Looking for the biggest and best rock and metal festivals in 2024? While any loyal heavy metal fan in the United States knows that the metal music festival scene the scene isn’t the smorgasbord of choice it once was. Many of the big names of the festival scene have recently folded, as the reigning kings (and queens) of metal hang up their drumsticks.
But don’t worry! There’s still a ton of epic metal music festivals across the U.S.A showcasing classic bands and promising up-and-comers.
Also, keep reading at the end at other rock and heavy metal music festivals that could be making a return in the future!
Spanning the many sub-genres of metal, my list of the best 21 American metal music festivals is sure to keep your annual festival schedule jam-packed. Rock on!
1) Welcome to Rockville 2024
One of the most iconic Metal Festivals | Photo via Welcome to Rockville
When: May 9-12, 2024
Where: Daytona Beach, Florida
https://welcometorockvillefestival.com
The East Coast’s Biggest Rock Festival
“Welcome to Rockville roars into Daytona Beach, Florida, every spring with a powerful rock and metal lineup. Part of the World’s Loudest Month, more than 50,000 fans show up for a monster weekend of non stop rock with 45 bands on 4 stages. Celebrate the return of live music with the ultimate rock festival experience featuring two nights of METALLICA with two unique sets, Nine Inch Nails, Disturbed, Rob Zombie, Deftones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lamb Of God, Social Distortion, The Offspring, Staind, Mudvayne, Cypress Hill & MANY more.”
2) Aftershock Festival 2024
Aftershock is the California Heavy Metal Festival you can’t miss!
When: October 10-13, 2024
Where: Discovery Park, Sacramento, California
https://aftershockfestival.com
https://www.facebook.com/AftershockFestival
“The West Coast’s largest rock and metal festival just got bigger with FOUR days of rock and heavy metal that’ll be a highlight of your year! Each festival Aftershock brings a star-studded line-up to Northern California’s Discovery Park for an unforgettable festival experience. Expect incredible stage production, world-class food and drink vendors, and tons to explore!”
3) Louder Than Life Festival 2024
One of the biggest metal festivals in the South | Credit: Louder Than Life Festival
When: September 26-29, 2024
Where: Louisville, Kentucky
https://louderthanlifefestival.com/
Celebrate the return of live music for FOUR nights at America’s largest rock festival!
Louder Than Life is easily one of the most iconic and best metal festivals! In fact, in 2022 it was awarded the “Festival of the Year”, and for good reason. Offering it’s attendees a world-class production, stacked line-up, incredible camping, food vendors, and so much more – the team behind Louder Than Life clearly know what they’re doing! For rock and heavy metal fans, this festival is a no brainer and a must attend every year! Complete with packing, incredible food/drink vendors, and an incredible festival venue, this is definitely one of the most epic metal festivals in North America!
4) Full Terror Assault Metal Festival
An epic heavy metal festival experience | Credit: Full Terror Assault
When: September, 2024
Where: Cave-In-Rock, Illinois
https://www.facebook.com/FTAOpenAir/
Full Terror Assault event features 40+ bands in 3 days. Bringing you national headlining acts as well as the best the underground has to offer. Metal cages and poles, lakes, a beach area, plenty of scenic camping, and wait for it….you can bring your own booze!
“Last year Full Terror Assault made waves by becoming the first TRUE open air metal festival in the U.S. — multiple days, multiple stages, camping and partying, all in an isolated pocket of wilderness in southern Illinois. Only a short drive from a number of major metropolitan areas — St. Louis, Nashville, Louisville, Memphis, Cincinnati and Lexington, to name a few — it’s easily accessible to anyone looking for a fun-filled weekend of metal and partying!”
5) Rocklahoma Festival 2024
Rock Music Festivals don’t get much bigger than this!
When: September, 2024 (Labor Day Weekend)
Where: Pryor, Oklahoma
https://www.facebook.com/rocklahoma
One of America’s biggest biggest Labor Day Music Festivals, Rocklahoma is a no-brainer and an event that metal fans will absolutely love. This 3-day festival offers top-notch camping, a beautiful venue, and a star-studded line-up that will please just about everyone.
6) Maryland Deathfest 2024
When: May 23-26, 2024
Where: Baltimore, Maryland
“America’s biggest metal party of the year.””
“America’s biggest annual metal party. Maryland Deathfest is a multi-day event held in Baltimore with dozens of bands from around the world. It is the biggest of its kind in North America. MDF was the idea of two extreme metal fans named Ryan and Evan. During the 16 years of festival history, MDF has featured over 500 bands from over 30 countries, many of which have made their US debut at the festival. They also organize events in California, The Netherlands, London, and Canada!”
7) Rock Fest 2024
Credit: Rock Fest Facebook
When: July 18-20, 2024
Where: Cadott, Wisconsin
“A city literally built on Rock n’ Roll in Cadott WI, Rock Fest is the true Rock experience you can’t miss. In its 26th year, it is THE top venue for people of all ages to come together for one common purpose: to congregate with other rock fans from across the world, in a place where rock music still matters. Featuring the very best of active and classic rock and legendary names in Rock Music, entertainment and experience are first priority. Aerosmith, Iron Maiden, Avenged Sevenfold, Kiss, Motley Crue, Fleetwood Mac, Tom Petty, Kid Rock, Shinedown, Five Finger Death Punch, Rob Zombie, Korn & many more rock legends have graced this permanent Main Stage over the course of the last two and a half decades. Rock Fest is set on 320 acres of picturesque land in Central Wisconsin, and is home to nearly 7,000 campsites all within easy walking distance of the concert grounds. With major airports and hotels nearby, as well as daily shuttle service, there is literally something for every rock music fan here. Experience the Amphitheater Venue for yourself, and find out why Rock Fest Fans keep coming back every year to the Largest Rock & Camping Festival in the US.”
8) Psycho Las Vegas
When: TBC, 2024 (summer)
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada
Make your way to Sin City for 4-days of incredible rock and metal music this summer! With an awesome line-up and venue, Psycho Las Vegas has become adored by metal fans over the last few years, and their 2024 edition looks like a damn good time! Start planning your trip now and secure your tickets!
Be sure to check out my guide on Las Vegas Music Festivals for more epic adventures in the future!
9) ProgPower USA 2024
When: September 4-7, 2024
Where: Atlanta, Georgia
“ProgPower USA is the premier U.S. festival for progressive and power metal. For 19 years they have been a key part in bringing some of the biggest and best names in the international progressive and power metal scenes to the United States. It takes place every June or September at the Center Stage Theater in Atlanta, Georgia and is known for the quality of acts it brings, the continued high production standard, and the familial atmosphere of the event. Every year during the festival, on days 1 and 3, the ProgPower USA attendees gather in the theater before the headlining band takes the stage for what has become an event all its own.”
10) 70000 Tons of Metal 2024
When: January 29 – February 2, 2024
Where: Miami – Puerto Rico – Dominican Republic (cruise festival)
“60 Bands, 4 Days, 1 Cruise Ship, and only 3000 Tickets. This is 70000 TONS OF METAL, The Original, The World’s Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise! On 70000TONS OF METAL you get unrestricted festival access to all 120 live shows on board, 70000TONS OF KARAOKE until sunrise, Jamming In International Waters – the Official 70000TONS OF METAL All Star Jam which writes Heavy Metal History every year, Clinics and Work-Shops with the musicians, our infamous Belly Flop Contest, Shore Excursions with your favorite artists, and much more! Everyone on board is a VIP, we don’t have assigned seating (this is a Heavy Metal Cruise after all), and most importantly the bars on our ship never close – you heard us, bars that never close!”
11) Sonic Temple 2024
Sonic Temple is one of the top rock music festivals you’ll ever experience!
When: May 16-19, 2024
Where: Columbus, Ohio
https://sonictemplefestival.com
https://www.facebook.com/sonictemplefestival
“The Sonic Temple Art + Music Festival replaced the long-standing Rock On The Range, America’s largest and most acclaimed rock festival, which routinely sold out over its 12-year span. Making it’s return in 2023, expect 4 days of heavy metal, massive production, and an unbelievable experience.”
12) Knotfest
When: April 27, 2024
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada
“The Carnival Returns in 2024! Groundbreaking hard rockers Slipknot are reconvening their Knotfest show again soon! Knotfest originally was held over a long weekend in San Bernardino, but the past few years the band has brought their show out on the road for the Knotfest Roadshow. Love albums like We Are Not Your Kind, Iowa, Vol. 3 (The Sublime Verses), and All Hope Is Gone? Then don’t miss your chance to hear them performed in concert by this famously epic live band.”
13) Furnace Fest 2024
When: October 4-6, 2024
Where: Birmingham, Alabama
https://www.facebook.com/wearefurnacefest/
“In 2019, four unlikely friends set out to replicate the original Furnace Fest as a one-time resurrection. After postponing twice, FF2021 drew us together when we needed each other and live music most. From the heights of that glorious weekend, we began dreaming about a full four-year replica of the originals. We can’t believe we’re saying it, but next year, 2024, is the end of an era – completing our vision for Furnace Fest as we’ve come to know it. What does this mean beyond next year? Will the festival end? Morph into something new, something different? These are the questions we are asking ourselves. What do we know? Furnace Fest transcends extended weekends in Alabama because we are a community, friends, and family defined not by differences but by similarities of history and passion.”
14) Metal Threat Fest
When: October 3-6, 2024
Where: Lombard, Illinois
https://www.metalthreatfest.com
“An underground metal fest that was inspired by these other fests in North America: Maryland Deathfest, Martyrdoom, Cathedral of the Black Goat, Defenders of the Old, Messe des Morts, Wings of Metal, and Ragnarökkr Metal Apocalypse.”
15) New England Metal Hardcore Festival
When: September, 2024 (TBC)
Where: Worcester, Massachusetts
https://metalandhardcorefest.com
“Between April 1999 and April 2018, the New England Metal and Hardcore Festivalwas a staple institution in the ever-bustling and growing heavy music scene around the region. Now, after five years of deafening silence, the two-day beatdown bacchanalia is set to return to Worcester for a triumphant resurrection and the lineup alone is showing that show runners are not looking to simply ease back into it.”
16) So What? Music Festival
When: June, 2024
Where: Texas (city alternates)
http://sowhatmusicfestival.com
“The Texas-based So What?! Music Festival is returning after taking a couple of years off, and they’re certainly coming back with a bang. Formerly South By So What, So What?! has been polling their social-media audience who they want to perform, as well as promoting their other events.”
17) Maryland Deathfest 2024
When: May 23-26, 2024
Where: Baltimore, Maryland
“Maryland Deathfest is an annual American extreme metal music festival founded in 2003 by Ryan Taylor and Evan Harting. The festival is held in Baltimore, Maryland during Memorial Day weekend, and it features many bands from around the world that vary from a wide range of heavy metal subgenres.”
18) Heavy Chicago
When: Late 2024, TBC
Where: Chicago, Illinois
“Heavy Chicago is 3 days of complete metal debauchery along with food, beer, and music. The fest brings three shows over two weekends with some of the heaviest music the Northside has seen.”
19) Mass Destruction Metal Fest
When: November, 2024
Where: Atlanta, Georgia
www.massdestructionmetalfest.com
“”Mass Destruction Metal Fest started as a passion project to bring genre pioneers and the old guard along with fresh new bands to Atlanta, and some rare international treats that wouldn’t make it to our city otherwise. We’re now into our sixth year and have held true to that ethos. ”
20) Decibel Metal & Beer Fest
When: December 1-2, 2023 / 2024 TBC
Where: Denver, Colorado
www.decibelmagazine.com/events/decibel-magazine-metal-beer-fest-denver/
“This is no pale ale folklore! Decibel—North America’s only monthly metal magazine—is, in fact, returning the western edition of the world’s loudest, heaviest, most extreme craft beer festival to Denver, CO; once again.”
21) Northwest Terror Fest
When: May, 2024 (Memorial Day Weekend)
Where: Seattle, Washington
https://northwestterrorfest.com
“No matter your micro-genre preference, if you have a taste for any sort of gnarly or extreme style of music, it’s a safe bet there will be a few bands you won’t want to miss come Memorial Day weekend. From the nasty, filth-soaked goregrind of Bay Area’s Impaled to the beautiful, punishing doom of Oregon natives YOB, the entire spectrum of all that’s heavy and hard is represented.”
What is the biggest rock and metal festival in the USA?
The award-winning Louder Than Life is one of the country’s largest, and most well known, rock and metal festivals. Held in Louisville, Kentucky, the event hosts some of the biggest names in rock and metal, including past headliners like The Foo Fighters, Green Day and Pantera. If you’re a metal head, Louder Than Life is for you!
What is the best rock festival in California?
The biggest and best rock festival in California is Aftershock Festival, an annual event that features four jam-packed days of the absolute best in rock and metal. Held in Sacramento, Aftershock is the West Coast’s premier rock festival, and past lineups have included gods of the rock and metal genre such as Korn, Black Sabbath and System of a Down.
What is a good rock and metal cruise festival?
If you’re looking to enjoy your most head banging rock and metal aboard an unforgettable cruise, you can’t go past 70000 Tons of Metal, the best metal cruise festival in the USA. Over four days, you’ll cruise from Miami to tropical locations like Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, while listening to over 60 epic bands and meeting fellow metal fans.
Festivals Possibly Returning In 2025
With everything that’s happened in recent times, many festivals have not made any announcements or scheduled performances, but I wanted to give them some recognition just in case they do decide to host future editions.
Ozzfest
When: Dates alternate
Where: Various cities across the United States
“Ozzfest is an annual festival tour of the United States and sometimes Europe featuring performances by many heavy metal and hard rock musical groups. It was founded by Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon Osbourne, both of whom also organise each yearly tour with their son Jack Osbourne. The Ozzfest tour has featured bands of a variety of genres within heavy metal and hard rock, including alternative metal, thrash metal, industrial metal, metalcore, hardcore punk, deathcore, nu metal, death metal, post-hardcore, gothic metal and black metal.”
Am I Missing Any Other Death Metal Festivals…?
When I put together these types of lists it can be quite difficult to research and discover all the best metal festivals, so please do let me know if you think I need to add any important ones to my list!
I’ve recently updated this list of Metal Festivals 2024, so would love to hear about any others to keep this as up-to-date as possible!
Looking for more music festivals in the U.S and around the world…?
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Thanks for reading about these metal festivals 2024!
Share this article with your fellow metal heads!!
I love everything about living in Cbus, and have been a long time ROTR (now known as Sonic Temple) attendee. Any fellow rock music festival fanatic knows that Louder Than Life will always be the mecca.
[email protected]
Psycho Las Vegas
Louder Than Life, duh! :)
uh rockfest???
Love the ❤️For Louder Than Lufe??Riight back at u Cbus from Ky
Btw attended 1st Sonic Temple & Last ROTR, but planning on staying closer to home to LTL 2020, enjoyed the hell out of Ohio last couple years though❤️
You are forgetting Blue Ridge Rock Festival
Blue ridge rock festival.. been getting better and better each year
Went to knot fest in i thing 2017 yes was awesome I’m a retired marine
Also I’m from Evansville Indiana yes we got a concert place lots of ppl can go
This is insane no listing Hell’s Heroes which will be going on its SIXTH YEAR
Blue Ridge Rock Festival…
Over 150 acts over the course of 4 days and decently priced tix. And it’s hosted at VIR.
I think one of the best metal festivals around the world is Wacken Open Air. I went there several times and meet and talk lots of amazing people.