Slayer to Headline Louder Than Life Rock Festival in 2025

Louder Than Life is returning in 2025 with…Slayer! The 11th edition of the fan-favorite revent will be held at Highland Festival Grounds at Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville, KY September 18-21, 2025.

After the effects of Hurricane Helene resulted in the cancelation of metal legends Slayer, the band will be headlining the festival next year to give fans another chance to see their much-discussed reunion set. Additional headliners and the full lineup for Louder Than Life will be announced this winter. Early bird passes will go on sale in November, and fans are encouraged to sign up now to receive the latest updates and first access to passes HERE.

“We can’t wait to welcome fans back to finish what we started this year and celebrate the return of Slayer,” says Danny Wimmer of Danny Wimmer Presents. “Our team is hard at work finalizing an incredible lineup that we can’t wait to reveal this winter. It’s going to be epic, and we can’t wait to see everyone back in Louisville next September.”

DWP has also announced the benefits for 2024 passholders who were affected by the weather cancelation on Friday, September 27. Single-Day Friday pass holders can receive a full refund, or a credit applied to the purchase of 2025 passes while Weekend pass holders can receive a 25% refund or a credit applied to the purchase of 2025 passes. Fans will receive emails with all the details, including how to activate their offer.

For those who can’t wait until Slayer takes the Louder Than Life 2025 stage, the band welcomes all to check out their just-posted archive, Slaytanic Verses, which will take fans on a deep dive into Slayer’s diabolical 40+ year history of mayhem. The archive will be updated regularly with new collections and artifacts, as it explores different facets of the band's career. Fans are encouraged to check back often for an even deeper dive into the world of Slayer.

The special 10th anniversary edition of Louder Than Life wrapped September 26, 28 & 29, 2024, bringing together 150,000 fans (over three festival days) from around the world and every state in the U.S. The fest continues to retain its title of North America’s Loudest Rock Festival a decade after debuting in Louisville in 2014, marking a dedicated and ongoing partnership between the city and festival producer Danny Wimmer Presents.  Full economic impact details will be released this fall in conjunction with Louisville Tourism.

The festivities started on Wednesday, September 25 as the city of Louisville illuminated its iconic Big Four Bridge in green in honor of the 10th annual gathering of the Louder Than Life fans known as “Loudmouths.” And the celebration continued into Thursday, September 26 as Mayor Craig Greenberg honored the festival’s milestone anniversary with the ceremonial breaking of a guitar and bourbon bottle accompanied by flyover jets, accompanied by DWP CEO Danny Hayes, and introduced by SiriusXM host Jose Mangin.

"What an incredible 10 years it's been, and it’s all thanks to you," said Danny Hayes, CEO of Danny Wimmer Presents from the stage on Thursday. "We’re so grateful for the amazing Loudmouths who show up every year, and even during a Hurricane, you came out to celebrate our 10th anniversary with us.  You are rock and roll!"

The Louder Than Life 2024 weekend also offered a range of memorable artist performances across five stages. In keeping with the anniversary theme, Slipknot marked 25 years of their self-titled debut album, released in 1999; the band performed numerous hits from the landmark record, in their signature attire from 1999. Mastodon also celebrated the 20th anniversary of their classic album Leviathan by playing it in full. And Saosin marked 20 years as a band in their set.

Other highlights included additional headlining performances from Mötley Crüe and Korn, who also played the first Louder Than Life festival in 2014.  Plus, Gojira, fresh off their much-talked about appearance at the opening ceremony of the Summer 2024 Olympics in Paris; one of Till Lindemann’s (Rammstein) first solo shows in the U.S.; Spiritbox welcoming a wide range of guests including Poppy on “Soft Spine,” Tatiana Shmayluk from Jinjer on “Circle With Me” and Architects’ Sam Carter on “Yellowjackets”; and Josh Katz from Badflower guesting during Dead Poet Society’s set. Disturbed was also joined by a special guest vocalist as part of a unique contest with Louisville radio station Alt 105.1, in partnership with The Fox Den. Local singer Katelyn Webb won a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sing on stage with the band, performing Ann Wilson’s part in the song “Don’t Tell Me.”

In addition to the incredible music performances, Louder Than Life offered Louisville’s finest spirits and top local cuisine at attractions including the popular Headbangers Hall, with celebrity bartenders including members of Breaking Benjamin, Finger Eleven, Nothing More, and Biohazard, as well as Kroger’s Big Bourbon Bar which had a curated selection of bourbon and specialty cocktails.

LEO Weekly said of Louder Than Life, “If you’d told me ten years ago that Louisville would be the music capital of the world for even a day, let alone for two weeks, I would have [never believed it] … To this day, I’m still in awe of how DWP made this happen … shining a spotlight on our city for the whole world to see, and turning our city into something I never dreamed possible: a music mecca!”

Metal Injection also shared, “Danny Wimmer Presents has redefined the rock festival experience in the U.S., turning it into a masterclass in music promotion since 2011. Nowhere is this more evident than at Louder Than Life, Louisville’s premier rock festival, which has grown from its modest beginnings with 36,000 attendees to nearly 200,000 rock enthusiasts in 2024. As the festival celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, the goal was clear: not to only maintain but to amplify its legacy, delivering a multi-day spectacle that aimed at rocking harder, faster, and most importantly, louder than ever before.”

Louder Than Life is produced by Los Angeles-based Danny Wimmer Presents, one of the largest independent producers of destination music festivals in America.

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