PHOTO CREDIT: GABRIELLE DUPLANTIER
Virginia’s Blue Ridge Rock Festival’s journey this year has been exciting. The festival revealed its change in management after last year’s show. Soon after came the announcement of an upgrade in the venue, moving to the Virginia International Raceway, which are very familiar with dealing with the high volume of fans expected for a large festival. Lineup announcements kicked off in mid-February. Kittie’s first United States performance in over a decade has gone on to include nearly two hundred bands. The diverse lineup ranges from promising up-and-comers to absolute legends in the heavy metal scene spread out over the four-day festival, plus a mini lineup for camper VIPs the Wednesday before the primary kickoff.
Now, the festival has released the full lineup rounding out the card with bands including Ice Cube, Fever 333, and the final headliner. Being candid about not being able to close a deal with a reunion that would have been twenty years in the making, Blue Ridge Rock Fest instead announced Mudvayne would join Ghost, Slipknot, and Disturbed as the nightly headliners. While the lineup is now advertised as complete, more announcements will come later in the summer due to bands including Jinjer and Fear Factory having to drop off due to various unforeseen reasons. Still, while it’s sad to see some of them go, the opportunity comes knocking for another act to come in and blow fans away.
Shortly after the full lineup reveal, the daily lineups were also released. Wednesday’s VIP portion will see Puddle of Mudd and Alien Ant Farm greeting the earlier arrivers. Thursday will have Ghost headlining a day featuring Falling In Reverse, In This Moment, and Anthrax. Friday will have Halestorm, Gojira, and Alice Cooper, among the many big names leading up to Mudvayne’s headlining performance. Saturday belongs to Slipknot, Ice Nine Kills, Skillet, and Tenacious D, to name a few. Sunday closes out the weekend with Disturbed, Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage, and Saliva reuniting with original vocalist Josey Scott for a rare performance. These are just some of the many names ready, willing, and able to show fans why Blue Ridge Rock Festival has quickly become one of the biggest American rock festivals.
A quick look over at the festival’s website will reveal a lineup that features several reunions, rare performances, and notable artists from around the globe. Two of the remaining “TBA” spots belong to musicians, while the rest are for unannounced celebrity appearances for the festival and the VIP club experience set to run well into the night each night. September can’t come quick enough for rock and metal fans. Tickets are selling quickly and will absolutely sell out well in advance, so grab yours while you can. The fan-fueled festival is working hard to make sure that this festival is remembered for all the right reasons.
Daily Lineup (so far):
Wednesday 09/07/2022:
Puddle Of Mudd
Alien Ant Farm
Cold
Crazy Town
Burden Of The Sky
Kings County
Last Nights Villain
Thursday 09/08/2022:
Ghost
Ice Cube
Falling In Reverse
Stone Temple Pilots
Anthrax
In This Moment
Daughtry
Jelly Roll
Nothing More
Pop Evil
Sleeping With Sirens
Spiritbox
We Came As Romans
Bad Wolves
Kittie
Shadows Fall
Hinder
The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
Attila
Hawthorne Heights
Red
Counterparts
A Skylit Drive
Comeback Kid
Fire From The Gods
Unearth
Norma Jean
Smile Empty Soul
Palisades
Siamese
Vended
Brand Of Sacrifice
Alpha Wolf
Islander
Afterlife
Sleep Token
Vampires Everywhere
Get The Shot
Lansdowne
Frame 42
Braincell
Preacher
Plainview
Crystal Cages
Friday 09/09/2022:
Mudvayne
A Day To Remember
Halestorm
Alice Cooper
Gojira
Underoath
Down
Theory Of A Deadman
Sevendust
Badflower
Candlebox
Insane Clown Posse
In Flames
Hatebreed
All That Remains
3OH!3
Buckcherry
Electric Callboy
Bad Omens
Memphis May Fire
Whitechapel
Zero 9:36
Slaughter To Prevail
Saving Abel
Dayseeker
Bleeding Through
Fit For An Autopsy
Nita Strauss
Darkest Hour
Point North
Orbit Culture
Close Your Eyes
Emo Night Brooklyn
Blacktop Mojo
Small Town Titans
Zao
He Is Legend
SeeYouSpaceCowboy
Silvertung
Vangogo
Dying Oath
Dragged Under
Awake At Last
Hollow Intent
Dead Fervor
Saturday 09/10/2022:
Slipknot
Tenacious D
I Prevail
Pennywise
Skillet
Pierce The Veil
Motionless In White
Ice Nine Kills
Nelly
Starset
Black Veil Brides
Thrice
GWAR
God Forbid
Apolayptica
Queensrÿche
Fit For A King
Adelitas Way
Lacuna Coil
From Ashes To New
Chelsea Grin
Mushroomhead
The Plot In You
Stick To Your Guns
Sion
The Acacia Strain
Municipal Waste
Butcher Babies
Terror
Kublai Khan TX
The Word Alive
Crowbar
Upon A Burning Body
Redlight King
Hollow Front
The Dead Daisies
Traitors
Varials
Left To Suffer
Any Given Sin
Next Attempt
Two Sides Of Me
We Demand Parachutes
Noble Poets
Sunday 09/11/2022:
Disturbed
3 Doors Down
Lamb Of God
Seether
New Found Glory
Killswitch Engage
Hollywood Undead
Saliva
Wage War
Knocked Loose
Grandson
Fever 333
The Amity Affliction
Silverstein
Story Of The Year
Baroness
Hoobastank
The Devil Wears Prada
Enter Shikari
Suicide Silence
Demon Hunter
Nonpoint
John 5
Powerman 5000
Stray From The Path
Tetrarch
Attack Attack!
Silent Planet
Otherwise
Twiztid
Jeris Johnson
Project 86
Icon For Hire
Holding Absence
(hed)p.e.
Solence
Dying Wish
No Resolve
The Lonely Ones
GFM
Relent
Velvet Chains
The Other LA
+ More TBA
