Sweden Rock Spreads The Cash

Festival chief Ingolf Persson says Sweden Rock released a statement to tell its crowd not to expect heavyweight bill-toppers.

“Recently we have had KISS, Rush and Black Sabbath, but next year there aren’t really any huge acts around during our period,” he told Pollstar.

The first names for next year’s bill were announced October during the annual Rockbåten cruise, which took more than 2,000 Sweden Rock fans on a return trip from Stockholm to Helsinki. The 2015 lineup will include Motley Crue, Judas Priest, debut Sweden Rock appearances from Toto and Backyard Babes, Hammerfall, and Dark Tranquility.

With a larger-than-usual talent budget at his disposal, Persson reckons the festival can add “another seven or eight bands” of similar stature in the coming weeks.

Next year’s booking policy appears to have been well received, as so far 5,000 tickets have already gone, which puts sales a little ahead of where they were at this time last year. The 33,000-capacity Sweden Rock has sold out for the last eight years.

Next year’s festival is June 3-6.