Another year without the big festival Hellfest, it seems. The organisation behind the French metal festival announced that they will move the 15th-anniversary edition to next year, 2022. The organisation shared a statement on their website and social media to inform the fans of the metal festival about what led to this conclusion.
The French government has decided something about the festivals planned for this summer, after what seems like they noticed that big festivals like Hellfest were asking for clarity. But this decision makes it hard for the big festival as Hellfest to adapt, since the conditions are maximum of 5000 people seated with social distancing. “To imagine a Hellfest with 5,000 festival-goers drawn at random out of the 60,000 already provided with a 3-day pass, seated and distanced is at best fanciful, but more really a heresy.” The organisation, therefore, decided to not organise the event in 2021.
The organisation adds: “We do not want to blame the government gratuitously for the strong choices it has decided to take. We are well aware that the health situation requires a certain form of caution. We note, however, that these measures are more or less those that were in effect last summer, resulting in a summer that we would dare describe as dying and deadly for festivals and culture in general. A year has passed since the onset of the epidemic and it seems that little has been done before a return to a “normal life” … and this despite a greater knowledge of the disease, despite the vaccination which progresses, despite the presence of tests …” The full statement can be read here.
The new dates for the 15th-anniversary edition of Hellfest are 17, 18, 19 June, 2022. Tickets that were purchased for the edition in 2020 are still valid in 2022. It is also possible to ask for your money back. In addition, the organisation stated that they are now thinking of a way to exist this summer: “Many (including one in particular …) surprises are to be expected next June … so stay tuned!”
Several Japanese bands were confirmed for Hellfest 2020. It was even presented as The Rising Sun Raises Hell by the organisation to raise high expectations. These bands were not the least with names as Maximum The Hormone that would return to Europe after many years, but also BABYMETAL, CRYSTAL LAKE, envy and MONO. Some of the bands even connected a European tour to it with many other Summer festivals on the planning, such as the bands BABYMETAL and CRYSTAL LAKE. Most of the bands, excluding BABYMETAL, were still on the bill for 2021. It is too early to say something about this line-up, but hopefully most of the bands, or better all, are able to join the metal festival in 2022.
