The first edition of Rock Hard Festival Greece will take place in Athens, Greece on September 12 and 13, 2025. The festival features a one-off world exclusive performance of Candlemass featuring former vocalist Messiah Marcolin! This will be the first (and only) time in over 20 years that Messiah has performed live with the band.
The second wave of bands have been announced for Rock Hard Greece and coming in from New Jersey are legendary thrashers Overkill, a special acoustic performance from Pain Of Salvation’s Daniel Gildenlöw and Johan Hallgren, Greece’s own Innerwish, and another Greek act with heavy metallers Battleroar.
Rock Hard Greece 2025 lineup: Battleroar, Candlemass with Messiah Marcolin, Roy Khan and Tore Østby of Conception, Gus G. And Friends, Innerwish, Overkill, Daniel Gildenlöw and Johan Hallgren of Pain Of Salvation, and The Crypt.
Four more artists are still to be announced.
Tickets are available at this location.
The organizers on the latest additions:
Overkill:
“It’s been a long overdue wait, but now, thirteen years after their last appearance in Greece, the legendary Overkill are back, stronger than ever! Rock Hard Festival Greece is honored to host one of the most influential thrash metal bands of all time, ready to deliver an unstoppable, explosive live show to the Athenian crowd.”
Pain Of Salvation:
“Rock Hard Festival Greece 2025 is set to welcome two of the most iconic figures in progressive metal! Daniel Gildenlöw and Johan Hallgren, the driving forces behind the legendary Pain Of Salvation, will take the festival stage for a unique 45-minute acoustic show on Saturday, September 13, at the amphitheater of Technopolis City of Athens (Gasholder 1 – Auditorium ‘Miltiadis Evert’).
“This special set will be exclusively available to VIP ticket holders (alongside the previously announced performance of Tore Østby and Roy Khan of Conception), offering a truly unique experience for progressive music fans.
“Pain Of Salvation has been at the forefront of the progressive rock and metal scene for nearly three decades. Led by the charismatic multi-instrumentalist Daniel Gildenlöw, the Swedish band has consistently pushed musical boundaries, remaining both sonically innovative and lyrically thought-provoking.”
Innerwish:
“We are proud to announce the participation of Innerwish! One of the most important and respected bands in Greek metal is making a powerful return, ready to prove once again why they hold a special place in the European melodic metal scene. Their performance comes just months after the release of Ashes Of Eternal Flame, an album that marked their triumphant comeback after eight years of studio silence.”
Battleroar:
“Seeing Battleroar return to the Athenian stage after six long years is one of the festival’s major highlights, while their performance will coincide with the release of their highly anticipated new album — marking the end of seven years of studio silence!”
