Hellfest is a four-day heavy metal and hard rock festival held annually in Clisson, France. Founded in 2006, it has grown into one of the largest extreme music festivals in the world, drawing over 150,000 attendees across four days and six stages. The festival programs 180+ bands spanning metal, hard rock, punk, metalcore, black metal, and stoner rock, set against the historic ruins and picturesque river of the French village of Clisson.
The 2025 edition (June 19 to 22) featured 184 bands across six stages, with 106 acts making their Hellfest debut. Headliners included Korn, Muse, Scorpions, and Linkin Park, who returned to Clisson for only the second time in the festival's history. Judas Priest delivered one of the most talked-about sets of the weekend, celebrating 35 years of their album Painkiller. ARTE Concert streamed over 40 performances live, with selected sets also available on YouTube:
How Hellfest Works
The 2026 edition runs Thursday June 18 through Sunday June 21 at the Hellfest Grounds in Clisson, located in western France near Nantes. The festival features six stages: Mainstage 1, Mainstage 2, Warzone, Valley, Altar, and Temple. Weekend passes sold out before the lineup was even announced.
Key operational details:
- Stages and Programming: Six stages host 180+ bands across four days. Mainstage 1 and Mainstage 2 host the biggest names. Warzone programs punk, hardcore, and crossover. Valley focuses on stoner, doom, and sludge. Altar and Temple feature black metal, death metal, and grindcore subgenres.
- 2026 Headliners: Bring Me the Horizon and Deep Purple (Thursday), Iron Maiden and Sabaton (Friday), Limp Bizkit and A Perfect Circle (Saturday), and The Offspring and Bad Omens (Sunday). The lineup also includes Alice Cooper, Papa Roach, Megadeth, Anthrax, Opeth, Mastodon, Sepultura, Hatebreed, Rise Against, Napalm Death, The Hives, Architects, and Accept.
- Ticketing: Weekend passes sold out before the lineup announcement. Tickets are sold in tiers with camping options. Single-day tickets have not been announced. Fans who missed the initial sale should watch for official resale options through the Hellfest website.
- Camping and Logistics: On-site camping is available with tent and campervan options. Clisson is accessible by train from Nantes (30 minutes) and by shuttle from Nantes Atlantique Airport. The village has limited accommodation, so most attendees camp or stay in Nantes and commute.
Real-World Example: Hellfest 2026
The 2026 edition is one of the most anticipated in Hellfest's history. Iron Maiden headlining Friday night is a major booking, bringing one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time to the Mainstage. Saturday features Limp Bizkit alongside A Perfect Circle, representing nu-metal and alternative rock on the same bill. Sunday closes with The Offspring and Bad Omens, bridging punk-pop and modern metalcore.
The depth of the lineup extends well beyond headliners. Friday alone includes Iron Maiden, Opeth, Sabaton, Helloween, Sepultura, and Mastodon. Saturday adds Megadeth, Anthrax, Hatebreed, and Volbeat. Sunday features Rise Against, Napalm Death, The Hives, and Architects. The Warzone stage programs Agnostic Front, while the Valley and Temple stages host niche subgenres that attract dedicated underground audiences.
For an independent metal band, a Hellfest slot on any of the six stages means exposure to 150,000+ fans from across Europe. The festival's multi-stage format means there are slots for bands at every level, from underground black metal acts on the Temple stage to rising metalcore bands on Mainstage 2.
Notable Past Headliners
Hellfest has booked some of the biggest names in heavy music since its founding in 2006. Here is a look at headliners from recent editions:
| Year | Thursday Headliner | Friday Headliner | Saturday Headliner | Sunday Headliner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Bring Me the Horizon / Deep Purple | Iron Maiden / Sabaton | Limp Bizkit / A Perfect Circle | The Offspring / Bad Omens |
| 2025 | Korn | Muse | Scorpions | Linkin Park |
| 2024 | Foo Fighters (cancelled) | Machine Head | Megadeth | Avenged Sevenfold |
| 2023 | Slipknot | Metallica | Def Leppard | Iron Maiden |
| 2022 | Deep Purple | Judas Priest | Scorpions | Slipknot |
| 2017 | Rammstein | Linkin Park | Soundgarden | Prophets of Rage |
Linkin Park's 2025 Sunday headline set was their second Hellfest appearance, following their 2017 performance during their final European tour before the death of vocalist Chester Bennington. The 2025 set featured new vocalist Emily Armstrong and material from the album From Zero. Muse made their Hellfest debut in 2025, stepping in after Foo Fighters dropped out. The booking drew some criticism from metal purists, but the band delivered a set adapted for the festival, including a surprise cover of Gojira.
Scorpions have become Hellfest regulars, having headlined in both 2022 and 2025. Their 2022 performance of "Blackout" was released on the band's official YouTube channel:
Beyond the headliners, Hellfest programs across the full spectrum of heavy music. The Hellfest Open Air Festival YouTube channel uploads full sets from lesser-known acts, giving underground bands a platform alongside the main stage headliners. French post-metal band Klone, who played the 2024 edition, received a full 46-minute set upload:
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
Hellfest programs across the full spectrum of heavy music. The six-stage format creates opportunities for bands at every career level, from local French metal acts to international underground artists. The festival's reputation means that a Hellfest slot carries weight with European booking agents and labels.
If you play metal, hard rock, or any heavy subgenre:
- Build a following in the European metal scene through club tours and support slots. Hellfest bookers track bands that generate buzz on European tours.
- Release music through labels that have relationships with the festival. Many Hellfest slots are filled through label and agent submissions rather than open applications.
- Get coverage in metal press outlets like Metal Hammer, Decibel, and Metal Injection. European festival bookers read these publications.
- Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to track your streaming growth on platforms like Spotify, where metal audiences are increasingly active.
- Check the Hellfest website for any artist submission openings, though most slots are filled through industry channels.
Related Resources
- Music Festivals Directory - Explore other metal and rock festivals worldwide
- Streaming Royalty Calculator - Track streaming performance in metal markets
- Tour Revenue Calculator - Plan your European tour budget
- 21 Ways Musicians Can Earn Income - Festival performances as revenue
- Official Hellfest Website
Similar Festivals
- Graspop Metal Meeting - The largest metal festival in the Benelux, held in Dessel, Belgium
- Wacken Open Air - The world's largest heavy metal festival, held in Wacken, Germany
- Download Festival - Major rock and metal festival held in Donington Park, UK
- Bloodstock Open Air - UK-based independent heavy metal festival held in Derbyshire
