Graspop was not originally a heavy metal festival; rather, it was conceived as a local family rock festival, first organised in 1986. In 1995, the headliners were Joe Cocker and Simple Minds. However, due to the public being oversaturated with family festivals, the number of visitors had dropped to an all-time low.
Founder Peter Van Geel realised that mainstream rock music held insufficient appeal to festival visitors. Reflecting on the most memorable acts of the preceding years (Motörhead, Ramones, Paradise Lost, and so forth) and on his own musical preferences, he decided in favour of a drastic reorientation.
Despite the small size of the festival grounds (upholding a perimeter of only ~4 km) the festival draws a large number of spectators from around Europe, with a total of 220,000 visitors in 2022, up from 200,000 visitors over the course of the 2019.
**South Stage:**
Within Temptation
A Day to Remember
Accept
Ego Kill Talent
+1 act
**North Stage:**
Limp Bizkit
Megadeth
Tom Morello
Wind Rose
Static-X
+1 act
**Marquee:**
Anthrax
Cult of Luna
Septicflesh
Wolves in the Throne Room
Gatecreeper
Snot
+2 acts
**Jupiter Stage:**
The Dillinger Escape Plan
Pennywise
John Coffey
Grade 2
Thrown
+2 acts
**Metal Dome:**
President
Bloodywood
Lakeview
The Funeral Portrait
Ankor
Madna Park
+1 act
**South Stage:**
Volbeat
Alter Bridge
+2 acts
**North Stage:**
Twisted Sister (Celebrating 50 years)
Breaking Benjamin
Trivium
Mammoth
Drowning Pool
+1 act
**Marquee:**
Death to All
Possessed
Old Man’s Child
Forbidden
Bark
+2 acts
**Jupiter Stage:**
Lionheart
Kublai Khan TX
We Came as Romans
Orain
Guilt Trip
Leftville
Thornhill
**Metal Dome:**
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats
Kadavar
Elder
Oranssi Pazuzu
+2 acts
**South Stage:**
Bring Me the Horizon
Architects
Ice Nine Kills
Hollywood Undead
+2 acts
**North Stage:**
Bad Omens
Babymetal
Three Days Grace
Sepultura
P.O.D.
+1 act
**Marquee:**
Six Feet Under
MoonspeLL
Corrosion of Conformity
Lacuna Coil
Uada
Sinsaenum
Embryonic Autopsy
**Jupiter Stage:**
Avatar
Queensrÿche
Primal Fear
Feuerschwanz
+3 acts
**Metal Dome:**
Tesseract
Catch Your Breath
Loathe
Rivers of Nihil
Raatlord
Mouth Culture
**South Stage:**
Sabaton
Electric Callboy
Black Label Society
Extreme
Life of Agony
Battle Beast
**North Stage:**
Def Leppard
Alice Cooper
Foreigner
Europe
+1 act
**Marquee:**
Mastodon
Venom
The Gathering
Kankerenberg
Decapitated
Dagoba
+2 acts
**Jupiter Stage:**
The Plot in You
Bury Tomorrow
Lagwagon
Set It Off
Wargasm
Harms Way
Scowl
**Metal Dome:**
Carpenter Brut
Sólstafir
Periphery
Future Palace
T.K.Z.
Rain City Drive
Return to Dust
