The European summer festival season is shaping up to be one of the most stacked in recent memory, with IRON MAIDEN and BRING ME THE HORIZON emerging as dominant forces across multiple major events. Here is a roundup of key confirmed lineups.
Tons of Rock in Oslo, Norway returns with IRON MAIDEN, LIMP BIZKIT, and BRING ME THE HORIZON as headliners, alongside a deep undercard featuring some of the biggest names in modern metal. Nova Rock in Nickelsdorf, Austria follows suit with IRON MAIDEN, BRING ME THE HORIZON, VOLBEAT, and THE CURE topping the bill across its multi-day format.
Download Festival at Donington Park in the UK has locked in GUNS N' ROSES, LINKIN PARK, and LIMP BIZKIT for its 23rd edition, running June 10-14 with over 90 confirmed bands. Meanwhile, Graspop Metal Meeting in Belgium, Wacken Open Air in Germany, and Summer Breeze continue to fill out their bills with a mix of legacy acts and rising stars.
The festival circuit in 2026 is particularly notable for the number of farewell appearances — SEPULTURA's final tour stops at several European festivals, while MEGADETH's farewell run includes festival headline slots at Louder Than Life. IRON MAIDEN's "Run For Your Lives" 50th anniversary tour also threads through multiple festivals before concluding in late 2026.
With SYSTEM OF A DOWN's seven-date European stadium tour with QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE adding to the mix, European metal fans face the enviable problem of having too many must-see events on the calendar.