Fests, concerts, and more!

by Katie F. Boltuch
Contributing writer

If you want a change from the beer and wine festivals, you are in luck. There are plenty of alternative festivals and activities. For the most part, all festivals, activities, and concerts listed are within a few hours of the KMC area. Enjoy!

Photo by Devo Satria Ichwaldi / Shutterstock.com

Music Festivals

I love a good fest, especially music festivals. What better way to enjoy life than to spend time outdoors and listen to some of your favorite bands?

If you’re a club-going enthusiast then World Club Dome in Frankfurt is the festival for you. From June 2 to 4 you can see popular artists like Waka Flocka Flame, AfroJack, and DeadMau5. This open-air festival is in its fifth year of existence. With a gigantic dancefloor area of more than 700,000 square meters covering lush green soccer fields and the adjoining pool stage in the outdoor stadium, the grounds around Commerzbank Arena invite you to dance to the 120,000 beats and sounds from 20 stages. The Club Music Circle offers more than 200 international DJs and acts to guarantee an unforgettable party weekend. Tickets range in price from 95 euro to 279 euro and are going fast! Be sure to check the website www.worldclubdome.com for more information.

Not a clubber but still wanna rock? Have no fear, Rock am Ring Festival is here! From Friday June 2 through Sunday evening June 4, Rock am Ring Festival takes place at the Nuerburging, a well-known German race track. Rockers of all levels will see unforgettable shows from bands such as Alter Bridge, Bastille, Five Finger Death Punch, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Rammstein, System of a Down and others. What’s more, if you enjoy camping, this is probably the festival for you. Tickets vary in price including camping passes and weekend-long ticket admission. Be sure to take advantage of the beer ticket. You can pay in advance for a case of beer along with your ticket(s) so your beverages will be ice cold come festival time. Additionally, with each online order you are entered into a drawing for various prizes including backstage passes. For more information and an up-to-date list of artists visit www.rock-am-ring.com.

Need an even darker side of rock? There’s a festival for that too. The Matapaloz Festival takes place at the Hockenheimring, another race track, from June 16 through 17. Created by the German band Boehse Onkelz, whose musical inspiration stems from that of The Clash and The Stranglers, this festival offers something for heavy metal and punk lovers. With a lineup consisting of bands like Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach, Slayer, and Anthrax, concert-goers are sure to find some head-banging music. Tickets range in price from about 70 euro for one day to about 140 euro for both days. More information can be found at www.hockenheimring.de

Concerts

It’s been said that music feeds the soul. Well, what better way to satiate your body than with some great concerts this season? Believe it or not, there are a vast number of concerts being held relatively close to the KMC area. Be sure to check on www.ticketmaster.de as well for pricing.

April:

23 – Deftones

Stadthalle, Offenbach (near Frankfurt)

25 – Bob Dylan

Festhalle, Frankfurt

28 & 29 – Iron Maiden

with Shinedown

Festhalle, Frankfurt

Photo by Durch Vince Clements / Shutterstock.com

May:

13 – KISS

Schleyerhalle, Stuttgart

23 – KISS

Festhalle, Frankfurt

25 – Foreigner

Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt

26 – Aerosmith

Koenigsplatz, Munich

June:

1 – Bruno Mars

Festhalle, Frankfurt

3 – Ariana Grande

Festhalle, Frankfurt

12 – Blink 182

Festhalle, Frankfurt

20 – Depeche Mode

Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt

30 – Coldplay

Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt
July:

1 – Coldplay

Commerzbank Arena, Frankfurt

5 – Elton John

SAP Arena, Mannheim

12 – U2

Olympic Stadium, Berlin

19 – Brian Wilson

Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt

Non-Music Events

Sport and entertainment enthusiasts can also find some things to do this season.

Car enthusiasts will certainly have their engines revved! Starting May 5, DTM presents the German Touring Car Masters at Hockenheim Ring race track. This race showcases the newest models from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-AMG. In addition to luxury cars, patrons can watch the Rallycross World Championships. Racing events take place throughout the weekend. Ticket prices start at 10 euro. More information on race schedules and ticket purchases can be found at www.hockenheimring.de.

If you can’t make the May event, you are in luck. From June 2 through June 4, Hockenheim Ring will host the Porsche Sports Cup Deutschland. This club and customer sport series is one of the most renowned of its kind. The Porsche Sports cup is a series of 12 races held over six weekends, two of the races occur the first weekend in June. The participants consist of experienced drivers as well as several junior drivers competing for positions on the course. All race teams use Porsche GT3s and GT2s (for the Porsche Sports Cup) or Porsche GT3s (for the Porsche Supersports Cup). Tickets are on sale now at www.hockenheimring.de/porsche-sports-cup

Let’s get it on! WWE Live wrestles their way to the Porsche Arena in Stuttgart on Thursday May 11. Beginning at 7 p.m., World Wrestling Entertainment presents the world’s best WWE RAW superstars. With the tension arc increasing from event to event, spectators are sure to see some action-packed matches. WWE Live unleashes the passion and energy of a rock concert. Matches will feature such superstars as Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Cesaro, Big E and many more. Ticket prices start at 69 euro. More information and ticket purchases can be made at www.wwe.com/wwe-live-stuttgart