Milwaukee Metal Fest will return for its 2025 edition on May 15-18 at The Rave/Eagles Club, and they’ve announced the initial lineup. It includes New Orleans sludge supergroup Down (with Pantera’s Phil Anselmo, Crowbar’s Kirk Windstein, Corrosion of Conformity Pepper Keenan, Eyehategod/Crowbar’s Jimmy Bower, and Goatwhore/Crowbar’s Pat Bruders), the reunited Dillinger Escape Plan (playing Calculating Infinity), Exodus, Destruction, 3 Inches of Blood, Wolves in the Throne Room, The Acacia Strain, Harms Way, Fugitive, Speed, Exhorder, Full of Hell, and more, with more still to be announced. See the first wave lineup in full below.
Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed, who is the festival co-organizer, says, “Milwaukee Metal Fest is back for year #3 and we’re looking forward to an even bigger & better event in 2025! DOWN rarely play the Midwest, so their set is going to be something special. Exodus are celebrating their 40th anniversary and were our #1 most requested band for the festival, we can’t live without Bay Area Thrash. The Dillinger Escape Plan haven’t played Milwaukee in almost 15 years, let alone doing Calculating Infinity, plus 3 Inches Of Blood are back but only doing select appearances, so the fact they chose to come play MMF is incredible and we can’t wait to have our buddies from the great white north. Throw in new hxc metal phenomenons like Speed & Fugitive, who represent the best of the new breed of heavy bands, plus MMF alumni like Trouble, Exhorder & Deceased, and we’re guaranteed to have a rager!”
Early-bird tickets are on sale now.
MILWAUKEE METAL FEST INITIAL 2025 LINEUP
DOWN (Anselmo, Windstein, Keenan, Bower, Bruders)
The Dillinger Escape Plan (Performing Calculating Infinity)
Exodus
Destruction
3 Inches of Blood
Wolves in the Throne Room
Trouble
The Acacia Strain
Harms Way
Fugitive
Speed
Exhorder
Full of Hell
END
Nekrogoblikon
Deceased
Legions of Doom
+ more TBA