We’re back, back, back again – Rockharz 2024 Preliminary Report

Zur deutschen Version geht es hier.

The world is changing. This is not only true for the legendary world of Lord of the Rings, but also for our real life environment. It is sometimes incredible how much can change in ten years. Often you only notice the change when you consciously look at it. On the occasion of our first, then still private, visit to Rockharz, which this year marks its 10th anniversary, something exciting must have happen. And a lot has happened, but the nice thing about Rockharz is that it has remained true to itself over the years. 

But first I would like to thank Rockharz spokesman Kai, who took a lot of time to reminisce with me!

The pictures are, as so often, by the talented lightinmirror.de!

So let’s rewind to 2014 for a moment. My 17-year-old self had it in her head: “Rockharz? I have to go there!” Metal is not a common music genre in my family, so I can imagine my mother’s apprehension all too well. Kai could hardly tell my mom that Rockharz is just a harmless gathering of people who enjoy the same music! She then bought my sister and I a ticket each so that I wouldn’t have to go alone and return home every evening. As clever as this solution was, it set off an avalanche for us, the result of which was ultimately this website. 

The Rockharz effect (aka the let’s-go-there-and-suddenly-you’ll-never-get-away effect) didn’t just hit home with me, as Kai reports: “I went to Rockharz as a non-employee for a long time. It’s grown a lot since then, but it’s retained its family feel. You see the same people over and over again and some of them have been there for more than ten years! Despite the growth, there’s never been a break where you’re presented with something unfamiliar that you have to get used to. You get there and feel at home!” True to the motto “Metal, Beer and Best Friends”, this festival has managed to retain a sense of solidarity that relies on close personal connections rather than mass anonymity.

While the proverbial circle from fan to behind-the-scenes view has come somewhat full circle for me, Rockharz has grown a lot in size over the last ten years: While 2014 was still the first Rockharz, which was sold out around two to three weeks in advance, in recent years it has been possible to announce the SOLD OUT of the steadily increasing ticket contingents earlier and earlier. In 2014, a “slim” 12,000 people were gathering in the shadow of the Teufelsmauer, while this year it will be 24,000. The real trick, however, is that the structure of the organization has never changed. The team has also grown closer together. Although they experimented with a third, small stage in front of the infield in 2015, this was abandoned in the following years, says Kai.  

When the number of viewers doubles, the question inevitably arises as to where it actually ends. There has to be somewhere to accommodate the people! One reason why Rockharz decided on the location at Asmusstedt airfield was the potential for growth that existed between the airfield, the road and the Devil’s Wall. If all the areas that have been in use over the years were used, there would still be room to attract even more visitors to Ballenstedt. Using the areas where the day parking lot is located would allow even more people to be accommodated than will be the case this year. These spaces are available on demand, which is why they were activated last year when there was a shortage of space. In purely mathematical terms, according to Kai, everything would have worked out last year, but the number of people who arrived with caravans and trailers alone surprised the organization team. 

Let’s now take a detailed look at Rockharz 2024: What is press spokesman Kai particularly looking forward to this year? “I look forward to Rockharz every year! I don’t base it on the bands as such, because I’m not a festival-goer who goes to a festival because of certain bands. There are always better-known bands that you like and newer bands that you discover. I love the whole experience, I look forward to seeing the people, the crew, some of whom you only see once a year, as well as people from my private life who I only see there. It’s simply this family atmosphere that makes it so charming for me.” Regardless of this, it is also a special highlight from the organizer’s point of view to be able to welcome artists like BRUCE DICKINSON and JUDAS PRIEST soon. As Kai rightly points out, these artists are in a class that not everyone would have expected at Rockharz and which were also unexpected to a certain extent. The realization that these luminaries will be playing will probably only really sink in when the first notes are played under the Devil’s Wall.

Regardless of these two mega headliners, there are a lot of bands that I’m personally looking forward to! From DIMMU BORGIR to AMORPHIS, THE HALO EFFECT and AMARANTHE through to DRACONIAN, AVATARIUM and THE NIGHT ETERNAL, there’s a great line-up again. But I’m also really looking forward to the many great people we’ll be meeting again and there will be some cool interviews afterwards!

If you also want to come to Rockharz, I’m afraid I have to disappoint you a little: The festival is completely sold out. So that you don’t have to rely on the unreliable second-hand market, this year Rockharz has set up its own ticket exchange, which you can find here. 

If you already have a ticket, everything is perfect and all that remains for me to say is: See you at the Devil’s Wall!