Put two founding British metal institutions on the same festival day and you get something the classic-metal faithful will be talking about for years. Judas Priest’s first confirmed 2027 U.S. appearance — per the currently announced schedule — lands them on Sunday, May 16 at Boardwalk Rock, sharing closing-day billing with Iron Maiden at the Ocean City Inlet in Ocean City, Maryland. The festival runs May 14–16. This is the closing bill that heavy-metal summer needed.
A Sunday Lineup That Doesn’t Quit
Iron Maiden headlines a May 16 bill stacked deep enough to qualify as its own festival.
Per the festival’s official announcement, the following acts round out the day alongside Priest:
- Alice in Chains
- The Pretty Reckless
- Down
- Gwar
- The Warning
- Sleeping With Sirens
- Dirty Honey
- Apocalyptica
- The Hu
- Loathe
- The Flys
- Mac Sabbath
The broader weekend runs just as hard. Korn headlines Friday, May 14; Bad Omens takes Saturday, May 15. Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators, Clutch, Cypress Hill, and Marilyn Manson fill out the full three-day card.
Key details at a glance:
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Festival dates | May 14–16, 2027, Ocean City Inlet, Ocean City, Maryland |
| Judas Priest performs | Sunday, May 16 |
| Sunday headliner | Iron Maiden |
| Boardwalk Rock presale begins | October 22 (confirm via official festival announcement) |
| Ticket and tour info | Judas Priest’s official website |
The End of an Era, Playing Out in Real Time
Ian Hill’s retirement closes a chapter — but Judas Priest aren’t standing still.
This 2027 touring cycle carries real weight. Ian Hill — Judas Priest’s bassist since the band’s early days, joining in 1970 — announced his retirement, citing arthritis and injuries that made live performance unsustainable. According to Rolling Stone, Hill contributed bass parts to Judas Priest’s forthcoming album and hoped to complete additional work on it. His connection to the band’s recorded output continues even as his touring days end.
Davey Rimmer, who handles bass duties for Uriah Heep, steps into the live role for Judas Priest’s 2027 dates while continuing with Uriah Heep where schedules permit.
Boardwalk Rock is only the opening movement. Across Europe that summer, Priest plays the following dates:
- Tons of Rock, Oslo — June 23
- Copenhell, Copenhagen — June 24
- Tuska Festival, Helsinki — July 2–4
- Masters of Rock, Vizovice — July 11
- Release Festival, near Athens — July 14
What does Judas Priest sound like without the bassist who anchored their low end for more than five decades? Based on the currently announced schedule, the Boardwalk Rock crowd on May 16 will be among the first U.S. audiences to find out.
