Metallica will headline the first-ever German edition of Download Festival when it takes place in 2022. The inaugural Download Festival Germany will take place at the motor racing circuit Hockenheimring in the Rhine valley on June 24 next year. Also confirmed for the line-up so far are Nevada band Five Finger Death Punch and Swedish power metal outfit Sabaton. Tickets for the German edition of Download Festival go on sale this Friday (September 17).
The inaugural festival sees Germany join a growing list of other countries Download has branched out to in recent years, with events taking place in France, Spain, Japan and Australia.
The event’s official website says: “Download Festival Germany offers the authentic metal genre a new home in the legendary Motodrom at the Hockenheimring. Up to 10 top acts will perform on a huge double stage at the end of June.”
Download Festival UK is set to run between 10-12 June next year at Donington Park, Leicestershire, headlined by KISS, Iron Maiden and Biffy Clyro. Earlier this month, organizers unveiled a slew of new acts to the bill including A Day to Remember, Mastodon, Creeper, Code Orange and more.
Earlier this year, Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes headlined the first night of the historic Download Pilot event, which welcomed the return of camping festivals to the UK.
The 10,000-capacity event, which saw Carter and co joined by other headliners Bullet for My Valentine and Enter Shikari, signaled the legendary rock festival making a small-scale return for a three-day camping pilot as part of the initial research into the safe return of live music.
Metallica, meanwhile, recently celebrated the 30th anniversary of their 1991 self-titled album – typically referred to as “The Black Album” – by releasing a remastered reissue.
The band also shared The Metallica Blacklist, a massive covers compilation that saw 53 artists pay tribute to the metal icons, including Miley Cyrus, Phoebe Bridgers, Royal Blood, St. Vincent, IDLES, Weezer and many more.