RODAROCK Festival Herzogenrath

The Metal Festival in the Three-Country Corner

The RODAROCK Festival is one of the most important metal destinations in the Euregio Aachen-Maastricht-Liège — a one-day, compact festival event that brings together genres like Metalcore, Hardcore, Deathcore, and Alternative Metal with a manageable yet high-quality curated lineup. Saturday, July 25, 2026 marks the next edition. The venue is the old open-air swimming pool grounds at Bergerstraße 2 in Herzogenrath, right on the Dutch border.

Lineup 2026 — Six Confirmed Acts

Headliners and Main Acts

• As Everything Unfolds (Great Britain) — Metalcore with female-fronted vocals, one of the most exciting young British bands
• TEN56. (France) — Deathcore with Joe Bad (ex-Lorna Shore), one of the most intense live experiences
• Defences (Great Britain) — Post-Hardcore with electronic elements
• Swan Slaughter / SWANSLAUGHTER (Netherlands) — Metalcore from the Netherlands
• Avralize — International metal band
• Artemis Rising — Alternative Metal

More acts will be announced in the weeks leading up to the festival.

The Genres — From Metalcore to Electrocore

RODAROCK curates a breadth of modern metal genres that many small festivals don't cover:

• Metalcore — the central genre axis
• Hardcore — from the New York school to European styles
• Deathcore — the heavier sounds
• Post-Hardcore — atmospheric facets
• Alternative Metal — broader appeal
• Electrocore — genre crossover with electronic elements

The Old Open-Air Swimming Pool Grounds — A Special Festival Location

The old open-air swimming pool grounds on Bergerstraße in Herzogenrath is an unusual but atmospheric festival location: a former swimming pool complex now used as an open-air venue. Grassy areas instead of paved parking lots, a historic swimming pool area as a stage backdrop — a festival atmosphere that distinctly stands out from more commercial open-air locations. Note: the grounds are wheelchair accessible, but on grass.

Schedule

• 11:30 AM: Gates Open
• 11:30 PM: Festival End
• Stage Changes: Short, tightly scheduled sets — a classic one-day festival format

Tickets, Camping, and Services

Sales via Eventim and regioactive.de. Exact prices are not consistently documented — according to the organizers, they are intentionally kept accessible to reach younger metalheads too.

• Parking: Free on the festival grounds
• Arrival by Train: RE4/RE18 to Herzogenrath, then approx. 10 minutes walk
• Food & Drink: Food and drink stalls with vegetarian and vegan options
• Bags: Maximum size DIN A4
• Children under 14: Free with a guardian (14+ require a regular ticket)
• Accessibility: Wheelchair accessible (grass areas)

Herzogenrath — Town on the Border

Herzogenrath (approx. 47,000 inhabitants) is located in the Aachen district directly on the Dutch border — its sister city Kerkrade is directly opposite, and together they form a cross-border twin city. This location also shapes the RODAROCK Festival: the audience comes not only from Aachen and Cologne but also from Maastricht, Liège, and Heerlen. A true Euregio festival destination.