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Rock im Park to Download

Festivals of sheer magnitude

Hitting The Road Between
Germany and Britain

Nuremberg’s Rock im Park meets Download Festival UK - combine two of Europe’s greatest Rock and Metal events on a road trip. Follow your favourite band from stage to stage.

Featured Experience

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On the Road

Road Trip: Rock im Park to Download

Enjoy two of Europe's most popular Rock festivals and combine Germany's Rock im Park with Download Festival in Britain.
On this road trip, explore marvellous historical towns. Stroll along cobbled pavements and timbered houses and discover the breathtaking architecture of medieval cathedrals. Explore the cities of Nuremberg, Ghent, Bruges, Aachen, Canterbury, Windsor, Oxford, and Stratford-upon-Avon. Don’t miss the recommended spots along: authentic Rock 'n' Roll pubs, cozy live venues, and funky record stores.
Our recommended subTOUR includes 3 nights along the route in between Rock im Park and Download, with an option for some extra days in Munich or Birmingham before and after the festivals.

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Featured Experience

Rock im Park

Rock im Park

Venues on the road trip

Rock im Park is a rock music festival held annually in Nuremberg, Germany. Combined with its sister festival Rock am Ring, figures are some of the biggest in the world in terms of attendance. Every year, Rock im Park is bringing the best in world’s Rock and Metal genre to Southern Germany. Over the years, headliners includes big names such as Oasis, Metallica, Green Day, and Black Sabbath.

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Featured Experience

Download Festival

Download Festival

Venues on the road trip

Download Festival is a Rock with about 80,000 visitors, held annually at Donington Park. It is the most popular British Rock and Heavy Metal festival and has hosted some of the genres' biggest names, including Black Sabbath, Slipknot, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Kiss, Judas Priest, and Guns N' Roses. Normally, Donington Park is a motorsport circuit.

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Featured Experience

Swarkstone Hall Pavillion

Swarkstone Hall Pavillion

History on the road trip

Swarkstone Hall Pavillion is a must see, only 15 minutes away from Download Festival site by car. In June 1968, The Rolling Stones had a photo shoot with Michael Joseph at the Swarkstone Pavilion for their album Beggar’s Banquet. One of the photos ended up being used for the Stones’ compilation album Hot Rocks, which you can see here. Beggar’s Banquet was re-released in a different sleeve without these pictures. The pavilion was constructed between 1630 and 1632 and its many years of neglect is evident in the Stones’ photo. In 1985 a trust renovated and mostly reconstructed the pavilion.

Today, you may also book the place for one or more nights via the website.

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Featured Experience

Oxford

Oxford

Cities on the road trip

The city of Oxford is globally known as home of the University of Oxford, which is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Numerous historical university and college buildings boast with marvellous architecture. Everything surrounded by green parks and lush nature walks.

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Sightseeing inspired by music

Sightseeing inspired by music

subTOURING isn’t about mainstream sightseeing. It is travelling inspired by music. A hand-picked guide from passionate music lovers for enthusiasts of Rock, Indie, Metal, and Punk tunes. Offering a unique music travel experience from Rock im Park to Download.

Get your authentic music experience on this road trip.

EXPLORE THE MUSIC MAPS

Guide around the gig

Major waypoints

Check out the venue and city guides on the way from Rock im Park to Download. They focus on what to do before and after the concert. Get our best tips for day activities including record stores as well as bars and restaurants.

Get the most music out of your trip. Hit the road. Follow your band.

GET YOUR GUIDE

MUSIC MAPS & SIGHTSEEING

Sightseeing inspired by music

On this road trip from Rock im Park to Download Festival, follow the traces of the real big players in Rock, Punk, and Heavy Metal and enjoy some days off in between the two events.

Explore hidden music gems when on tour. Discover music stories beyond the common sightseeing spots. Where history of Rock is revealed and brought to life again.

On the Road

Enjoy two of Europe's most popular Rock festivals and combine Germany's Rock im Park with Download Festival in Britain.
On this road trip, explore marvellous historical towns. Stroll along cobbled pavements and timbered houses and discover the breathtaking architecture of medieval cathedrals. Explore the cities of Nuremberg, Ghent, Bruges, Aachen, Canterbury, Windsor, Oxford, and Stratford-upon-Avon. Don’t miss the recommended spots along: authentic Rock 'n' Roll pubs, cozy live venues, and funky record stores.
Our recommended subTOUR includes 3 nights along the route in between Rock im Park and Download, with an option for some extra days in Munich or Birmingham before and after the festivals.

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MAJOR WAYPOINTS

Cities, festivals and venues on the subtour

ROCK IM PARK TO DOWNLOAD BANDS, ARTISTS & MUSIC

MUSIC HISTORY

A short history of Rock festivals

Today’s Rock and Metal festivals have their origin in the Jazz festivals held in North America in the 1950s. In the early 60s, it was the Newport Festival, Rhode Island, that added a folk component to its line-up. When the 1965 Newport Folk Festival decided to let the Paul Butterfield Blues Band play and to back up Bob Dylan, it meant that, from this very day, more and more electric artists appeared in the festival context.

The roots of all Rock festival probably lie in the early days of the San Francisco scene in the mid-60s. One of the first major festivals was the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, but it was definitely not until the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, held in Bethel, New York, in 1969, that became the renowned cradle of all later festivals. Like Woodstock, many of the following festivals were financial disasters. The Rolling Stones’ unfortunate show in Livermore, California, in the same year, where several people were beaten up and one person even died, did not improve the festival reputation at all. Of the post-Woodstock festivals, the Atlanta Pop Festival held in 1969 and 1970 was perhaps the most important in Rock history.

In the years to follow, Rock festivals weren’t numerous around the world except for the ones promoter Bill Graham came up with: a successful recurring event concept named Day on the Green. Its bills were downright epic, featuring such Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame acts as Metallica, Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, The Grateful Dead, and The Who. Between 1973 and 1992, there more than 60 concerts were held in Oakland, California. 1991 marked the year when festivals underwent a revival, as Farrell’s touring Lollapalooza event endeavoured to bring underground music up the stage by combining large- and small-stage performances. Perry Farrell was leader of Alternative band Jane’s Addiction. Chicago based Lollapalooza line-up represented artists from Punk, Ska, and similar, although the headlining spot was generally reserved for an Alternative or Hard Rock band that had already achieved some mainstream success. Today, Lollapalooza is also touring abroad with sister festivals in greater cities such as Berlin, Germany.

Woodstock has also been brought to life again by inspiring a pair of anniversary concerts in 1994 and 1999, but neither was comparable to the generation-defining event of 1969 even if the 1999 version was attended by more than 200,000 people. But one thing became evident: that fans all over the world are willing to travel great distances to experience Rock music in a festival setting.

It was in October 1999, when another huge festival took stage: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival debuted in Indio, California. Gathering dozens of artists, boasting multiple main stages, and proving that destination festivals can indeed be a financial success. Today, a broad variety of Rock festivals around the world are proof of the fans’ willingness to travel to see their favourite bands - from Glastonbury Festival Of Contemporary Performing Arts and Wacken Open Air to Roskilde Festival, Rock Werchter, Fuji Rock Festival, Hellfest Open Air, and Sziget Festival.

Rock im Park is a rock music festival held annually in Nuremberg, Germany. Combined with its sister festival Rock am Ring, figures are some of the biggest in the world in terms of attendance. Every year, Rock im Park is bringing the best in world’s Rock and Metal genre to Southern Germany. Over the years, headliners includes big names in business with everyone from Oasis, Metallica, Green Day, and Black Sabbath just to name a few.

80,000 annual Rock fans cannot be wrong: Download Festival is the most popular British Rock and Heavy Metal festival. Always hosting the real big players in the scene including Saxon, Black Sabbath, Slipknot, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Aerosmith, AC/DC, Kiss, Judas Priest, and Guns N' Roses. Download is held at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England, since 2003. Normally, Donington Park is a motorsport circuit. Also hosting Formula One races in former days. The festival was conceived as a follow up to the Monsters of Rock festivals which had been held at the Donington Park circuit between 1980 and 1996.