Rock am Ring and Rock im Park are twin rock festivals held simultaneously in Germany. Rock am Ring takes place at the Nurburgring in Nurburg, and Rock im Park takes place at the Zeppelinfeld in Nuremberg. Together they form Germany's largest festival operation, with a combined attendance of approximately 170,000 across both sites. The 2026 edition ran June 5 to 7, headlined by Linkin Park, Iron Maiden, and Volbeat. The 2027 edition is scheduled for June 4 to 6, with blink-182 as the first confirmed headliner.
The official aftermovie from Rock am Ring 2024 captures the three-day festival at the Nurburgring, which drew approximately 80,000 fans per day and was headlined by Die Arzte, Green Day, and Maneskin:
How Rock am Ring and Rock im Park Work
Both festivals share the same lineup, with artists rotating between the two sites across the three-day weekend. Rock am Ring draws approximately 90,000 fans per day at the Nurburgring, while Rock im Park draws approximately 80,000 fans per day at the Zeppelinfeld in Nuremberg. Both sites offer camping, and the festivals run from Friday through Sunday in early June.
Key operational details:
- Stages and Programming: Both sites feature multiple stages, including the main stage and smaller stages for emerging acts and alternative genres. The lineup is anchored by rock, metal, and alternative acts, with recent editions adding pop and electronic crossover acts. The 2026 lineup included A Perfect Circle, Alter Bridge, Architects, BABYMETAL, Bad Omens, Breaking Benjamin, Bush, Electric Callboy, Hollywood Undead, Ice Nine Kills, Limp Bizkit, and Sleep Token.
- Ticketing: Tickets are sold through Eventim and the official festival websites. Festival tickets for the 2027 edition include camping, parking, and access to all stages. Payment plans are available, with tickets payable in 12 installments at approximately 22.36 euros per month. VIP upgrades, city shuttles, and accessibility options are also offered.
- Camping: Both sites offer extensive camping zones. Camping is included with standard festival tickets at Rock am Ring, with options for campervans and pre-pitched tents. Rock im Park offers similar camping arrangements at the Zeppelinfeld site.
- Broadcasting: Telekom MagentaTV produced the official livestream for Rock am Ring 2026, generating 50 million live content views across MagentaTV and MagentaMusik. This set a new livestream record for the festival.
Real-World Example: Rock am Ring and Rock im Park 2026
The 2026 edition ran June 5 to 7 at both sites. Linkin Park, Iron Maiden, and Volbeat headlined across the three days. The lineup also featured Limp Bizkit, Electric Callboy, Bring Me the Horizon, Bad Omens, BABYMETAL, Bush, Alter Bridge, Architects, Breaking Benjamin, A Perfect Circle, Drain, and High Vis.
Rock am Ring opened the 2026 festival summer with 90,000 fans on the first day, headlined by Linkin Park with support from Limp Bizkit and Volbeat. Rock im Park drew approximately 80,000 fans per day across its three days at the Zeppelinfeld.
The 2027 edition was announced immediately after the 2026 festival. blink-182 was revealed as the first headliner, and the presale started on the following Tuesday. The 2027 presale set a record, selling more than 48,000 festival tickets in the first hour. The 2027 dates are June 4 to 6 at both the Nurburgring and the Zeppelinfeld.
Notable Past Headliners
Rock am Ring has been held annually since 1985, making it one of the longest-running rock festivals in Europe. The festival has hosted some of the biggest names in rock, metal, and alternative music over its 40-year history. Here is a look at headliners from recent editions:
| Year | Friday Headliner | Saturday Headliner | Sunday Headliner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Linkin Park | Iron Maiden | Volbeat |
| 2025 | Slipknot | Bring Me the Horizon | Korn |
| 2024 | Die Arzte | Green Day | Maneskin |
| 2023 | Kings of Leon | Limp Bizkit | Machine Gun Kelly |
| 2022 | Green Day | Volbeat | Linkin Park (cancelled, replaced by Die Toten Hosen) |
| 2019 | Tool | Slipknot | Tenacious D |
| 2015 | Foo Fighters | Slipknot | Motörhead (one of their final performances) |
The 2025 edition marked the festival's 40th anniversary and sold out 90,000 tickets in record time. The lineup was anchored by Slipknot, Bring Me the Horizon (in their only European shows of 2025), and Korn, with support from The Prodigy, Sleep Token, A Day to Remember, Rise Against, Falling in Reverse, and Biffy Clyro. The festival added a fourth stage for the anniversary edition, programming over 100 acts across four days.
The 2026 edition was particularly significant for Linkin Park. The band headlined Friday June 5 at the Nurburgring, returning to the festival for the first time since 2014. The show was announced on June 6, 2025 (exactly 21 years to the day of their legendary 2004 Rock am Ring performance) and was streamed live by MagentaTV, generating 50 million live content views. The 2026 lineup also included Iron Maiden, Limp Bizkit, Bad Omens, Electric Callboy, BABYMETAL, Bring Me the Horizon, Sabaton, and The Offspring.
The official Rock am Ring YouTube channel announced the 2025 lineup with a video revealing 56 new bands for the 40th anniversary edition:
Why It Matters for Independent Artists
Rock am Ring and Rock im Park are the largest rock festivals in Germany and among the largest in Europe. The festivals program dozens of supporting slots across multiple stages, and many of those go to emerging rock, metal, and alternative acts. A slot at either festival puts an artist in front of 80,000 to 90,000 fans per day and generates significant German-language press coverage.
The strategy for getting booked:
- Build a touring history in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (the DACH region). The festival's booking team tracks artists who sell out club shows in German cities like Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne, and Munich.
- Get support from German rock and metal radio and press. Stations like Radio BOB and outlets like Metal Hammer Germany have direct relationships with the festival.
- Work with a European booking agent who has relationships with Eventim and the festival's talent team. Most supporting slots are filled through agent submissions.
- Use our Streaming Royalty Calculator to track your streaming growth in the DACH region, as festival bookers evaluate emerging acts based on regional streaming data.
Read our music festival strategy guide for a deeper dive on getting booked at major European festivals.
Related Resources
- Music Festivals Directory - Explore other major European festivals
- Streaming Royalty Calculator - Track streaming growth that attracts festival bookings
- Tour Revenue Calculator - Plan your European festival tour budget
- Music Festival Strategy: Get Booked and Make It Count
- Official Rock am Ring Website
- Official Rock im Park Website
Similar Festivals
- Download Festival - Major rock and metal festival held at Donington Park, UK, with a similar multi-stage format
- Graspop Metal Meeting - The largest metal festival in the Benelux, held in Dessel, Belgium
- Hellfest - France's largest heavy metal festival, held in Clisson, with a similarly deep lineup of rock and metal acts
- Rock Werchter - Major Belgian rock festival held in Werchter, offering a broader genre range
- Hurricane Festival - German alternative and indie festival held near Hamburg, complementing Rock am Ring's heavier focus
