBfest in Mönchengladbach on July 25.
In Extremo & Feuerschwanz: Joint 2027 Tour Comes to Düsseldorf
In Extremo and Feuerschwanz team up for a co-headline tour in spring 2027 – stopping at Mitsubishi Electric Halle Düsseldorf on April 24, 2027. Special guest: Ragnarök.
Tanzwut: New Album “Herz aus Stein” – Live in Cologne and Oberhausen This Fall
“Rosenkrieg” is the third single from Tanzwut's new album “Herz aus Stein” (September 4, NoCut). Live at Club Volta Cologne and Kulttempel Oberhausen this fall – and at Castle Rock in Mülheim this Friday.
Die Toten Hosen, Crypta & Wasteland Haze: The Hottest Concert Week of the Summer in NRW
This week brings over 50 shows to NRW! From Die Toten Hosen in a sold-out stadium to Crypta's Brazilian death metal to local doom heroes and four festivals – here are the highlights.
Sepultura, Powerwolf & Eradicator: Three Festivals and the Hottest Concert Week of the Summer
This week NRW explodes: three festivals at once – Jera On Air, Vainstream and black-metal bastion Hole in the Svn – plus Sepultura, Limp Bizkit, Deep Purple, Powerwolf and 50+ shows from arena to underground basement. Here are the highlights.
Faith No More: Reunion Tour Officially Confirmed for 2027
No more speculation: bassist Billy Gould confirms the Faith No More reunion. The alternative metal legends return in 2027 – their first shows since 2016.
Allt: New Single "Omertà" – Live in Cologne and Münster This November
Swedish metalcore risers Allt drop the aggressive single "Omertà" from their upcoming album "Ataraxia". In November they bring it to Cologne and Münster.
Mastodon, Eyehategod & Scalpture: When the Ruhr glows between club sweat and festival fields
This week brings 70+ shows to the Ruhr area – plus the summer's biggest festival weekend. From Mastodon's sludge to Cro-Mags hardcore to local death-metal heroes, plus Graspop, Hellfest & Traumzeit. Here are the highlights.
Queensrÿche, Three Days Grace & Secrets of the Moon: The Week NRW Burns From Prog-Metal to Black Metal
A good two dozen shows between Essen, Cologne, Oberhausen and Münster: Queensrÿche, Three Days Grace and Skunk Anansie in the big halls, the ZappenDuster Open Air delivering black metal, plus hardcore legends, emo pioneers and a heap of local heroes.
Rage Against Racism kicks off in Duisburg today – free, outdoors, against racism
Two days of metal, punk and hardcore at the Friemersheimer Mühle – free entry. With Crazy Lixx, Crypta, Omnium Gatherum, Eisenpimmel and slot-battle winners Grave Intentions.
Vicious Rumors: Düsseldorf Show at Pitcher Cancelled – Three German Dates Scrapped
The Düsseldorf, Osnabrück and Hamburg shows are officially cancelled amid the controversy around drummer Larry Howe. Kassel and Graspop are still on.
Megadeth, Doro & Afsky: The Week NRW Burns From Thrash to Stoner
This week brings over 50 shows to NRW! From Megadeth's thrash to Bad Omens' arena metalcore and Doro's metal cruise to the sold-out Freak Valley Festival – here are the highlights.
Hollywood Undead 2026: A Festival Summer – Rock am Ring and Vainstream in Münster
Hollywood Undead bring their 2026 festival summer to NRW: Rock am Ring on June 7 and the Vainstream Rockfest in Münster in late June. Their Taste of Chaos tour with In This Moment, however, runs in North America only.
Employed To Serve Unleash New Single 'Dead Reckoning'
Employed To Serve drop 'Dead Reckoning', their first single on Church Road Records, complete with a video. Next German date: August 13 at the OM in Mosbach.
Die Toten Hosen: 'Trink aus, wir müssen gehen!' – Their Final Regular Studio Album Is Here
'Trink aus, wir müssen gehen!' is Die Toten Hosen's 16th and final regular studio album, plus the covers record 'Alles muss raus!'. The Düsseldorf punk legends say goodbye with two hometown shows at the Merkur Spiel-Arena on July 3 and 4.
Allt: "Ataraxia" Tour stops in Münster and Köln
Swedish progressive metalcore band Allt hit the road in November 2026 with their new album "Ataraxia". Two NRW dates are confirmed: Sputnikhalle Münster (25.11.) and Essigfabrik Köln (26.11.) – with AVRALIZE and Bite Down as support.
Judas Priest at BOBfest Mönchengladbach: Faithkeepers Tour with Airbourne and Beyond the Black
On 25 July 2026 Judas Priest headline BOBfest 2026 at SparkassenPark Mönchengladbach. Supporting them: Airbourne, Beyond the Black, Nestor, Phil Campbell's Bastard Sons and The Gems. Less than a month later they return to Germany for the legendary Loreley open-air stage.
Knocked Loose, New Model Army & Stillbirth: Festival Week in the Ruhrgebiet
Pentecost week brings over 70 shows to the Ruhr area! Slam Dunk Germany makes its German debut, New Model Army play the open-air Waldbühne in Oelde, Flotsam and Jetsam shred Turock, and local heroes Stillbirth and Resurrected deliver brutal death. Here are the highlights.
Paradise Lost, Cemetery Skyline & Horna: When the Ruhr Becomes a Pilgrimage Site
This week brings 60+ shows to the Ruhr area! From the three-day Rock Hard Festival to industrial heavyweights (LAIBACH, FLA) to Finnish black metal, a sold-out Japanese metalcore breakout, and the Textures reunion in Nijmegen – here are the highlights for May 18-24.
Green Lung: Fourth Album 'Necropolitan' in September — 'Evil In This House' Single Drops
London stoner/doom favourites Green Lung announce their fourth album 'Necropolitan' — out September 11, 2026 via Nuclear Blast, alongside lead single 'Evil In This House'.
Nicko McBrain Announces Autobiography 'Hello Boys and Girls!' for October
Iron Maiden's longtime drummer Nicko McBrain releases his autobiography 'Hello Boys and Girls!' on October 22, 2026 — his first deep look back since stepping away from Maiden in 2024 after 42 years.
Anthrax: First New Album in a Decade — 'Cursum Perficio' Arrives in September
Thrash legends Anthrax announce their 12th studio album 'Cursum Perficio' — out September 18, 2026 via Nuclear Blast, with lead single 'It's For The Kids' dropping this week.
Madball: 'Not Your Kingdom' Drops in July — New Single 'Rebel Kids' & Festival Summer
NYHC legends Madball return after eight years with their tenth studio album 'Not Your Kingdom' — out July 24 via Nuclear Blast, alongside lead single 'Rebel Kids'.
999: UK Punk Pioneers Live at Pitcher Düsseldorf
The class of '77 returns: 999, British punk legends since 1976, hit the Pitcher Düsseldorf on December 5, 2026 — part of their 50th anniversary tour.
Green Lung at Rockfield Studios: "We Kept It Metal and Kept It Filthy"
London occult rock outfit Green Lung have finished recording their new album at the legendary Rockfield Studios in Wales — with producer Tom Dalgety. Out 2026.
Lifesick: Brutal Hardcore Slammer 'Die With Me' Heralds New Album
Denmark's death/metallic hardcore unit Lifesick drop 'Die With Me' — first new material since 2024's 'Loved By None, Hated By All', heralding their upcoming album.
Russian Circles, The Undertones & The Other: Concert Week in the Pott
This week brings over 80 shows to the Ruhr area! From Russian Circles' post-metal to The Undertones' punk anniversary to local horror-punk heroes like The Other – here are the highlights.
XANDRIA: Symphonic 'Eclipse' Drops in August — Mera Luna Festival Premiere
Xandria release new album 'Eclipse' on August 7, 2026 via Napalm Records. Mera Luna Festival Hildesheim August 8–9, Europe tour from September 16.
Neck Cemetery Announce 'The Curse Of Neck Cemetery' — Live in Gelsenkirchen and Essen
NRW outfit Neck Cemetery announce new album 'The Curse Of Neck Cemetery' for November 6, 2026. First: Rock Hard Festival May 22, then Zeche Carl Essen September 26.
Voivod 'Symphonique': Prog Metal Meets Quebec Symphony Orchestra — Live in Essen
Voivod's live album 'Symphonique' with the Quebec Symphony Orchestra drops June 5, 2026 via Century Media. The Canadians hit Turock Essen on July 23.
Movements Announce Fourth Album 'Happier Now' for September
California's alternative rock band Movements announce fourth album 'Happier Now' for September 4, 2026 (Fearless Records) — kicked off by singles 'Dissolve Me' and 'Back In My Ways'.