Monsters of Rock was a hard rock and heavy metal music festival. It was originally held annually in Castle Donington, England, from 1980 to 1996, taking place every year except 1989 and 1993. It later branched into other locations such as the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Sweden, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the United States, and Russia.

History

In 1980, promoter Paul Loasby, along with Maurice Jones, planned a one-day festival dedicated specifically for bands within the hard rock and heavy metal genre. Loasby was an established and successful promoter working that year on the Rainbow UK tour and penned the festival as the final show of the tour for the band to headline. Jones knew the owner of the Donington Park race track, Tom Wheatcroft, located next to the village of Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England, and the site was chosen to host the event. (A year earlier, promoter Bill Graham’s July 1979 Day on the Green Festival at Oakland Coliseum in California was also dubbed "The Monsters of Rock" show. This concert featured Aerosmith, Ted Nugent and AC/DC.) Donington Park was unknown as a major location but its location in the East Midlands next to the M1 and A42 allowed for better transportation to the site from around the country. Additionally, the site ground level sloped which allowed for a better viewing for the audience throughout the site. The first Monsters of Rock line-up consisted of a mix of British and international bands. The event was a success with 35,000 heavy metal fans attending. Although only conceived as a one-off event, it was mentioned on the day the idea that the festival will return the following year and the first edition birthed what would become a regular festival for the next 15 years, becoming synonymous as a Mecca for fans of the genre and further establishing the Midlands as the home of heavy metal. Over the years, the attendance continued to grow, reaching 107,000 in 1988–where two fans died during the Guns N' Roses set. The blame was initially accounted to the large size of the crowd and a rush forward during the band's set. But it was officially declared that the cause was laid on the weather, causing muddy and wet conditions on the sloping ground. As a result, the festival did not take place in 1989, and it was replaced that year by a two-day festival similar to Monsters of Rock, the Moscow Music Peace Festival in Soviet Union, which included performances by several Monsters of Rock veterans Bon Jovi, Ozzy Osbourne, Mötley Crüe and Scorpions. Monsters of Rock returned the year after with a limitation to the crowd of 75,000. The festival had been held in parallel in West Germany from 1983 to 1991. In 1984 and 1986 the festival branched into Sweden. In 1988, the festival occurred for the first time in France, Italy, Spain and the Netherlands. It was held as a one-time event in 1991 in Russia (one of the largest concerts of all time, with an estimated audience of over 1.6 million), Poland, Belgium, Hungary. In 1994, the festival was exported overseas to Chile, Argentina and Brazil. In 1993 the Monsters of Rock radio show debuted in the United States with host Harlan Hendrickson. Guests on the show include everyone from AC/DC, KISS, Van Halen, Judas Priest, Motörhead, Cinderella, Ozzy Osbourne, Bon Jovi, Cheap Trick, Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Dio, Y&T, Guns N' Roses, Slayer and Poison. The Monsters of Rock festival continued on as the premier hard rock and heavy metal event in Great Britain in the 1990s but started to fall upon hard times as heavy metal became less popular, with another cancellation in 1993 due to being unable to find a strong enough headliner. In 1995 the festival found itself in a similar situation until Metallica agreed to play with the condition of the band having control over the event and naming it "Escape from the Studio". In 1996 Ozzy Osbourne and KISS co-headlined the festival and although there were plans to extend the festival into a two-day event in 1997, the promoters once again found themselves in a struggle for headliners and the event was cancelled and discontinued. Donington Park remained event-less until 2001 when the Rock and Blues Festival and Stereophonics held events at the site. In 2002 the Ozzfest tour returned to the UK using Donington Park as their only British event and the following year Live Nation picked up the reins as Monsters of Rock's successor in the name of Download Festival. An outstanding success from the offset, the festival continues to this day having increased to a three-day event with five stages, though as of 2008 the event has been relegated outside of the track. In 2006, the Monsters of Rock name was revived and held at the National Bowl in Milton Keynes, England, for a one-off event headlined by Deep Purple and with Alice Cooper as a special guest. In 2012 Harlan Hendrickson & Monsters of Rock Worldwide partnered with Larry Morand and Mike London to launch the inaugural Monsters Of Rock Cruise.

Line-ups

(Note: Line-ups in this section are for the events held in the United Kingdom. They are listed with the headlining band first, followed by the reverse order of appearance by the other bands.)

1980

16 August 1980 (attendance: 35,000)

1981

22 August 1981 (attendance: 65,000)

1982

21 August 1982 (attendance: 35,000)

1983

20 August 1983 (attendance: 35,000)

1984

18 August 1984 (attendance: 65,000)

1985

17 August 1985 (attendance: 50,000)

1986

16 August 1986 (attendance: 40,000)

1987

22 August 1987 (attendance: 65,000)

1988

20 August 1988 (attendance: 97,800)

1990

18 August 1990 (attendance: 72,000) The entire 1990 festival was simultaneously broadcast live on BBC Radio 1, which had previously recorded festivals for later broadcast.

1991

17 August 1991 (attendance: 65,000) Attendance: 65,000

1992

22 August 1992 (this was also broadcast live on Radio 1) (attendance: 56,000)

1994

4 June 1994 (another festival broadcast live; highlights were transmitted in 1995 and 1996) (attendance: 56,000). This was the first year that two stages were used. Readers of Kerrang! magazine were invited to vote on bands to appear at the festival. Extreme easily won their place on the bill but were bottled for much of their set. Main stage: Second Stage:

1995

26 August 1995 (attendance: 60,000) 1995 was not billed as 'Monsters of Rock' but as 'Escape from the Studio', owing to Metallica headlining on a break from recording the Load album – making them the first band to play the festival four times (while Therapy? became the first to play in consecutive years). Prior to the show, reverend Brian Whitehead held a special service at the Castle Donington village's St Edward church, to combat the "occult forces" that he feared would be unleashed by the event, especially White Zombie.

1996

17 August 1996. Ozzy Osbourne and Kiss co-headlined, with Kiss being the final band on stage. (attendance: 50,000) Main stage: Kerrang! Stage:

2006

3 June 2006 – Milton Keynes Bowl

International events

1983 West Germany Tour

West Germany: Dortmund, Westfalenhallen – 2 September 1983 Kaiserslautern, Waldstadion am Erbsenberg – 3 September 1983 Nürnberg, Zeppelinfeld – 4 September 1983

1984 North European Tour

Sweden: Stockholm, Råsunda Stadium – 25 August 1984 West Germany: Karlsruhe, Wildparkstadion – 1 September 1984 West Germany: Nuremberg, Zeppelinfeld – 2 September 1984

1986 North European Tour

Sweden Stockholm, Råsunda Stadium – 23 August 1986 West Germany: Nuremberg, Zeppelinfeld – 30 August 1986 West Germany: Mannheim, Maimarktgelände – 31 August 1986

1987 European Tour

Italy: Reggio Emilia, Aeroporto di Reggio Emilia – 26 August 1987 West Germany: Nuremberg, Messegelände – 29 August 1987 West Germany: Pforzheim, Stadion im Brötzinger Tal – 30 August 1987

1988 USA & Europe Tour

USA: 23 May – 30 July West Germany: Schweinfurt, Mainwiesen Gelände – 27 August 1988 West Germany: Bochum, Ruhrland Stadion – 28 August 1988 Netherlands: Tilburg, Willem II Stadion – 4 September 1988 Italy: Modena, Festa de l'Unità – 10 September 1988 Spain: Pamplona, Plaza de Toros – 17 September 1988 Spain: Madrid, Casa de Campo – 18 September 1988 Spain: Barcelona, Plaza de Toros – 22 September 1988 France: Paris, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy – 24 & 25 September 1988

1990 European Tour

Sweden: Stockholm, Stockholm Globe Arena – 21 August 1990 West Germany: West Berlin, Waldbühne – 23 August 1990 West Germany: Dortmund, Westfalenhallen – 25 August 1990 Netherlands: Utrecht, Stadion Galgenwaard – 26 August 1990 Italy: Bologna, Arena Parco Nord – 30 August 1990 West Germany: Mannheim, Maimarktgelände – 1 September 1990 Note: This particular show was promoted as "Super Rock 1990". France: Paris, Hippodrome de Vincennes – 3 September 1990 Note: Face to Face was a French band related to Trust. Faith No More was not on the ticket list but was present to the show.

1991 European Tour

Denmark: Copenhagen, Gentofte Stadion – 10 August 1991 Poland: Chorzów, Śląski Stadion – 13 August 1991 Hungary: Budapest, Népstadion – 22 August 1991 Germany: München, Galopprennbahn München Riem, 24 August 1991 Switzerland: Basel, St. Jakobs Stadium, 25 August 1991 Belgium: Hasselt, Belgium, Domein Kiewit – 30 August 1991 Netherlands: Nijmegen, Goffert Stadion – 1 September 1991 Germany: Mainz, Finthen Army Airfield – 7 September 1991 Austria: Graz, Liebenauer Stadion – 11 September 1991 Italy: Modena, Festa dell'Unità – 14 September 1991 France: Paris, Hippodrome de Vincennes – 21 September 1991 Spain: Barcelona, Estadio Olímpico Lluís Companys – 25 September 1991 Soviet Union: Moscow, Tushino Airfield – 28 September 1991 Partially released as For Those About to Rock, Monsters in Moscow. The versions of "Whole Lotta Rosie" and "The Jack" that AC/DC performed at this concert, were released on two of AC/DC's live albums, AC/DC Live and AC/DC Live: 2 CD Collector's Edition. Metallica's performances of "Harvester of Sorrow" and "Creeping Death" from this show were used as B-sides for the "Sad but True" single in different regional editions. Pantera's "Cowboys from Hell" performance is featured as a playable song in the video games Guitar Hero Smash Hits and Rock Band 4. Tushino Airfield was recreated as a virtual venue in Guitar Hero Metallica.

1992 South European tour

Italy: Reggio Emilia, Arena Festa Nazionale Dell'Unita' – 12 September 1992 The bands Danzig and Gun both canceled their appearances at the festival. They are featured on the poster for the event. Spain: Barcelona, Plaza de Toros – 14 September 1992 Spain: San Sebastián, Velódromo de Anoeta – 17 September 1992 Spain: Madrid, Las Arenas Plaza de Toros – 18 September 1992 Spain: Zaragoza, Municipal Tent – 19 September 1992

1994 South American Tour

Brazil: São Paulo, Estádio do Pacaembu – 27 August 1994 Chile: Santiago, Estación Mapocho – 1 September 1994 Argentina: Buenos Aires, River Plate Stadium – 3 September 1994

1995 South American Tour

Brazil: São Paulo, Estádio do Pacaembu – September 1995 2nd Chile: Santiago, Teatro Caupolicán – September 1995 8th 9th Argentina: Buenos Aires, Ferro Carril Oeste Stadium – September 1995 9th 10th

1996 Brazil

Brazil: São Paulo, Estádio do Pacaembu – 24 August 1996 This event marked the last performance of the original lineup of Skid Row, before parting with singer Sebastian Bach and drummer Rob Affuso.

1997 Argentina

Argentina: Buenos Aires, Ferro Carril Oeste Stadium – 13 December 1997

1998 South American Tour

Brazil: São Paulo - Estádio Ícaro de Castro Melo - near Ibirapuera Park – 26 September 1998 Van Halen was supposed to be the headliner, but it never became official or happened. Chile: Santiago, Velódromo Estadio Nacional – 10 December 1998 Iron Maiden was going to appear at the festival as a headliner, but they were forced to cancel due to the arrest of Augusto Pinochet in London. Argentina: Buenos Aires, Vélez Sársfield Stadium – 12 December 1998

1999 Argentina

Argentina: Buenos Aires, River Plate Stadium – 14 May 1999 Marilyn Manson was going to appear at the festival, but they were forced to cancel due to the Columbine High School massacre

2004 Italy

Italy: Como, Stadio Sinigaglia – 13 July 2004

2005 South American Tour

Argentina: Buenos Aires, Ferro Carril Oeste Stadium – 11 September 2005 Chile: Santiago, Pista Atlética Estadio Nacional – 13 September 2005

2006 Spain

Spain: Zaragoza, Feria de Zaragoza – 18 June 2006

2007 Spain

Spain: Zaragoza, Feria de Zaragoza – June 2007 22nd 23rd

2008 Chile & Spain

Chile: Santiago, Pista Atlética Estadio Nacional – 1 April 2008 Spain: Zaragoza, Feria de Zaragoza – July 2008 11th 12th (Cancelled due to rain)

2013 Brazil

Brazil: São Paulo, Anhembi Convention Center – October 2013 19th 20th

2015 South American Tour

Brazil: São Paulo, Anhembi Convention Center – April 2015 25th 26th Brazil: Curitiba, Pedreira Paulo Leminski – 28 April 2015 Brazil: Porto Alegre, Estádio Passo d'Areia – 30 April 2015 Argentina: Buenos Aires, Ciudad del Rock – 2 May 2015

2016 Germany

Germany: Sankt Goarshausen, Loreley Freilichtbühne – 17 June 2016; Bietigheim-Bissingen, Festplatz am Viadukt - 18 June 2016

2017 Argentina

Argentina: Buenos Aires, Tecnopolis – 4 November 2017

2023 Colombia

Colombia: Bogotá, Estadio El Campín – 15 April 2023

2023 Brazil

Brazil: São Paulo, Allianz Parque – 22 April 2023

2025 Brazil

Brazil: São Paulo, Allianz Parque – 19 April 2025

2025 Colombia

Colombia: Bogotá, Coliseo MedPlus – 30 April 2025

In popular culture

Saxon wrote the song "And the Bands Played On" about their appearance at the 1980 festival. The 1986 appearance by Bad News was featured in the TV mockumentary More Bad News. In 1993, the Monsters of Rock radio show debuted. Harlan Hendrickson, host and creator of the Monsters of Rock, broadcasts from the rock radio station WRIF in Detroit. The Monsters of Rock is currently syndicated nationally/internationally through United Stations Radio Networks where it currently airs in over 60 markets in the United States alone. The program currently holds the number-one or number-two slots among males 25–54 on the majority of stations that carry it. Guests on the show have included of AC/DC, Kiss, Van Halen, Motörhead, Cinderella, Ozzy Osbourne, Bon Jovi, Cheap Trick, Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Slayer and Poison. In 1994, [Beavis and Butt-Head](https://bliptext.com/articles/beavis-and-butt-head) episode "Take a Number", [Beavis and Butt-Head](https://bliptext.com/articles/beavis-and-butt-head) attempt to get tickets to Creatures of Rock which is a parody of Monsters of Rock In the 2005 Half Man Half Biscuit song "Mate of the Bloke" on their album Achtung Bono, the protagonist sings of legal action taken against him by More O'Ferrall for spraying the legend "in church hall if wet" onto a billboard for Monsters of Rock. In 2012, Harlan Hendrickson teamed up with Larry Morand and Mike London to launch the "Monsters of Rock Cruise", which is a multi day music cruise celebrating the Castle Donington festival. Artists such as Saxon, UFO, Cinderella, Tesla, The Quireboys and others from the original festival have been featured on the cruise.