We’re officially more than halfway through the year, and there are a lot of bands on the road as we write this. We know how difficult it can be to keep track of when all your favourite artists are touring, so we’re here to help.
Thus, we’ve prepared a list of the rock and metal bands touring throughout 2025 so that you don’t have to scroll through ticketing websites, venue calendars and bands’ individual social media pages to see if your favourite acts will be on the road. This is your officially unofficial UK Tour Guide from The Riff Report Blog โ and it slaps harder than a wall of amps in a phone box.
๐ค Major Rock & Metal Tours in the UK โ 2025
Iron Maiden โ The Future Past World Tour Part 2
- Dates: JuneโJuly 2025
- Venues: Stadiums across the UK (London Stadium, Glasgow Hampden, Cardiff Principality)
- Why go? 50 YEARS OF MAIDEN, MUN. Thatโs reason enough. Expect Eddie in a spacesuit, Somewhere in Time throwbacks, and Bruce sprinting like itโs 1985.
Slipknot โ 25th Anniversary Chaos Tour
- Dates: AugustโSeptember 2025
- Venues: Arenas including Manchester AO, O2 London, Birmingham Resorts World
- Why go? New masks, old tunes, and bodies flying. Coreyโs voice is on fire, and theyโre bringing the heaviness of Iowa back to the setlist.
Green Day โ Saviors World Tour
- Dates: JuneโJuly 2025
- Venues: Knebworth Park, Glasgow Green, Manchester
- Why go? Playing Dookie and American Idiot in full. Expect nostalgia and mosh pits in equal measure.
Metallica โ M72 World Tour (2 Nights, 2 Setlists)
- Dates: August 2025
- Venue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff
- Why go? Two nights, no repeat songs. Night 1 = classics, Night 2 = deep cuts. Bring a neck brace.
Bring Me The Horizon โ Post Human Tour
- Dates: OctoberโNovember 2025
- Venues: Major arenas nationwide
- Why go? New material + arena carnage = guaranteed chaos. Fire, confetti, eyeliner tears.
Rammstein โ Feuer Frei Stadium Tour
- Dates: Summer 2025
- Venues: Only one UK date (London)
- Why go? Pyro. Flamethrowers. Gimp suits. Itโs a sensory overload of German industrial genius.
Ghost โ The Impera Ritual Returns
- Dates: MarchโApril 2025
- Venues: Arenas across the UK
- Why go? Papa Emeritus IVโs last hurrah? Cloaks, theatrics, and Satanic disco metal.
Architects โ New Album Tour
- Dates: September 2025
- Venues: Academy-sized venues
- Why go? Smaller rooms, massive breakdowns. Prepare to scream and cry (sometimes both at once).
Tenacious D โ Spicy Meatball Tour
- Dates: May 2025
- Venues: O2 Arena, Glasgow Hydro, Manchester
- Why go? Itโs the D. Shred, skits, meatballs in jars. Itโs comedy rock at its most majestic.
Trivium & Bullet For My Valentine โ Double Headliner Tour
- Dates: FebruaryโMarch 2025
- Venues: UK arenas
- Why go? Welsh pride meets Florida fury. Expect pyro, circle pits, and a hometown gig in Cardiff thatโll be legendary.
๐๏ธ Other Tours to Watch in 2025
| Band | Tour Name | Dates | Venue Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parkway Drive | Monsters of Metal | April | Arenas |
| Paramore | This Is Why Tour Pt. 2 | August | Festivals & Arenas |
| Alkaline Trio | New Album Tour | May | Academy Venues |
| Powerwolf | Wolfsnรคchte UK Tour | March | Theatres |
| The Hu | Black Thunder Tour | October | Mid-size Venues |
| Nova Twins | Supernova UK Run | April | Clubs & Festivals |
| Sleep Token | Ritual Tour Extended | TBA | Churches and Theatres |
๐ฉ Rock & Metal Festivals in the UK โ 2025
- Download Festival โ June 13โ15, Donington Park
๐ธ Green Day, KoRn, BFMV, and more - Bloodstock Open Air โ August 7โ10, Catton Park
โ๏ธ Power metal, black metal, beer, and more beer - Steelhouse Festival โ July 25โ27, Ebbw Vale
๐ป Only in Wales, mun โ where the riffs echo off the mountain - Arctangent Festival โ August 14โ17, Bristol
๐ถ For math rock nerds and prog metal heads - Slam Dunk Festival โ May Bank Holiday
๐ฅ Pop punk, metalcore, and day drinking in a field
๐ก Tips for Scoring Tickets
- Sign up for pre-sales โ Bands like Metallica and BMTH offer fan club or venue pre-sales.
- Avoid scalpers and Viagogo โ Theyโre more evil than a Slayer riff played backwards.
- Check smaller venues โ Some big acts are doing surprise intimate shows in places like Rescue Rooms, The Joiners, and Clwb Ifor Bach.
- Join The Riff Report newsletter โ Youโll get alerts before your mates even see the poster. Tidy!
๐ข Who Might Announce Soon?
- System of a Down โ Whispers of UK shows in autumn ๐คซ
- Foo Fighters โ Glastonbury slot rumoured to be a warm-up
- WARGASM โ Phone-free tour dates to be confirmed
- AC/DC โ Wembley or bust?
๐ฐ Got a Tour Tip?
Heard a rumour or spotted a leaked date poster in a pub loo?
Let us know at staging.theriffreport.co.uk/ and weโll shout it from the rooftops louder than Rob Halford on a Harley.
2025 is going to be a LOUD one, so get your calendars marked, wallets weeping, and horns raised high. Diolch, rockers โ see you in the pit! ๐ค๐ฅ
Michael is the founder, editor, and chief riff wrangler behind The Riff Report, an independent Welsh rock and metal publication built by fans, for fans. With a lifelong passion for loud guitars, unforgettable live shows, and the incredible community that surrounds rock and metal, he created The Riff Report to celebrate everything that makes the scene specialโfrom legendary headline acts and grassroots venues to rising bands that deserve to be heard.
A familiar face at festivals across the UK, Michael spends much of the year covering events including Download Festival, Bloodstock Open Air, Steelhouse Festival, Firevolt, Plumpton Revival, and many more. Whether heโs battling the Welsh weather on a mountainside, surviving a weekend in a muddy campsite, or squeezed against the front barrier with thousands of fellow fans, heโs always searching for the next great story to share.
As editor of The Riff Report, Michael writes festival guides, breaking news, album reviews, gig reviews, interviews, opinion pieces, nostalgia features, and behind-the-scenes stories from across the rock and metal world. His writing combines honest opinions, humour, and a genuine love for live music, bringing readers closer to the bands, festivals, venues, and people that keep the scene alive.
Michael is particularly passionate about supporting independent artists, local venues, charities, and the wider UK rock and metal community. He believes every band deserves a chance to be discovered and every festival has a story worth telling. Through The Riff Report, he aims to shine a spotlight on both the biggest names in rock and the future stars waiting to break through.
When heโs not writing or interviewing artists, youโll probably find him exploring festival campsites, photographing live shows, chatting with fellow fans over a pint, or planning the next road trip in search of more riffs, bigger crowds, and unforgettable moments.
Above all, Michael believes rock and metal are about more than musicโtheyโre about community, friendship, and creating memories that last a lifetime. Thatโs exactly what The Riff Report exists to celebrate.
Proudly Welsh. Proudly Loud. Always chasing the next great riff. ๐ค
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