Did you know that Columbus hosts a rock and metal festival with impressive, A-list lineups year after year in the summer? The Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival promises to deliver a rock and metal festival like you’ve never seen before in the middle of May 2024 in downtown Columbus at the Historic Crew Stadium—the sound of the bands playing pulsates through the city so loudly from the stadium stage acts, that people miles away can hear it in the evening. Sound like your kind of scene? Here’s what you need to know about Ohio’s best rock and metal music festival.
About Sonic Temple Art and Music Festival
Drawing diverse and popular rock and metal acts from around the country, Sonic Temple replaced the previous Rock on the Range music festival in 2019, but—like much everything else—had to take a pause in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. It returned to Columbus in 2023 after its forced hiatus.
The music festival takes place at the Historic Crew Stadium (previously Mapfre Stadium) and frequently draws in sold-out crowds of over 120,000 people who are eager to see their favorite bands play at a single location. Initially beginning in 2019 with a 3-day lineup, the festival has—since its 2023 return—promised an extended 4-day lineup and has even added a fourth stage to give more bands the chance to play. Sonic Temple regularly attracts top-tier talent like Metallica, Bring Me the Horizon, Slipknot, Evanescence, Joan Jett, System of a Down, and dozens of other rock and metal legends, especially for those who grew up in the 90s and early 2000s.
Logistics and Amenities of the Festival
When a music festival accommodates crowds of 120,000+, you can all but bet that there will be camping passes involved, and Sonic Temple is no exception. Their camping passes allow for a total of five nights right outside the Historic Crew Stadium, access to campground showers, and a parking pass for one vehicle. For those who aren’t keen on camping outside in the middle of an Ohio summer, Sonic Temple has partnered with local hotels in the area to offer discounted packages for hotel stays with their festival passes and other amenities.
Sonic Temple attendees are able to buy festival passes for single days to see any of their must-see acts, or they can purchase full weekend tickets, allowing easy access between the field and stadium areas to catch all the shows. Food and drink vendors line the areas outside of the stadium, ready to keep eager festival-goers sated and served.
The 2024 Lineup
Undoubtedly, the best part of the music festival is, of course, the music. Sonic Temple—and its predecessor Rock on the Range—consistently brings together an ensemble of rock and metal A-listers to the hallowed grounds of the Historic Crew Stadium. With an added stage in 2024, there’s even more of an opportunity to rock out.
The 2024 lineup is one of the most impressive yet, featuring classic rock groups who are sure to invoke nostalgia—and it might even stir up some of that teenage angst. At Sonic Temple’s 2024 dates, you can expect to see Slipknot, Judas Priest, Limp Bizkit, Seether, Black Veil Brides, Tech N9ne, Flyleaf, and Lacuna Coil, just to name a few of the bigger acts gracing the stages. In total, the festival will be welcoming a whopping 118 bands to play over the course of the 4 days it takes place, making this one of the biggest rock festivals in the Midwest.
If rock and metal music is your thing, and you like jamming out in crowds of thousands upon thousands of like-minded people, the Sonic Temple Art and Music festival is likely your dream music festival. Rock and roll returns to Columbus on May 16th-19th.