Graspop Metal Meeting is celebrating its 30th anniversary in spectacular fashion, confirming three heavyweight additions to an already formidable 2027 bill. EVANESCENCE, German power metal legends HELLOWEEN and guitar icon SLASH, alongside MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, are among the latest headline attractions for four days of heavy music in Belgium next June.
If there was ever a year for Graspop Metal Meeting to go big, this is it. The legendary Belgian festival is preparing to celebrate three decades of metal mayhem in 2027, and its 30th anniversary edition is shaping up to be one of its biggest yet.
Organisers have now completed the headline line-up, with three major announcements bringing together alternative metal favourites, European power metal royalty and one of rock’s most recognisable guitar heroes.
EVANESCENCE, HELLOWEEN and SLASH featuring MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS will join an already impressive collection of headliners, making next summer’s gathering in Dessel an essential date for rock and metal fans.
Taking place from 17 to 20 June 2027, Graspop will once again bring together some of the biggest names in international hard rock and metal across four days and five stages.
EVANESCENCE RETURN TO GRASPOP AFTER A DECADE
First up, EVANESCENCE will make a welcome return to the festival on Friday 18 June, marking ten years since their previous appearance at Graspop. Led by the unmistakable vocals of AMY LEE, the American band became a global phenomenon with their breakthrough album Fallen, released in 2003. Blending heavy guitars, haunting piano melodies and emotionally charged songwriting, the record produced some of the defining alternative rock anthems of its generation.
‘Bring Me to Life’, ‘My Immortal’ and ‘Going Under’ remain hugely popular, with the band’s distinctive sound continuing to resonate with audiences more than two decades after their release.
EVANESCENCE have continued to evolve across subsequent albums, including The Open Door and The Bitter Truth, while retaining the dramatic combination of powerful riffs and melodic intensity that first made them famous. Their latest chapter comes with Sanctuary, their sixth studio album, released earlier in 2026. Fans heading to Dessel can therefore expect a set that combines the classics with newer material.
EVANESCENCE will headline the South Stage on Friday, sharing the day’s top billing with FAITH NO MORE on the North Stage.
HELLOWEEN BRING 40 YEARS OF POWER METAL HISTORY
If there is one band perfectly suited to a major anniversary celebration, it is HELLOWEEN.
The German pioneers have been confirmed as the final headliner for Graspop 2027, bringing their special 40 Years Anniversary show to Dessel on Thursday 17 June.
Emerging during the 1980s, HELLOWEEN helped establish the foundations of European power metal, developing a sound built around soaring vocals, lightning-fast guitar work, enormous melodies and epic songwriting. Albums such as Keeper of the Seven Keys Part I and Keeper of the Seven Keys Part II remain landmarks of the genre, while tracks including ‘I Want Out’, ‘Future World’ and ‘Eagle Fly Free’ continue to be essential ingredients of their live performances.
The band’s current line-up is particularly special, bringing together three distinctive voices in MICHAEL KISKE, ANDI DERIS and KAI HANSEN. Kiske and Hansen returned to the group in 2017, joining Deris to create the celebrated three-frontman line-up. Since then, HELLOWEEN have released two further studio albums, including their self-titled 2021 record and 2025’s Giants & Monsters.
Their 40th anniversary celebrations have already taken them around the world, and the party will continue into 2027 with a special performance at one of Europe’s biggest metal festivals.
HELLOWEEN will close the North Stage on Thursday, joining PARKWAY DRIVE at the top of the opening day’s bill.
SLASH AND MYLES KENNEDY READY TO SET DESSEL ALIGHT
Completing the latest headline announcements is none other than SLASH featuring MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS.
The legendary GUNS N’ ROSES guitarist will return to Graspop on Sunday 20 June, bringing his unmistakable guitar sound and a catalogue of rock anthems to the North Stage.
Few guitarists have left a mark on rock music quite like SLASH. His playing helped define some of GUNS N’ ROSES’ most recognisable recordings, including ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’, ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ and ‘November Rain’. Away from GUNS N’ ROSES, he has built an impressive career through projects including SLASH’S SNAKEPIT and VELVET REVOLVER, before establishing his hugely successful partnership with vocalist MYLES KENNEDY and THE CONSPIRATORS.
The collaboration has produced four studio albums to date, combining SLASH’s unmistakable guitar work with Kennedy’s powerful vocals and the band’s hard-hitting rock sound.
The group also released the blues-inspired album Orgy of the Damned in 2024, featuring guest appearances from artists including BRIAN JOHNSON, IGGY POP and CHRIS STAPLETON.
Their next chapter will arrive with Flying Blind, their fifth album together, scheduled for February 2027.
SLASH has enjoyed some memorable previous appearances in Dessel, and his return promises another major moment for the festival. He will close the North Stage on Sunday, joining MÖTLEY CRÜE at the top of the final day’s programme.
GRASPOP METAL MEETING 2027: ALL EIGHT HEADLINERS CONFIRMED
With HELLOWEEN completing the announcement, Graspop has now confirmed its full collection of headline acts for the 2027 anniversary edition.
The eight headliners offer a remarkable spread of rock and metal styles, from the power metal foundations of HELLOWEEN to the alternative sound of EVANESCENCE, the punk-infused energy of BLINK-182 and the hard rock legacy of MÖTLEY CRÜE.
The complete headline schedule is:
THURSDAY 17 JUNE
• PARKWAY DRIVE
• HELLOWEEN
FRIDAY 18 JUNE
• EVANESCENCE
• FAITH NO MORE
SATURDAY 19 JUNE
• BLINK-182
• MARILYN MANSON
SUNDAY 20 JUNE
• MÖTLEY CRÜE
• SLASH featuring MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS
And while the headliners provide more than enough reason to make the trip to Belgium, the festival’s wider programme promises plenty more across its five stages.
30 YEARS BEYOND METAL
Graspop Metal Meeting has become one of Europe’s most respected metal festivals, attracting fans from across the continent and beyond to the Belgian town of Dessel every summer.
The 2027 edition carries particular significance, celebrating 30 years of the festival with four days dedicated to the international hard rock and metal community. With eight headline acts now confirmed, a 40th anniversary celebration from HELLOWEEN and the return of EVANESCENCE and SLASH, the foundations are firmly in place for an enormous weekend.
And for a festival that has spent three decades bringing together generations of rock and metal fans, there could hardly be a better way to celebrate.
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