Metal Festivals Sweden

How they have become big business

Sleeping in a tent to see Denmark's Mercyful Fate, England's Orange Goblin and other heavy metal legends. Wandering into a park for a surprise set that turns out to be Metal Church from the United States, as happened at Sweden Rock Festival in 2017. As metal festivals in Sweden have grown, experiences like these have become a major attraction. Thousands of metalheads from all over the world travel to Sweden every year for some of the biggest events on the metal circuit.

Over the last couple of decades, the Swedish festival scene has grown into a real business. Sweden Rock Festival is the biggest event for hard rock and metal, while broader festivals such as Way Out West in Gothenburg book rock acts alongside other genres. Some well-loved events, such as Metaltown in Gothenburg, no longer exist. The big festivals offer multiple stages, long line-ups and plenty of camping options. Search for "metal festivals in Sweden" and you will also find a host of smaller events around the country. For a few tips on what to visit, see music festivals in Sweden.

The origin of metal festivals in Sweden

Concerts and festivals take place in all kinds of venues, from big concert halls to open fields. Bands and fans have no fixed preference for where they meet: what matters is the music.

One of the best-known modern festivals is Sweden Rock Festival, which started in 1992. Back then the event was called Sommarfestivalen i Olofström (The Summer Festival in Olofström), before changing its name to Karlshamn Rock Festival in 1993. In 1999 the name Sweden Rock Festival was born, and its focus became hard rock and metal. Today it is held at Norje outside Sölvesborg in Blekinge.

A communion of metal culture

For decades, metal festivals have been a communion of the culture. People who love metal come together to explore the depth and creativity of the genre. That was the driving force behind metal festivals in other parts of the world in the 1970s and 1980s, long before they became the large commercial events we know today.

The way we listen to music has changed, and that has made festivals more important. Streaming is now the most common way to listen, which means that tickets and merchandise have become the biggest items in a fan's music budget. When recorded music costs little or nothing, live performances feel more special.

Festivals help artists make a living

For metal artists, festival appearances have become an important source of income. The steep decline in record sales in the early and mid-2000s pushed many bands to rely on live shows as digital music took over. Festivals offered bands a way to reach large audiences in a single day, and a summer of festival dates can be more rewarding than a long, grinding club tour.

This model is now central to the scene, which explains why many Swedish metal artists and their agents plan their year around the festival season. Big promoters and sponsors also play a part in keeping the festivals running, and with them the metal scene very much alive.