Hurricane Festival is a three-day music festival held annually at the Eichenring speedway in Scheessel, Germany. The 2026 edition (June 19 to 21) sold out 78,000 tickets and headlined Twenty One Pilots, Florence + The Machine, and A Day To Remember across four stages. Hurricane is best suited for rock, indie, pop, and electronic artists seeking performance at one of northern Germany's largest music festivals.
The 2025 edition (June 20 to 22) drew a combined 121,000 attendees across Hurricane and its sister festival Southside. Headliners included Green Day, The Prodigy, Rise Against, Sam Fender, and Apache 207, with additional performances from AnnenMayKantereit, Deftones, Electric Callboy, Biffy Clyro, and Nina Chuba. The official 2026 aftermovie captures the festival atmosphere at the Eichenring:
About Hurricane Festival
The Hurricane Festival has roots dating to 1973 as "Es rockt in der Heide" and 1977 as "First Rider Open Air." The current incarnation began in 1997 when organizer Folkert Koopmans (FKP Scorpio) convinced the Scheessel city administration to resume the festival under a new name. The first Hurricane Festival on June 21 and 22, 1997, drew 20,000 attendees with headliners Rammstein, INXS, and Bad Religion. The event did not make a profit (break-even was 12,000 attendees). The second year saw 40,000 visitors, more than double the first edition. The festival expanded from two days to three days in 2003. The festival grounds have grown to approximately 160,000 square meters. Hurricane is organized by FKP Konzertproduktionen, MCT Agentur, and KoKo Konstanz. Its sister festival, Southside, takes place on the same three days in southern Germany with largely the same lineup. The festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19.
2026 Edition in Detail
The 2026 edition (June 19 to 21) sold out 78,000 tickets. The lineup featured Twenty One Pilots, Florence + The Machine, A Day To Remember, The Offspring, Kraftklub, Yungblud, Billy Talent, Halsey, Papa Roach, Pennywise, The Ataris, Royel Otis, Rikas, Bosse, Drunken Masters, grandson, Sondaschule, Donots, Roy Bianco & Die Abbrunzati Boys, Provinz, Ecca Vandal, Skindred, Zebrahead, The Butcher Sisters, unpeople, and many more. The four stages (Forest, River, Mountain, and Coast) hosted approximately 100 bands. Festival passes started at 222 EUR, with day passes at 122 EUR. Approximately 12,000 guests travel to the festival by public transport each year, with the Metronom railway expanding service for the event. The 2027 edition is announced for June 18 to 20.
Notable Past Headliners
Hurricane Festival has booked major international and German acts since its founding in 1997. Here is a look at headliners from recent editions:
| Year | Friday Headliner | Saturday Headliner | Sunday Headliner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Twenty One Pilots | Florence + The Machine | A Day To Remember |
| 2025 | Rise Against / Biffy Clyro | Sam Fender / The Prodigy | Green Day |
| 2024 | Ed Sheeran | Avril Lavigne / K.I.Z | The Offspring / Bring Me the Horizon |
The 2024 edition (June 21 to 23) featured Ed Sheeran headlining the Forest Stage on Friday night, with his full set uploaded to the official Hurricane Festival YouTube channel. The 95-minute performance included hits spanning his career, performed for a crowd of over 70,000:
The 2025 edition (June 20 to 22) drew a combined 121,000 attendees across Hurricane and Southside. Green Day closed the festival on Sunday night with a headline set on the Forest Stage. The Prodigy delivered a Saturday headline set, while Rise Against headlined Friday on the River Stage. Sam Fender performed Saturday on the River Stage, and Biffy Clyro played Friday on the Forest Stage. The lineup also included AnnenMayKantereit, Deftones, Electric Callboy, Nina Chuba, Apache 207, and Jan Bohmermann with the Rundfunk-Tanzorchester Ehrenfeld. The 2025 edition was the first to be streamed on RTL+, with full sets from multiple artists made available online.
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
Hurricane's four stages and 100 bands create opportunities for artists at various career levels. The sister festival arrangement with Southside means artists who book Hurricane also get access to the southern German market, effectively doubling their reach. The 78,000 attendance provides substantial exposure in northern Germany. The festival's location between Bremen, Hannover, and Hamburg draws audiences from three major metropolitan areas. The mix of established and emerging artists on the lineup means newer acts can share bills with major names. The festival's 29-year history gives it credibility in the German festival market. The public transport integration (12,000 attendees arriving by train) demonstrates good infrastructure. For strategies on getting booked at festivals like Hurricane, read our music festival strategy guide.
Drawbacks / Things to Consider
The Scheessel location is rural, between Bremen and Hamburg, requiring dedicated transport. The festival sells out, meaning the audience is capped at 78,000. The June weather in northern Germany is unpredictable, with rain being common. The sister festival arrangement with Southside means the same lineup plays both festivals, which can limit variety for artists who play both. The festival's focus on rock, indie, pop, and electro excludes artists from other genres. The three-day format requires camping or local accommodation, with limited hotel options in the rural area. The 100-band lineup means competition for audience attention across four simultaneous stages. The rural location means limited mobile phone reception in some areas. For advice on touring internationally, see our guide on touring internationally as an independent artist.
Related Resources
- Music Festivals Directory
- Music Festival Strategy: Get Booked and Make It Count
- Touring Internationally: Independent Artist Guide
- How to Price Your Live Performance as a Musician
- Visit Hurricane Festival for tickets and full lineup
Similar Festivals
- Rock am Ring & Rock im Park - Germany's largest rock festival, held at the Nürburgring and Nuremberg
- Melt Festival - Electronic and indie music festival held near Berlin, Germany
- Lowlands Festival - Three-day music and arts festival held in Biddinghuizen, Netherlands
- Reading & Leeds Festival - Major UK music festival held simultaneously in Reading and Leeds
