Dynamo Open Air is a festival in the Netherlands that was held (almost) every year between 1986 and 2005. It was reborn in 2008 as Dynamo Outdoor and in 2015 as Dynamo Metal Fest.
History Dynamo Open Air was originally held in 1986 to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Dynamo rock club in Eindhoven. It began with 5,000 people in the Dynamo parking lot. From 1988 to 1992, it was held at a local ice rink with 22,000 capacity. In 1993, the festival was moved to the Eindhoven military airport (Vliegbasis Welschap). In 1994, it became a three-day festival.
In 1995, Dynamo Open Air reported 118,000 attendees. To this day, it is still the largest multi-day open air festival ever held in the Netherlands. This caused too much pressure on the Dutch infrastructure, leading to some of the longest recorded traffic jams in the history of the Netherlands. The lines to drive in were so long that people infamously barbecued bratwursts on the highway.
As a result, the municipality forced the festival to limit its capacity to 60,000 in 1996. In 1998, the festival site and the airport had to be moved in order to build 6,000 new houses. The festival site is now the Eindhoven residential area of Meerhoven. The festival returned to the ice rink in 1998, with a halved capacity of 30,000. In 1999, it was held at Mierlo, but it was located next to a garbage dump with a noticeable odor, and the parking situation was insufficient. So it moved again in 2000 to the Goffertpark in Nijmegen. However, it was the first DOA held outside the province of North Brabant, and it can only be one day long. So the organisers kept searching for a suitable location.
In 2001, the organisation thought they had found a site where the festival could return on a yearly basis, near the town of Lichtenvoorde. However, the threat of foot-and-mouth disease caused trouble, and Dynamo Open Air had to be cancelled. In 2002 it returned, at the site of the Bospop festival, but 2003 was another year without a Dynamo festival, because it would violate a recently passed law about animal protection during breeding season. For 2004, the festival returned to Nijmegen, at the same location where it took place in 2000. In 2005, the festival used the site of the Dauwpop festival, and the reunited Anthrax headlined the stage.
In an attempt to revitalise the festival, the current organization of the Dynamo youth center decided to change the festival's name from Dynamo Open Air to Dynamo Outdoor. In 2008, the first Dynamo Outdoor festival was held in the centre of Eindhoven, with bands such as Mad Sin, Anathema and Born From Pain performing. The festival was once again held in Eindhoven in the following year, with Destine, Stahlzeit, Asphyx, Textures, The Butcher and Municipal Waste on the bill.
The revival of the festival occurred with a new name as Dynamo Metal Fest, which has taken place every year since 2015. The festival had taken place traditionally on the second or third Saturday in July from 2015 to 2018; for the 2019 edition, it was converted into a two-day festival. After the 2020 edition was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dynamo Metal Fest was scheduled to return in August 2021, however again cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Dynamo Metal Fest was again held in August 2022.
Live recordings Testament recorded their Live at Eindhoven EP in 1987 at the last Dynamo Open Air held at its original location (the parking lot) before the festival moved to The IJsbaan. In 1995, Nailbomb had their performance recorded at the festival and it was released as Proud to Commit Commercial Suicide the same year it was recorded. It was released by Roadrunner Records In 2005, live footage of the performance was released on DVD and it was called Live at Dynamo. It was also released by Roadrunner Records. In May 1998, guest band Death recorded stock footage of their performance. Three years later, in an effort to raise money to pay for Chuck Schuldiner's cancer treatment, the footage was limitedly released in October 2001 by Nuclear Blast on CD and DVD formats under the name Live In Eindhoven, two months before Schuldiner's ultimate demise.
Line-ups and dates Dynamo Open Air 1986
Sunday September 7Joshua Paul Di'Anno's Battlezone Satan Chariot Angel Witch Onslaught Avalon Cancelled shows : Lääz Rockit
1987
Monday June 8Stryper Testament Destruction Vengeance Atomkraft Mad Max Cancelled shows : Agent Steel (replaced by Testament)
1988
Monday May 23Exodus Lȧȧz Rockit Candlemass Toxik Sabbat Paradox
1989
Monday May 15Savatage Armored Saint Sacred Reich Forbidden Sleeze Beez Holy Moses Fatal Destiny
1990
Monday June 4Death Angel Sacred Reich Sepultura Vicious Rumors Trouble Mordred
1991
Monday May 20Metal Church Primus Armored Saint Morbid Angel Extreme Saigon Kick Obituary Ignorance Psychotic Waltz
1992
Sunday June 7Prong Corrosion of Conformity Mordred Paradise Lost The Organization My Sister's Machine Pestilence Skyclad Love on Ice
1993
Saturday May 29Anthrax Suicidal Tendencies Mind Funk Biohazard Monster Magnet Dweezil Zappa Freak of Nature Fear Factory Nudeswirl
Sunday May 30Mercyful Fate Trouble Annihilator Gorefest Fudge Tunnel Kong Wool Z Cancelled shows: Therapy?, Tool (replaced by Z)
1994
Friday May 20 (Warm-Up)Forbidden Gorefest Vicious Rumors
Saturday May 21Prong Clawfinger Sick of It All Jackyl The Organization Skintrade Die Krupps Cynic Last Crack Nerve
Sunday May 22Danzig Urban Dance Squad Kyuss Life of Agony Pride & Glory Skyclad Sleeze Beez The Obsessed B-Thong Skrew
1995
Friday June 2CampsiteSkatefestTiamat My Dying Bride Skyclad Mary Beats Jane Sun Shihad Overdose Rape Waving Corn Hate Squad Schweisser Brotherhood FoundationRich Kids on LSD Snapcase Earth Crisis Undeclinable Ambuscade
Saturday June 3MainstageSkatefestCampsiteParadise Lost Type O Negative Dog Eat Dog Grip Inc. Warrior Soul Fear Factory Nailbomb Mental Hippie Blood Madball NevermoreAbsconded Horace Pinker NRA Blitz BabiesCrash Worship 35007
Sunday June 4MainstageSkatefestBiohazard Machine Head Life of Agony Trouble Dub War Downset. Eleven PicturesOrange 9mm Burning Heads Strawman No Fun At All
1996
Friday May 24CampsiteSkatefestNeurosis Anathema Pitchshifter Orphanage Altar Skrew Transpunk Dearly Beheaded Dreamgrinder Spiritual Beggars Merauder Torque Gurd ThumbSlapshot Ryker's Skippies Unsane
Saturday May 25MainstageSkatefestVenom Gorefest Savatage The Gathering Pennywise Sacred Reich Shelter Voivod Galactic Cowboys White Devil Stuck MojoDown by Law Millencolin Strung Out 7Zuma7
Sunday May 26MainstageSkatefestSlayer Kreatief Met Kirk Osdorp Possé & Nembrionic CIV Channel Zero Pro-Pain The Exploited DrainShelter 59 Times the Pain Satanic Surfers Cooper Bambix Cancelled shows : Halford (replaced by Sacred Reich)
1997
Friday May 16CampsiteSkatefestRockbitch Therion Samael Pist.On Sentenced Coal Chamber Skinlab Totenmond Within Temptation Keaton SundownIgnite SNFU $400 Suits Ni Hao
Saturday May 17MainstageCampsiteSkatefestType O Negative Machine Head Sick of It All Exodus Moonspell Orphanage Amorphis Entombed Thumb Slo Burn Limp BizkitRage Secret Discovery
The Black Stage Dissection Satyricon Dimmu Borgir Goddess of DesireVision of Disorder Deviate Discipline I Against I
Sunday May 18MainstageSkatefestTiamat KoЯn Marilyn Manson Helmet Testament Cradle of Filth Karma to Burn LaberintoVoodoo Glow Skulls Backfire! Travoltas Slyce
1998
Friday May 29The GallerySkatefestAtrocity Theatre of Tragedy Masters of Reality The Hellacopters Transport League Sevendust Insane Clown Posse Tura Satana Deicide Six Feet Under Disbelief T-NailedPro-Pain Congress Refused Hard Resistance Janez Detd. Driven
Saturday May 30MainstageThe GallerySkatefestRammstein Deftones Soulfly Fates Warning Agnostic Front Fu Manchu Stuck Mojo HammerFall Within Temptation ZebraheadThe Factory Strapping Young Lad Junkie XL Think About Mutation Misery Loves Co.
Black Stage Emperor Immortal
The Kovenant Bewitched Enslaved
In Flames Cold Oomph! Ultraspank The Black Symphony FormBrotherhood Foundation H2O 25 ta Life Good Riddance Right Direction Psycore Fury of Five Tech-9
Sunday May 31MainstageThe GallerySkatefestPantera Death Life of Agony Coal Chamber Kreator Dimmu Borgir Incubus (həd) p.e.Power Pack Primal Fear Stratovarius Helloween Saxon Blind Guardian Iced Earth Tom Angelripper
Space Jam Far Cathedral Spiritual Beggars 7Zuma7 Sheavy Orange GoblinMisfits Undeclinable Ambuscade Hatebreed Battery Better Than a Thousand Maximum Penalty
Cancelled shows : Fear Factory (replaced by Death), Human Waste Project (replaced by Ultraspank) and Limp Bizkit (replaced by Psycore).
1999
Friday May 21The GallerySkatefestDark Symphonies Therion Anathema Lacuna Coil
Sodom Static-X Spineshank Darkane One Minute Silence Angra OutMadball Hard-Ons Heideroosjes Violation of Trust Cold as Life
Saturday May 22MainstageThe GallerySkatefestManowar Cradle of Filth Stormtroopers of Death The Gathering Grip Inc. Nashville Pussy Black Label Society Meshuggah Loudness SkinlabThe Factory Pitchshifter Atari Teenage Riot Cubanate
The Gore Zone Hypocrisy Cryptopsy Arch Enemy Nile
Trail of Tears Pulkas The Haunted Unjust CAGERyker's 59 Times the Pain Merauder Murphy's Law Run Devil Run All Out War E.Town Concrete Troopers
Sunday May 23MainstageThe GalleryMaximum OverdriveMetallica Apocalyptica Fear Factory Biohazard Monster Magnet System of a Down Mercyful FateThe Power Pack Labyrinth Nevermore Overkill Gamma Ray Nocturnal Rites
The Black Stage Marduk Dimmu Borgir Thyrfing God Dethroned Ancient Rites
In Extremo Space Age Playboys Oceans of SadnessGluecifer Unida Goatsnake Fatso Jetson Zeke Iron Monkey Nebula Peter Pan Speedrock
Cancelled bands : Bolt Thrower, Morbid Angel, Speedealer, Skarhead and Blood for Blood. The three latter bands were replaced by Arch Enemy, Goatsnake, Merauder and E.Town Concrete respectively.
2000
Saturday June 3Main StageTent StageIron Maiden Korn Slipknot Suicidal Tendencies P.O.D. Testament Methods of Mayhem ZekeImmortal Mayhem The Kovenant Destruction Spiritual Beggars Kittie Sentenced Engine
Cancelled bands : Entombed (replaced by Destruction)
2001 Festival cancelled due to the threat of foot and mouth disease.
The announced bands were: After Forever, Amen, Backfire!, Behemoth, Brightside, Catastrophic, Cradle of Filth, Destiny's End, Destroÿer 666, Discipline, Disturbed, Dreadlock Pussy, Dropkick Murphys, Dying Fetus, Exhumed, Hed PE, Ignite, In Extremo, Krisiun, Length of Time, Liar, Lost Horizon, Macabre, Merauder, M.O.D., Motörhead, Mudvayne, Napalm Death, Nasum, Nevermore, Opeth, Pain of Salvation, Papa Roach, Savatage, Saxon, Severe Torture, Shelter, Slipknot, Soulfly, Spineshank, Static-X, Symphony X, Terra Firma, Tool, The Union Underground, Vader, Wicked Mystic, Within Temptation.
Tool scheduled a headlining show at 013 in Tilburg on the day they were supposed to play, while Slipknot and few other bands played a "mini-festival" at Maaspoort in Den Bosch on May 25. Soulfly played more club shows in the Netherlands.
2002
Sunday July 14Main StageTent StageSoulfly Death Angel Dropkick Murphys Within Temptation Biohazard Pain of Salvation Deadsoul TribeChildren of Bodom Opeth Finntroll Strapping Young Lad Zimmers Hole Peter Pan Speedrock Hermano Autumn
2003 Festival cancelled. No bands announced.
2004
Saturday June 5Stage 1Stage 2Slayer Nightwish Life of Agony Soulfly Children of Bodom Ill Nino Shadows FallDimmu Borgir Agent Steel After Forever Oomph! Deicide Mastodon
2005
Saturday May 7Stage 1Stage 2Anthrax Jon Oliva's Pain Testament Obituary Gorefest Lȧȧz Rockit Masterplan MercenaryEvergrey Trivium 3 Inches of Blood Still Remains
Dynamo Metalfest 2015
Saturday July 18Arch Enemy Death Angel Nuclear Assault Biohazard Alestorm Orange Goblin Bodyfarm Facelifter
2016
Saturday July 16Anthrax At the Gates Metal Church Obituary Life of Agony Powerwolf Sacred Reich Textures Audrey Horne