As you’re sure to know, Copenhell is one of the best metal festivals in Europe. The open-air fest is held at the docklands on the island of Refshaleøen near the center of Copenhagen, Denmark. The old shipyard is the perfect place for Copenhell, as the rawness of the industrial setting suitably matches the sounds of the metal blasting out from the stages. The Danish festival has been going strong since 2010, and after being canceled in 2020, metal fans are looking forward to its planned return this year.
How did Copenhell begin?
On June 11, 2010, the gates of hell opened in Copenhagen to house Denmark’s first-ever open-air metal festival. The bill included some of the most well-known groups on the international stage, including the headliners Mastodon, the Deftones, Suicidal Tendencies, and Megadeth. Copenhell was the brainchild of Jeppe Nissen at Live Nation. He wanted to create a metal festival that was as popular as the likes of the United Kingdom’s Download Festival at Donington Park. Somehow or other, Nissen and his team managed to pull it off. The 2010 festival was home to two main stages, the main Helviti stage and the secondary Hades stage. The following year, the Upcoming Stage was added, which featured unsigned bands. The Upcoming Stage was renamed the Pandæmonium in 2012. The first Copenhell saw around 4,000 rock fans turning up. Today, the festival attracts around 28,000 festival-goers.
Who has played at Copenhell over the years?
Name a famous rock band, and the chances are they have played at Copenhell. Over the last decade, the festival has attracted some of the biggest names in the business. For instance, at the last Copenhell in 2019, acts like Stone Temple Pilots, Tool, Slipknot, Scorpions, Rob Zombie, and Slash from Guns N’ Roses played.
The line-up for 2021 has not yet been officially announced, but with Guns N’ Roses touring again, there’s a chance they could play. On another note, for those of you who are fans of the band and enjoy to gamble occasionally, you may want to check out the excellent Guns N’ Roses online casino slot game – which includes the rock band’s music.
Names tipped to play Copenhell 2021 include Judas Priest, Opeth, The Hu, Agnostic Front, and Bad Religion, but you will have to wait to see what the actual lineup will be. Other notable bands that have played the Danish festival over the years include Korn, Slayer, Marilyn Manson, Between the Buried & Me, Iron Maiden, Sepultura, Black Sabbath, and Avenged Sevenfold, to name but a few.
When is Copenhell?
The festival always takes place in June. In 2021, Copenhell is due to be held from June 16 to June 19. Because Copenhell 2020 was canceled, like many other festivals and events around the world, if you have a ticket for last year’s fest, it will still be valid for entry this year.
What else does Copenhell have to offer apart from the bands?
While the acts are the main pull of Copenhell, the festival features many other attractions that help to make it such a special place for metallers and rockers to hang out. Some of the most enticing side events at Copenhell include the Purgatory area, where you can explore various dimensions of pain, the Biergarten tent, where you can sing along with your favorite metal songs, and the Viking area, where you can dine like a Nordic. But the most fun thing to do besides moshing to your favorite acts is to visit the Smadreland zone, which looks as though it’s straight out of Mad Max. In the zone, you get to freely smash cars with giant sledgehammers! For real!
