South of Heaven is raising the stakes for its 2027 edition, with three heavyweight headliners confirmed for a weekend that promises to bring some serious metal firepower to Maastricht in the Netherlands. EPICA, CHILDREN OF BODOM and KREATOR will lead the programme across three days in June, with each headliner bringing a very different story to one of the most intriguing early announcements on the European metal festival calendar.
Taking place from 4th – 6th June 2027 at the Gashouder in Maastricht, South of Heaven is building its reputation around a combination of internationally established metal acts, a distinctive industrial setting and an intimate atmosphere that puts the music first. This year’s first announcement has something particularly special in store, with EPICA celebrating 25 years as a band, CHILDREN OF BODOM returning to the stage and German thrash legends KREATOR bringing the festival to a suitably explosive conclusion.
There is more to this announcement than three big names, however. Epica will revive their own Epic Metal Fest for a specially curated anniversary day, with Lacuna Coil and Ad Infinitum already confirmed as part of the programme. With further bands still to be announced, South of Heaven 2027 is already shaping up as a major date for metal fans travelling across the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany.
EPICA BRING EPIC METAL FEST BACK TO LIMBURG
Friday, 4th June, belongs to Epica, with the Dutch symphonic metal pioneers celebrating their 25th anniversary by resurrecting Epic Metal Fest after more than a decade away.
The band will headline a day of their own choosing, selecting the accompanying artists and shaping the programme around their anniversary celebrations. It is a fitting homecoming for a group that emerged from the Limburg region and has since become one of the Netherlands’ most successful metal exports.
Known for combining orchestral arrangements, choir vocals, intricate guitar work and the powerful voice of Simone Simons, Epica have spent a quarter of a century building a sound that balances cinematic ambition with the aggression of modern metal. Albums such as The Divine Conspiracy, Design Your Universe and The Quantum Enigma have helped establish their international following, while their elaborate live productions have become a major part of their identity.
LACUNA COIL are among the first bands confirmed for the Epic Metal Fest line-up. The Italian group have long occupied a distinctive position in European metal, blending gothic atmosphere, alternative metal and the contrasting vocals of Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro. Their history with Epica stretches back to the early years of both bands, making the booking particularly appropriate for an anniversary celebration.
Also confirmed are Ad Infinitum, the symphonic metal project led by Melissa Bonny. Combining cinematic orchestration with heavy guitars and modern metal production, the group represent a younger generation of artists working within the genre.
The anniversary performance will be Epica’s only Dutch summer festival appearance in 2027, adding another reason for fans to make the trip to Maastricht.
CHILDREN OF BODOM RETURN TO THE STAGE
Saturday, 5 June, brings one of the most emotionally significant bookings of the weekend, as Children of Bodom return to South of Heaven for a special performance celebrating the band’s 30th anniversary.
The Finnish group became one of melodic death metal’s most recognisable names by combining ferocious guitar work, dazzling keyboard melodies and a technical approach that pushed the genre into new territory. Albums such as Follow the Reaper, Hate Crew Deathroll and Are You Dead Yet? helped establish their international reputation, while songs including Downfall, Needled 24/7 and Everytime I Die remain staples of the band’s catalogue.
The return of Children of Bodom carries considerable weight following the death of frontman and guitarist Alexi Laiho in 2020. The 2027 performance will honour his music and legacy, bringing the band’s material back to a major European festival stage.
The reunion features original members Janne Wirman, Henkka Blacksmith, Jaska Raatikainen and Alexander Kuoppala, alongside Samy Elbanna of Lost Society on vocals and lead guitar. Kuoppala’s return is particularly notable, having left the band in 2003 before rejoining the core group for the reunion.
For fans who grew up with Children of Bodom’s distinctive blend of melodic death metal and virtuoso musicianship, the performance promises to be a powerful celebration of a band that helped shape the sound of Finnish metal.
KREATOR SET TO CLOSE SOUTH OF HEAVEN 2027
Sunday, 6 June, belongs to Kreator, with the German thrash metal veterans bringing the festival to a close!
Led by vocalist and guitarist Mille Petrozza, Kreator have been a major force in European thrash metal since the 1980s. Their relentless riffs, politically charged lyrics and ferocious live performances have earned them a reputation as one of the genre’s most influential acts, alongside fellow German thrash pioneers Destruction and Sodom. Across more than four decades, the band have continued to evolve without abandoning the aggression that made early albums such as Pleasure to Kill and Extreme Aggression underground classics. Their more recent work has expanded their sound with grander arrangements and more elaborate production, while retaining the intensity that has defined their career.
Their 2026 album Krushers of the World provides fresh material for the current chapter of the band’s story, and the South of Heaven performance is expected to draw on both the new record and a catalogue spanning more than 40 years.
As the final headliner of the weekend, Kreator look well placed to deliver the kind of relentless, high-energy set that will send festivalgoers home with their ears ringing.
THE GASHOUDER: AN INDUSTRIAL SETTING FOR A METAL WEEKEND
South of Heaven takes place at the Gashouder in Maastricht, a striking industrial landmark in the Bosscherveld area, approximately a 15-minute walk from the city centre.
The venue’s rugged surroundings and historic architecture provide a natural backdrop for a festival built around heavy music. Rather than the vast scale of some of Europe’s largest metal gatherings, South of Heaven aims to combine major international performers with a more intimate atmosphere, accessible transport links and the food and drink culture associated with the southern Netherlands.
Its location also makes it an attractive option for fans travelling from neighbouring Belgium and Germany, as well as elsewhere in the Netherlands. Maastricht’s position close to the international borders gives the festival a genuinely cross-border audience, with three days of metal providing a compelling reason to turn a weekend of live music into a longer trip.
With Epica’s anniversary celebrations, the return of Children of Bodom and Kreator’s closing performance, the 2027 edition has already established three distinct musical highlights.
For metal fans looking for a festival with a strong identity and a line-up built around major performances rather than sheer size, South of Heaven 2027 is already worth keeping on the radar. Epica’s 25th anniversary, Children of Bodom’s return and Kreator’s enduring thrash metal assault give each day its own character, while the promise of additional names leaves plenty of room for the bill to grow.
Three days, three major headliners and a historic industrial setting: Maastricht is preparing for a seriously heavy start to the European festival summer.
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