Rock Hard Festival 2026, Amphitheater Gelsenkirchen, May 22–24, No sleep ’til Amphitheater.
Booking is in full swing for the Rock Hard Festival. “As always, we’re trying to find an exciting mix of established favorites and bands that have never played at the amphitheater before,” says Rock Hard editor Holger Stratmann, commenting on the current status of the Ruhrpott institution.
One of the Dortmund editorial team’s favorite bands is undoubtedly Armored Saint. The likeable Californians will be serving up their Judas Priest and Iron Maiden-influenced classic metal for 90 minutes this time around—and with guaranteed good vibes!
After receiving the bad news in August that Saxon singer Biff Byford had been diagnosed with colon cancer, we are now all the more delighted to welcome the NWOBHM legend and their reinvigorated frontman to the amphitheater on Pentecost weekend. The eagle will land again!
Melodic death metal rarely gets better than the Gothenburg originals Dark Tranquillity. Motörhead drummer Mikkey Dee keeps the musical legacy of Lemmy Kilmister alive, while Gus G. & Ronnie Romero naturally have songs by Black Sabbath, Ozzy Osbourne, and Rainbow in their set list. Coroner will present their Rock Hard-“Album of the Month”, “Dissonance Theory,”
The newly formed Hamburg anarcho legends Slime are in a completely different league. Their current album “3!+7hoch1” is considered by experts to be their best!
The same can be expected from the new output of Swedish Hard Rock youngsters Hällas, who are often associated with names like Thin Lizzy and Blue Öyster Cult.
The new line-up of Lucifer with Rosalie Cunningham and Coralie Baier (Atlantean Kodex) is also something to look forward to. British traditional metal band Wytch Hazel will be on stage at the amphitheater for the first time, as will German dark metal bands Nailed To Obscurity and The Great Sea. Meanwhile, US thrashers Hirax, Warlord and British occult rockers Angel Witch are expected to perform classics from the 1980s. And the Danish Death Metal band Neckbreakker will provide juvenile energy. A very special highlight are the psychedelic mysterious musicians The Neptune Power Federation, who received the German Record Critics’ Award in 2024 as an Australian underground band!
Let’s keep it going. Advance ticket sales are now open. Bands confirmed so far Saxon, Armored Saint, Dark Tranquillity, Mikkey Dee (with friends playing Motörhead classics), Coroner, Slime, Hällas, Lucifer, Angel Witch, Gus G. + Ronnie Romero, Hirax, Warlord, Wytch Hazel, Nailed To Obscurity, The Neptune Power Federation, Neckbreakker, The Great Sea + six more acts
Three-day tickets cost €155, including all fees. Ticket link: https://shop.rockhard.de/de-de/rock-hard-festival
We are happy to answer any questions about tickets at 0231 – 56 20 14 20 (10 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or versand@rockhard.de.
Digital tickets (print-at-home) are available from our partners Stagedates: www.stagedates.com
Up-to-date information, videos, and interviews with the participating bands, as well as impressions of the venue, can be found on the festival pages: www.rockhardfestival.de / www.facebook.com/rockhardfestival
And why not stay an extra day? If you want to get to know the diverse cultural and leisure offerings of the Ruhr region better, take a look at the recommendations from the Rock Hard editorial team: shops, clubs, bars, and sights for every taste … www.rockhard.de/rhfestival/info/in-der-region