Rock Am Ring returns to Nürburgring this June for its 40th anniversary edition. Rock Am Ring is always one of the most exciting weekends of the festival calendar and this year looks to be no different with a stacked line up, a new fourth stage being introduced and the promise of some very special surprise acts. The excitement is clearly shared by fans as Rock Am Ring has already sold out months in advance and its sister festival, Rock Im Park, isn’t far away either.
This year Rock Am Ring will be headlined by Bring Me The Horizon and The Prodigy on Friday, Slipknot and Rise Against on Saturday and finished off by KoRn and Sleep Token on Sunday – a dream for lovers of heavy music! The top of the bill isn’t the cherry on top of the cake – let’s take a deeper dive into some of the reasons we are excited about the festival by highlighting some of the smaller bands!
Friday – Boston Manor
Blackpool alt rockers Boston Manor have been on a steady climb to success over recent years, having released their second album, Sundiver, in September. That was followed by their biggest German tour to date in November. This summer will see the band grace the stage of major festivals across Europe including their first appearance at RAR since 2022.
Friday – SOFT PLAY
London based punk rockers SOFT PLAY will return to RAR for the first time since 2017. This will be the band’s 3rd appearance at the festival but the first under the name of SOFT PLAY with both previous appearances being under their previous name Slaves. With a new band name and new album SOFT PLAY are looking to take German audiences by storm all over again.
Friday – House of Protection
A brand new band, playing RAR for their first time, House of Protection is made of up former Fever 333 bandmates Stephen Harrison and Aric Improta. With ex-BMTH man Jordan Fish acting as co-writer and producer, House of Protections music is designed for these big stages and they are sure to win over a whole new audience.
Friday – unpeople
Another band playing Rock Am Ring for the first time is UK alternative rock band unpeople. Despite only releasing their debut album last year, unpeople have very quickly gained a cult following in the UK and are one of the hottest rising acts in the scene. Fans of bands ranging from Deftones to Biffy Clyro should keep an eye of unpeople over the coming years.
Friday – Biffy Clyro
Scottish royalty Biffy (F***ing) Clyro will bring their incomparable repertoire of alternative rock to RAR for the first time since 2013. Since then, the band has conquered UK charts with three of their last four albums hitting number one. The band is a perfect fit for the festival, guaranteeing a powerhouse performance and the biggest riffs of the day! Biffy Clyro are always a 10/10 band to see live, so we can’t stress enough how you should make sure to catch their set!
Saturday – Trophy Eyes
Australian punk rock band Trophy Eyes have been exciting audiences around the world for over a decade now but have somehow never played Rock Am Ring before. Their mix of emo, hardcore and pop punk is sure to put smiles on the faces of everyone who sees them make their debut appearance at the festival.
Saturday – Imminence
Another band making their Rock Am Ring debut will be Swedish metalcore band Imminence. Since forming fifteen years ago, Imminence have set themselves apart from their peers by blending symphonic elements into metal core, creating what their fans have dubbed ‘violin-core’. With six albums of material to choose from their first RAR appearance is sure to be a highlight of the weekend.
Saturday – Touché Amoré
American post-hardcore icons Touché Amore will be making their second appearance at Rock Am Ring following their debut appearance back in 2023. With new album, Spiral In A Straight Line, under their belt Touché’s set will undoubtedly be one of the most powerful and emotional of the festival.
Saturday – Northlane
Another first time appearance will be from Australian Metalcore stars Northlane. The last few years have seen Northlane release their sixth album, Obsidian, a new EP, The Mirrors Edge, and also seen them embark on tours with both Parkway Drive and Sleep Token. Northlane continue to hit new heights and their Rock Am Ring debut will be another milestone moment in their career.
Saturday – Spiritbox
Canadian heroes Spiritbox are one of the fastest rising metal bands in the world with major tours and two Grammy nominations already to their name. Spiritbox have played Rock Am Ring twice before in early slots but return this year as one of the festivals marquee bands following the release of their second album Tsunami Sea. Frontwoman Courtney LaPlante is a megastar in waiting and it wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if next time Spiritbox return they are headlining the whole festival.
Sunday – The Warning
The Warning are a trio of sisters, Daniela, Paulina and Alejandra, from Mexico who are quickly making a big name for themselves in the world of hard rock. Having already toured with Muse, Foo Fighters and Guns N’ Roses, The Warning will bring tracks from the new album, Keep Me Fed, to Rock Am Ring for their second appearance at the festival.
Sunday – Jinjer
Ukrainian heavy metal band, Jinjer will be making their second appearance at Rock Am Ring following their debut in 2023. Now fifteen years and five albums into their career, Jinjer exploded in popularity in the last five years after a live performance of their song Pisces went viral on YouTube. With their profile continuing to increase their new album, Duel, is one of the early metal highlights of 2025.
Sunday – Deafheaven
Deafheaven are arguably the most important American Black Metal band of the 21st century. 2013 album Sunbather was released to widespread critical acclaim and introduced their mix of extreme metal and post rock to a mass audience for the first time. In recent years the band have toured with everyone from Knocked Loose to Interpol and this year make their Rock Am Ring debut.
Sunday – Stray From The Path
Another long overdue debut will be from, American Hardcore Punks, Stray From The Path. The band first formed almost twenty-five years ago now and have made their name as one of the most energetic live bands in the hardcore scene. Stray have toured with all the biggest names in their scene, from Every Time I Die to Spiritbox, and will have the entire festival bouncing.
Sunday – Lorna Shore
Last, but certainly not least, is American Deathcore icons Lorna Shore. After forming in 2009, Lorna Shore went through three albums and four different vocalists before they finally found current frontman Will Ramos and everything clicked into place. The album Pain Remains soon followed and was met with widespread acclaim from fans and critics alike, launching Lorna Shore to the very top of their scene. They finally make their Rock Am Ring debut this year and promise to be heaviest band of the whole festival.
Check out the line-up in full below!
Tickets for Rock Am Ring are sold out, but you can find out more about the festival HERE.
Written By: Maryleen Guevara
