Dynamo Metal Fest 2026

From 14 to 16 August 2026, Dynamo Metal Fest will return to the grounds of the IJssportcentrum in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, for its 11th edition. Since its inception, the festival has become one of the Benelux region’s most respected open-air metal events, consistently delivering lineups that unite legendary acts, contemporary heavyweights and emerging talent. This year’s programme once again reflects that philosophy, offering audiences three days of performances spanning power metal, thrash, death metal, melodic death metal, metalcore, hardcore and progressive sounds.

Friday’s opening day will be headlined by Helloween, whose appearance is expected to be one of the defining moments of the weekend. The German power metal pioneers will close a programme that also features The Halo Effect, Thy Art Is Murder, Soulfly, Kittie, Orbit Culture, Wind Rose, Hanabie., Gaerea, The Browning, Ne Obliviscaris, Unprocessed, Blackbriar, Cradle of Filth, Nervosa, Allt, Defects, Heriot, No Face No Case, The Defect, Changing Tides, Nephylim, The Monarch, Dear Mother, Changing Tides and several additional artists. The diversity of the opening day’s programme demonstrates the festival’s commitment to presenting different interpretations of modern heavy music while maintaining a strong connection to established names.

Saturday will shift towards a particularly aggressive programme led by Lamb of God, whose reputation as one of modern groove metal’s leading live acts makes them a fitting headliner. Joining them throughout the day will be Slaughter To Prevail, Testament, Overkill, Fit For An Autopsy, Bleed From Within, Death Angel, Whitechapel, Signs of the Swarm, Distant, Nasty, All For Metal, Dogma, Pest Control, Black Pegasus, Changing Tides, Another Now, Nephylim and others. By combining influential thrash veterans with contemporary deathcore, metalcore and hardcore acts, Saturday highlights the festival’s ability to bridge multiple generations of heavy music.

The final day will conclude with In Flames and Godsmack topping the bill. Sunday’s programme will further include Amorphis, Primus, Dark Tranquillity, Destruction, Vader, Revocation, 200 Stab Wounds, Gutalax, Kanonenfieber, Cattle Decapitation, Unleash The Archers, Rotting Christ, Asphyx, Burning Witches, Thrown, Terminal Sleep, Cryptosis, Crypta, Alien Weaponry and many more. The breadth of the closing day’s lineup once again reflects the event’s ambition to showcase the full spectrum of heavy music, from melodic and progressive compositions to uncompromising extreme metal.

One of Dynamo Metal Fest’s defining strengths has always been its programming philosophy. Rather than concentrating on a single branch of metal, the organisers have consistently curated lineups that appeal to audiences with diverse musical interests. Traditional heavy metal, melodic death metal, thrash, groove, deathcore, hardcore and progressive acts share the same stages, creating a festival where established legends and newer artists receive equal opportunities to connect with audiences. This approach has contributed significantly to the festival’s steady growth over the past decade and reinforced its reputation as one of the Netherlands’ premier destinations for heavy music.

Among the festival’s headline acts, Helloween remains one of the most influential bands in the history of European power metal. Formed in Hamburg, Germany, in 1984, the group played a pivotal role in defining the genre through landmark albums including Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I (1987) and Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II (1988), records that combined speed metal intensity, melodic sophistication and ambitious songwriting. Throughout a career spanning more than four decades, Helloween has navigated numerous lineup changes while maintaining international recognition and continuing to influence successive generations of power and melodic metal musicians. The reunion of vocalist Michael Kiske and guitarist Kai Hansen with the band’s classic lineup has further revitalised Helloween in recent years, resulting in acclaimed new material and extensive international touring, reaffirming the band’s enduring significance within the global heavy metal landscape.