In 2023 we saw the best line-up ever at the Rockharz Festival near Ballenstedt/Harz, according to the comments of most visitors. You could call it a very successful festival 2023 and 30th anniversary party, which resulted in an already sold-out Rockharz 2024 on August 21st, even though only a few bands were confirmed.
Here are some impressions from 2023
Bands 2024
It seems that Rockharz 2024, the 31. edition can top it again. It features Iron Maiden‘s Bruce Dickinson with his solo project and metal giants, gods, what else is superlative, Judas Priest, as well as Dimmu Borgir and Kreator as headliners alongside “some other” fairly well-known bands in alphabetical order:
Alestorm, Amaranthe, Amorphis, Avatarium, Benediction, Brothers Of Metal, Bullet,
Callejon, Coppelius, D’Artagnan, Defects, Bruce Dickinson, Dimmu Borgir, Dirkschneider,
Dominum, Draconian, Dying Fetus, Dynazty, Faun, Gutalax, The Halo Effect,
Hammerfall, Hammerking, Hatebreed, Heldmaschine, Hypocrisy, Judas Priest,
Kärbholz, Kanonenfieber, Kissin‘ Dynamite, Knife, Kreator, League Of Distortion,
Lordi, Mammoth WVH, Massive Wagons, Mystic Prophecy, Nakkeknaekker,
Nanowar Of Steel, Nestor, The Night Eternal, Nyktophobia, Oomph!, Orden Ogan,
The O’Reillys And The Paddyhats, Pain, Parasite Inc., Power Paladin, Rage,
Schandmaul, Soilwork, Spidergawd, Stormseeker, Suicidal Tendencies,
Unearth, Unleash The Archers, Van Canto, Varg, Vogelfrey
Thus, there is something for everyone at Rockharz 2024, from Alternative to Metalcore and Zombiecore. It is the right mixture for a Heavy Metal Party with new and old friends.
Growing
As the festival grows, so does the campsite. Of course it takes a lot of planning and organisation to fit everyone in so that no space is wasted. Being nice to the stewards is a keyword here… They know what they are doing and have the layout in their heads. Well, someone will always complain about lack of space, but I must say I have never felt far to cramped in all these years. Get organised and you won’t have space problems. Along with the perfect campsite size comes short distances to the infield, food, drink and merchandise stalls. Even the furthest campsite is closer to the stage than it is to the toilets at the big festivals. And don’t forget the legendary walk to the Teufelsmauer… the place where legends and stories are made and told around the campfire for generations of headbangers!
Tickets
Although Rockharz 2024 is sold out as far as camping is concerned, day tickets will still be available at the Rockharz shop from the 15th to the 18th of April. Day tickets may be sold out on site. Please keep an eye on the Rockharz newsfeed. Day visitors will have access to the infield through a separate entrance. Here is the day ticket allocation:
ROCK’N’RECYCLE PROJECT
It’s a project of the students of the Wolterstorff-Gymnasium since 2022. During the festival they collect donations such as sealed cans, sleeping mats, tents and cutlery to donate to the animal shelter or the Bahnhofsmission, an organisation similar to Army Of Salvation. Slight damage to equipment does not make it unusable!
Happiness in cans
Drinking beer and doing good at the same time? That’s the motto of the “Glück in Dosen” project, which has been running at the ROCKHARZ in cooperation with the Clausthal-Zellerfeld club for more than 10 years. Thanks to the collected cans, an incredible €70,000 was distributed to seven charities to support their social projects during a festive handover ceremony in November last year! Will Rockharz 2024 top this sum again?
So if you see them on the campsite or pass by their stall near the infield, feel free to donate whatever you can, or invite them over for a drink and hand over your empty cans. They deserve it!
The important people
Beside all the people behind Rockharz 2024, logistics, backstage crew, stagehands, etc. there are First Aid, Grabenschlampen, security, stewards, Police, Fire Brigade. You are more aware of them due to their obvious presence. Keep in mind that most of the volunteers are doing their job during the Rockharz festival for free or they took time off from their regular nine to five jobs. Be kind to them, they are metalheads like us and share the same passion. I will never forget the two policemen who queued up for the merch like everyone else “because we are metalheads like you”. These guys are just the best and deserve all the respect. They are there for you when you need them, no matter who you are, where you come from, what your problem is. They will help you solve it.
Online:
03. by 06. July 2024, Flugplatz Ballenstedt, adress: Asmusstedt 13, 06493 Ballenstedt
And if you are looking for a small but nice warm-up festival, I can only recommend the Rock & Metal Day’z in Oschersleben the weekend before. Just 45 km north of Asmusstedt, they even offer to let you stay on their campsite for free until you leave for Rockharz:
27. by 29. June 2024, Motorsportarena Oschersleben, adress: Campground Motorsportarena,39387 Oschersleben
Please buy merch and physical music or downloads from the bands’ official sources and don’t stream it for free, because that steals the artists’ income.
Original photos taken by Friend.X aka Mr. Deep
Proof reading by DeepL