The Sherp picks out festivals featuring the most metal mosh pits. \m/
Crazy headbanging, running and slamming into live sweaty bodies while swinging your limbs around;Β moshΒ pits are basically audience reactions to theΒ artistic agressionΒ portrayed in genres like Hardcore PunkΒ or Extreme Metal. Seen as an expression of being into the music, moshing has also faced backlash for causing injuries and deaths of several people. Though true moshersΒ are generally very respectful and follow safety rules and proper moshing etiquette, the more modern moshpits do not always have such an atmosphere. That doesn’t mean the era of insane mosh pits is dead, as festivals get larger so do the crowds. This results in some pretty epic mosh pits and even if you’re not participating, it’s an incredible sight to see the storm of humans. Here are the top festivals playing host to some of the most brutal mosh pits, be it traditional, circle or the infamous wallΒ ofΒ death!
The atmosphere is always crazy at the spots with such tremendous attendances, not to say the most metal mosh pits. In order to avoid excessive confusion and make it easier for participants to find the organization, custom wristbands can be designed in different colors. Every participant will get one when they arrive. By wearing the wristbands, they can get their identification during this festival. With special fluorescent craft added, these wristbands also make the activity reach another climax and can also be used as souvenirs after the events.
1. Wacken Open Air
Wacken Open Air is an annual summer open-air heavy metal music festival. It takes place in the small village of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein, northern Germany. Started in 1990 as an event for local bands, it has grown to a 3 day festival withΒ roughly 80,000 visitors in 2011.
2. Rockstar Mayhem Festival
Organized and sponsored by the Rockstar Energy CompanyΒ since its inception in 2008, the Mayhem Festival was one of the largest touring Metal festivals until its discontinuation after the 2015 edition.
3. The Metal Fest
Originally held in Austria, the festival has grown and spread all over Europe. Previous lineups have included metal Β giants like Megadeth, Kreator, Behemoth, Ensiferum, Legion Of The Damned and many more.
4. Graspop Metal Meeting
The Graspop Metal Meeting has been held annually since 1996 in Dessel, Belgium. Despite the festival grounds perimeter being only about 4km, the festival draws a large number of international spectators, with a total of 152,000 visitors in the course of the 2015 edition.
5. Hellfest
French festival Hellfest is held annually in Clisson and billed as an “extreme music festival”. The programme has featured a variety of heavy metal, hard rock, punk and hardcore acts such as Motorhead, Slayer, Dream Theater, Guns N’ Roses, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest etc.
6. Rock am Ring
One of two simultaneous rock festivals held in Germany (the other being Rock imΒ Park) Rock am Ring is part of a 3 day annual festival. Combined they are the largest festival in Germany with almost identical lineups on different days at the two venues and 150,000+ people attending.
7. Orion Music + More
The Orion Music + More was a touring music festival created by American thrash metal/heavy metal band Metallica. In 2012, the band announced plans to launch the festival, which took place in Atlantic City and in Detroit in 2013. Unfortunately, the festival was a financial disaster, which led to its cancellation after only two installments.
Do you think we missed out any festivals featuring brutal mosh pits? Let us know!