Spain’s Resurrection Fest goes back to the future

Bring The Noise CEO Iván Méndez has saluted the loyalty of rock and metal fans after Spain’s Resurrection Fest sold out of weekend passes for its 20th anniversary.

Judas Priest, Korn, Falling In Reverse, Slipknot, Jinjer, Till Lindemann, Skindred, Angelus Apatrida and Municipal Waste are among those lined up to perform at the event, held in Viveiro in the province of Lugo from 25-28 June.

Set to welcome attendees from more than 40 countries, Méndez says the landmark edition represents a “milestone” for the promoter.

“It is something only a few festivals in our country have been able to reach so far,” he tells IQ. “We have a very loyal audience that religiously attend the festival every year and come to Viveiro – the village where the festival takes place. It’s a social event, a holiday destination and also a cultural celebration.

“It will be the biggest edition to date in terms of audience and I think it will be the edition that people will enjoy the most.”

“There are still a lot of potential headliners, bands that have made it in the past few years like Ghost or Parkway Drive”

The 55,000-cap festival is again sponsored by beer brand Estrella Galicia, continuing a partnership that began with Resurrection’s first edition two decades ago. A number of bands who played the 2006 original have been invited back to play this year.

“This edition is very special to us,” says Méndez. “We have tried to emulate the first edition of Resurrection Fest with Sick of it All, but were not able to due to the sickness of the singer [frontman Lou Koller has been undergoing cancer treatment]. We managed to get the rest of the active bands like Walls of Jericho or Sound of Silence, and also old friends like Ignite.

“We also have a great relationship with Slipknot and the whole family, so we could not resist inviting them over to celebrate the anniversary.”

Méndez elaborates on how the lineup came together and is heartened by the headline-level acts coming through.

“We have annual surveys among the attendants to know which bands they want to see the most in the following year,” he says. “It helps a lot to know about it, even if we pay attention to our instinct as well.

“Some artists are retiring since rock has been going on since the 70s, but there are still a lot of potential headliners, some bands that have made it in the past few years like Ghost or Parkway Drive, and other bands that are working hard to reach that position like Gojira or Sleep Token.”

“The rock and metal fans are the most loyal ones and they have been so for decades”

Méndez points out that fellow European rock festivals Hellfest (France) and Wacken Open Air (Germany) have also sold out of weekend passes, highlighting the genre’s enduring appeal.

“Those two festivals are very popular and some of the biggest festivals in the world,” he says. “They have incredible lineups every year with an unmatchable experience for the audience. We have always looked up to them since our first years and it’s an honour to share the sold out status with them.

“The rock and metal fans are the most loyal ones and they have been so for decades. It is a good time for some big headliners and other newcomers, with bigger productions and impressive shows, so if you offer commodities and a good care to the fans, people will want to see those artists at your festival.

“There are many bands that have never played our festival and we’d love to see them here. Time will tell. We will continue to build our dreamed city of rock and to transform Viveiro into the capital of metal music in Spain.”

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