Bergisch Metal Festival XI

Club Festival Instead of Open Air

Bergisch Metal has been one of the most important venues for German underground metal since 2014. Unlike most festivals, Bergisch Metal is not an open-air event but a club festival — deliberately intimate, high-quality production, always sold out. The 11th edition (Bergisch Metal XI) takes place on Saturday, May 9, 2026 — the tradition of a May date has been unbroken since its founding year.

UFO — A Club with Character

The venue is the UFO Jugendkulturhaus der AWO in Bergisch Gladbach — a hall with a capacity for around 250 people, excellent lighting and sound technology, and a heated club atmosphere that is unique for metal concerts. The location is easily accessible: just meters from KVB line 1, about 2 km from the A4 exit. Cologne is 20 minutes away.

Lineup 2026 — Six Bands from the German Metal Underground

As every year, the program is carefully curated — a mix of established underground acts and up-and-coming bands:

• D-Filer
• Mortal Peril
• Night Laser
• Kings Winter
• Taskforce Toxicator
• Drawn by Evil

The exact performance order will be announced in the weeks leading up to the festival on bergisch-metal.de and festivalticker.de.

History — From 2014 to Today

The festival started as a small club format in 2014 and has since established itself as an annual institution. After the pandemic breaks in 2020 and 2021, the festival returned in 2022 — almost sold out. Since 2023, it has been running in its usual format again. In 2024, the Export Edition was founded — an offshoot in another Bergisch location. Export III will take place on October 3, 2026, at AJZ Wermelskirchen, with tickets between €10 and €20.

Bergisch Gladbach — A Medium-Sized Bergisch City

Bergisch Gladbach is located in the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, directly east of Cologne, with its own KVB tram connection. With about 110,000 inhabitants, the city is medium-sized — culturally active, with Bensberg Castle, the Bergisches Museum, and an active club scene. Bergisch Metal utilizes this cultural infrastructure and makes the UFO a regionally known metal club.

Tickets — Intimate, Fair, Quickly Sold Out

Tickets are a scarce pleasure: With 250 spots, the festival is usually in high demand even during the pre-sale. Prices typically range between €16 and €25 — a fraction of what comparable festivals charge, but with the advantage that the bands are truly tangible. Those standing at the very front of the pit are only meters away from the stage.