HILLS OF ROCK returns from July 25 to 27, 2025, turning the Rowing Base in Plovdiv into the hottest spot of rock and metal culture in Bulgaria once again. After the unqualified success of the previous edition, audiences and fans are eagerly awaiting the new names in the program of the largest rock festival in Bulgaria. The already announced world giants, GOJIRA and SEPULTURA, are joined by eight more bands: EXTREME, STATIC-X, WHILE SHE SLEEPS, LANDMVRKS, RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR, AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS, WOLFMOTHER and VUKOVI, but with them the star lineup of HILLS OF ROCK 2025 has not yet been finalized.
EXTREME, the iconic rock stars from Boston and a true phenomenon of the 90s, will debut on the Bulgarian stage at this year’s HILLS OF ROCK. With over 30 years of history and more than 10 million albums sold, they continue to charm generations with their inimitable style and inexhaustible creativity. The funk metal groove quartet, led by the charismatic Gary Cherone and guitar genius Nuno Bettencourt, has created rock classics that remain in history – part of the Bill & Ted trilogy and popular series such as Stranger Things.
With their latest album Six (2023), Extreme prove that their passion for music and experimental spirit are stronger than ever. “It’s an old-fashioned rock album, but with a modern energy” says Nuno Bettencourt.
HILLS OF ROCK 2025 will also welcome the American industrial band STATIC-X. The Californians became famous with their debut album Wisconsin Death Trip from 1999, in which their heavy industrial metal sound attracted the attention of the audience of the nascent nu metal movement of the late 90s. After the death of vocalist Wayne Static in 2014, the remaining members of the original Static-X lineup – bassist Tony Campos, guitarist Koichi Fukuda and drummer Ken Jay – announced that the band was reuniting, in honour of Static, and Xer0 took his place. They released Project: Regeneration Vol. 1 (2020), their first studio album in eleven years, and the sequel Project: Regeneration Vol. 2, was released last year, and this year – they are coming to our country.
WHILE SHE SLEEPS – the British metalcore force that no longer needs an introduction after the all-consuming whirlwind they created in Burgas in 2023 during their first visit to our country. Raw energy, stylistic diversity – from symphonic music to hardcore to synth-rock and metal and socially significant messages. All this, plus a charismatic frontman without analogues in the world of modern metal – Loz Taylor and the energy of While She Sleeps is indomitable – proven both on the stage of Alexandra Palace in London in front of 10,000 people, and on large-scale tours across five continents.
WOLFMOTHER are another band that comes to Bulgaria for the first time in 2025, led by the charismatic Andrew Stockdale – a symbol of modern hard and blues rock. With their debut album from 2005, bearing the name Wolfmother, they won 5-time ARIA Platinum and a Grammy for the hit “Woman”. During the 2020 pandemic, when the topic of mental health was particularly relevant, Stockdale managed to use the magic of rock music to transport himself and his listeners beyond the monotony of isolation. It was then that he created the band’s sixth album, Rock Out, recorded almost entirely in his home studio. Wolfmother prove that rock is a means of escape, inspiration and transformation.
The French band RISE OF THE NORTHSTAR, who were supposed to play at the festival in 2021, are guaranteed to come this year with their colorful musical and visual world. Formed in 2008, the French band combines metal and hardcore punk, with influences from Japanese pop culture in an explosive genre defined as “Metal-HxC-Rap-Manga”. Their origin from the suburbs of Paris, places them at a curious crossroads between the harsh urban reality and the rich world of Japanese fiction. With three albums and three EPs behind them, the band has built not only an identity, but also a reputation as an impressive stage phenomenon.
The French invasion of the Bulgarian festival continues with LANDMVRKS – modern metalcore, filled with aggressive riffs and the vocals typical of the style. Initially under the name “Coldsight”, Florent Salfati and Nicolas Soriano founded the project with perseverance, perseverance and dedication in 2014. Their first album Hollow was released in 2016, produced entirely by themselves. With their innovative sound, heavy riffs and memorable choruses, they are already part of the program of world festivals such as Hellfest and Longlive Rockfest, thus strengthening their reputation and winning thousands of fans.
Plovdiv also welcomes one of the most exciting young bands on the modern post-hardcore scene – AS EVERYTHING UNFOLDS. With an eccentric frontwoman, Charlie Rolfe, emotionally charged melodies and lyrics, and the energy of youth, As Everything Unfolds from the new wave of British hardcore are winning fans all over the world. Their debut album Within Each Lies The Other (2021) has garnered over 20 million streams, and their follow-up, Ultraviolet from 2023, has cemented their place among the leading names in the genre. After touring with names like Enter Shikari and Holding Absence and performing at festivals like Download Festival and Graspop, As Everything Unfolds promise an explosive show on the Bulgarian scene as well.
VUKOVI is a Scottish alternative pop-punk duo that immediately attracts attention with their conceptual creativity, energetic sound, Serbian name, and lyrics inspired by personal stories. With Janine Shilstone’s vocals and Hamish Reilly’s recognizable guitar style, the band is establishing themselves as one of the most exciting acts on the British scene. Their latest album, NULA, is a science fiction-inspired conceptual work that weaves existential themes into a blend of electronic elements, nu-metal and synth pop.
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