Rock Hard Festival Greece returns to Technopolis City of Athens on September 11 and 12, 2026, for its second edition, bringing together two days of heavy metal with a lineup built around special anniversary sets, rare reunion appearances and performances celebrating some of the genre’s most influential eras.
Across the two-day festival, fans will see exclusive performances from Angra with Kiko Loureiro celebrating 30 years of Holy Land, Dirkschneider revisiting the Accept catalogue, Blaze Bayley performing an Iron Maiden anniversary set, Stratovarius focusing entirely on their 1990s material, and Blood Fire Death paying tribute to Quorthon and the music of Bathory.
Festival Information
Rock Hard Festival Greece 2026 takes place on September 11 and 12 at Technopolis City of Athens, returning for its second edition after its 2025 debut. Tickets are available through the festival’s official ticketing channels, with full information also available on the Rock Hard Festival Greece website.
Dates: September 11-12, 2026
Venue: Technopolis City of Athens
Promoter: Rock Hard Festival Greece
Tickets: Buy Tickets
Official Website: Rock Hard Festival Greece
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Friday, September 11
The opening day brings together a mix of rare appearances, special sets and established names from across the European metal scene.
Blood Fire Death – A Tribute to Quorthon and the Music of Bathory
Celebrating the legacy of Quorthon and the music of Bathory, Blood Fire Death brings together a remarkable lineup of musicians closely connected to the black and extreme metal scene. The project features Erik Danielsson of Watain, Ivar Bjørnson of Enslaved, Blasphemer, Apollyon and Faust, with special guests including Grutle Kjellson, Gaahl, former Bathory bassist Frederick Melander and Mayhem’s Attila Csihar.
Stratovarius – A Travel Through Time with a Special 1990s Set
Stratovarius will revisit the decade that defined their sound with a special set focused entirely on their 1990s material. The Finnish power metal veterans will draw from the era that produced landmark albums such as Visions and Destiny, bringing some of their most melodic, neoclassical and technically ambitious songs back to the stage in Athens.
Morgana Lefay – Rare Reunion Show
Morgana Lefay return to the stage for a rare reunion appearance, marking only their second announced show of 2026 and, for now, their only international performance of the year. With their last live appearance dating back to 2018, the Swedish metal veterans will bring songs from across their catalogue back to the stage, including material from albums such as The Secret Doctrine, Maleficium and The Seventh Seal.
Primordial
Primordial bring more than three decades of experience to Rock Hard Festival Greece, combining black metal intensity with Celtic influences and epic songwriting. With albums such as The Gathering Wilderness and To the Nameless Dead firmly established in the band’s legacy, their return to Athens promises one of the most atmospheric and emotionally charged sets of the weekend.
Triumpher
Triumpher represent the modern Greek epic heavy metal scene, combining traditional heavy metal foundations with black metal intensity and a strong theatrical edge. Following Storming the Walls and Spirit Invictus, the Athens-based band returned in 2026 with Piercing the Heart of the World, continuing a rapid rise that has already taken them to festivals such as Keep It True and Up the Hammers.
Saturday, September 12
The second day shifts the focus toward classic heavy metal, power metal and thrash, with several performances built around landmark albums and defining periods in each artist’s career.
Angra – Holy Land 30th Anniversary feat. Kiko Loureiro
Angra return to Athens for a special 30th-anniversary celebration of Holy Land, performing the landmark 1996 album in full alongside selected classics from across their career. The show will also feature the temporary return of guitarist Kiko Loureiro, making the Rock Hard Festival Greece appearance one of only two European dates dedicated to the album’s anniversary.
Dirkschneider – Special Best of Accept Set
Udo Dirkschneider returns to Athens with a set dedicated to the classic Accept material that helped define his career. Backed by a lineup that includes his son Sven Dirkschneider on drums and longtime Accept bassist Peter Baltes, the performance will focus on the songs and era that established Udo as one of the most distinctive voices in German heavy metal.
Blaze Bayley – Iron Maiden Anniversary Show
Blaze Bayley brings a special Iron Maiden anniversary set to Rock Hard Festival Greece, focusing entirely on the period he spent fronting the band between 1994 and 1999. The performance will draw from The X Factor and Virtual XI, along with selected material connected to that era, revisiting one of the most distinctive chapters in Iron Maiden’s history.
Frank Blackfire – Best of Sodom & Kreator Set
Frank Blackfire brings a set built around the music of two defining German thrash bands: Sodom and Kreator. Drawing from the period in which he helped shape albums such as Agent Orange and Coma of Souls, the performance will revisit some of the riffs and songs that became cornerstones of the European thrash metal scene.
Dreamlord
Dreamlord will open the second day of Rock Hard Festival Greece with their modern take on Greek thrash metal. Active since 2010, the Athens-based band built its reputation with Disciples of War and followed it with Artificial Imprisonment, combining heavy riffs, direct songwriting and an aggressive live approach.
With a lineup built around rare reunions, anniversary performances and special sets, Rock Hard Festival Greece 2026 brings together two days of metal history and contemporary heavy music in the heart of Athens.
