| Location(s) | Pontin's Holiday Village, Prestatyn, Wales |
|---|---|
| Years active | 2009 - present |
| Date(s) | March, April |
| Genre | Heavy Metal |
| Website | www.hammerfest.co.uk |
Hammerfest is an indoor music festival held annually at Pontin's Holiday Village, Prestatyn, Wales. The festival is owned by emc3i Ltd, sponsored by their music magazine Metal Hammer and run by the orgnisers of the Hard Rock Hell festival. Because the festival is held at a holiday camp, the organisers can make use of pre-built venues and stages, and attendees can stay in the on-site accommodation. This enables the festival to be held during the winter/spring months when outdoor camping is not desirable. Each edition of the festival so far has sold out the holiday camp, which has a capacity of 4,000.
Contents |
The original Hammerfest was held on Friday 24th and Saturday 25th April, 2009. 50 bands appeared at the festival spread over three stages and across the two days. Saxon, Sepultura and Opeth headlined the two-day event.[1]
| Main Stage | ||
| Friday - Metal on Metal | Saturday - Metal on Metal | |
|---|---|---|
|
Annotations Of An Autopsy |
||
| Stage Two | ||
| Friday - Thrash and Power Metal | Saturday - Hammer Hounds | |
|---|---|---|
|
Kiuas |
Cathedral |
|
| Stage Three | ||
| Friday - Buzz Metal | Saturday - Rising Records | |
|---|---|---|
|
The Defiled |
Open The Skies |
|
The second Hammerfest was held on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th March, 2010, with a pre-party on the preceding Thursday. 44 bands performed across three stages during the two-day festival, with an additional 8 bands performing on the second and third stages during the Thursday pre-party. The festival was headlined by 5 Finger Death Punch and Suicidal Tendencies.[3]
| Main Stage | ||
| Friday - Metal on Metal | Saturday - Metal on Metal | |
|---|---|---|
|
Napalm Death |
Sabaton |
|
| Stage Two | ||
| Thursday - Empire Stage | Friday - XFM | Saturday - Hammer Hounds |
|---|---|---|
|
Gentlemans Pistols |
Swallow the Sun |
Vreid |
| Stage Three | ||
| Thursday - Metal Breaker | Friday - Fresh Blood | Saturday - Old Skool Metal / Metal Aid |
|---|---|---|
|
Fury of the Waters |
Revoker |
Huron |
The third Hammerfest was held on Friday 18th and Saturday 19th March 2011. A pre-party was held on the preceding Thursday as in the previous year, with bands performing on the second and third stages. 48 bands performed across three stages during the two-day festival, with an additional 11 bands performing during the Thursday pre-party. Accept and Sabaton were the headline acts.[4]
Four months before the festival, Pontin's (who own the venue) went into administration. However, the festival still took place as scheduled.[5]
| Main Stage | ||
| Friday - Metal on Metal | Saturday - Metal on Metal | |
|---|---|---|
|
Viking Skull |
||
| Stage Two | ||
| Thursday - Empire Stage | Friday - Jagermeister Stage | Saturday - Hammer Hounds |
|---|---|---|
|
Metalica UK |
Blitzkrieg |
Evile |
| Stage Three | ||
| Thursday - Metal Breaker | Friday - Fresh Blood | Saturday - Metal Forge |
|---|---|---|
|
Graveyard |
Spirtyus |
Sa-Da-Ko |
Hammerfest will return for a fourth edition of the festival from 15th to 18th March, 2012.[6] Skindred and Anthrax are set to headline with Paradise Lost, Chimaira, Lawnmower Deth, Heaven's Basement, Sci Fi Mafia, Fury UK and Mortad all also on the bill. Recent additions to the bill include Exodus, Amon Amarth, Wizard, Hell, Heaven's Basement, Arthemis, Chemicals of Democracy, Achreen, Evil Scarecrow, Virus, Anterior, Holosade, Hammes of the Gods, Gentlemen of Distorted Sound, Trucker Diablo, Kyrbgrinder, Spirytus, Savage Outlaw, Inferno and The Painted Smiles.