Four days, more than 45,000 fans and a stacked lineup featuring some of heavy music’s biggest names turned Bulgaria’s ancient city of Plovdiv into one of Europe’s premier rock destinations as Hills Of Rock 2026 wrapped up another huge edition.
Running across four days at the city’s Rowing Canal precinct, this year’s festival combined international heavyweights with rising local talent, proving once again why Hills Of Rock has become one of Eastern Europe’s standout rock and metal events.
The festivities kicked off with the Be4 Hills opening day, where Epica, Savatage and Swedish power metal favourites Sabaton warmed up the crowd before the festival officially roared into life.
Sabaton’s performance delivered one of the weekend’s standout moments as the band honoured Bulgarian history during ‘The Valley of Death’, drawing an emotional response from the home crowd.
Hills Of Rock Gallery
Weekend wrap
Friday belonged to Marilyn Manson, who headlined in front of the largest audience the festival has ever hosted, his theatrical performance capped off a day that also featured Vended, Malevolence, P.O.D. and Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter, while stages across the site showcased everything from punk and hardcore to local Bulgarian favourites.
Saturday kept the momentum rolling with powerhouse performances from House Of Protection, Skindred, Black Label Society and Godsmack, while Australian metalcore favourites Northlane made their long-awaited Bulgarian debut, delivering one of the weekend’s most talked about sets.
The final day closed with another string of firsts, German party metal phenomenon Electric Callboy finally made its Bulgarian debut before Lamb Of God unleashed a crushing headline worthy performance of their own, alongside sets from Paradise Lost, Deafheaven and Nevermore.
Beyond the international names, Hills Of Rock continued highlighting Bulgaria’s thriving heavy music scene, with acts including Tsar Pluh, Hellion Stone and Lek City Case drawing passionate crowds throughout the weekend.
The festival also continued its commitment to accessibility through its sign language interpretation program, helping ensure live music remained accessible to fans with hearing impairments.
With the first allocation of 2027 early bird tickets selling out in under an hour, it’s clear Hills Of Rock has cemented itself as one of Europe’s essential destinations for heavy music fans, if this year’s edition was any indication, next summer can’t come soon enough.
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