Welcome to Rockville is recognized as the largest party of 2025, a four-day music festival at the world-renowned Daytona International Speedway. Rockville will take place from May 15th to 18th, just miles from the world's most famous beach. Proudly being North America's largest rock festival, it will have bands and artists like Green Day, Korn, Shinedown, Rob Zombie, and so many more.
The first Rockville was a sold-out event holding 10,000 people. It took place on May 8, 2011, in Jacksonville at the Metropolitan. It continued until 2020 when they told the world they were changing location to the legendary Daytona Beach, unfortunately, due to the COVID pandemic, it had to be put on hold until the following year. Due to Danny Wimmer Presents' bold decision to move the festival to NASCAR's home, it achieved a record-breaking attendance of 161,000.
This year's festival will feature five stages and showcase 150 bands. Last year's attendance set a new record, with 200,000 metal and rock fans, so we are expecting big numbers for 2025. You can check out the full lineup here. I am excited to check out some artists, including Linkin Park, who welcomed their new lead singer, Emily Armstrong, in September 2024, following the tragic passing of the beloved Chester Bennington. Green Day is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their album American Idiot, which is also a highlight for me. Additionally, I’m thrilled to see hardcore legends Knocked Loose, who were nominated for the 2025 Best Metal Performance Grammy for their song “Suffocated,” featuring Poppy. Growing up listening to the ska punk band Sublime, I am excited to hear the songs I've always loved performed by late Sublime's singer Bradley Nowell's son, Jakob Nowell.
Also, don't overlook the bands that are not performing on the larger stages. For instance, Royale Lynn, a hard rock vocalist, recently released a new song titled "Death Wish," featuring Danny Worsnop from Asking Alexandria. Gates to Hell is another band making waves in the metal and hardcore genres; who have toured with well-known The Black Dahlia Murder and will be releasing a new album, Death Comes to All, on March 21st. One of my all-time favorite bands, Real Friends, has self-released an album called Blue Hour, and, in my experience, their shows are not to be missed.
Tickets for this year's festival are still available, and there are options for camping, hotel accommodations, and parking add-ons. In addition to music, you can look forward to a giant waterslide, amusement rides, and a variety of food and merchandise vendors. stages and set times will be announced two weeks before the start of the festival along with what time the gates will open each day.
