Last 7 or so years I was in a situation where I could not really do any of the fun metal festivals, but now I'm finally at a point where I can. I'm making a list of what festivals I must attend. For 2014 I have already paid for 70k and ProgPower. I'll also be doing MDF and buying tickets as soon as they become available. On my list of stuff I want to go to though I have the following:

Barge To Hell
Metal Days
Tuska
Bloodstock
Wacken

Any other suggestions for must attend festivals?

The first edition of Wings of Metal in Montréal was very nice, depending on the lineup for this year, you should consider a trip!

Follow the FB page: https://www.facebook.com/WingsOfMetalFestival?fref=ts

Brutal Assault in the Czech Republic is usually around the same time as Wacken. That's definitely a nice festival in an old sovjet army fortress and cheap beer and food.

Hell yes! i Went to that this year. It was killer, apart from the 1 day it abolutly pissed down with rain. But thats all part of it!

Metalcamp/Metal Days was the best though, just the atmosphere, location etc....i'd go there even if the line up wasn't that great! I am aiming to go back there in 2015.

Barther open air in Germany was really cool, only a few hundred people & all black & folk metal. Would love to attend that again one day.

I've heard lots of good things about Metal Days and it's high up there on my list.

Anyone ever done Summer Breeze?

Hey i would say it matters on what you like. Theres a big difference between Mass Partys like Wacken and smaller ones which are very Familiar.
Personally i like the smaller ones more.

Headbangers Open Air - Northern Germany
This Festival is probaly my favorite of all time. As it says its the biggest Garden Party in the World. With about 2000 Die Hard Fans.
The Atmosphere is just amazing and the Organisation is great.
http://www.headbangers-open-air.de/

Keep It True - South Germany
Probaly the Trvest Fest in whole of Germany. I Havent visited yet, but thats on Top of my list.
http://www.keep-it-true.de/

Party.San Open Air - East Germany
Probaly the best Extreme Metal Festival. Sound and Atmosphere was great in 2011 and 2013... Bands like At The Gates or Venom up to Dying Fetus with mind blowing Perfomances
on this Festival. A must go for every fan of real Extreme Metal.
http://www.party-san.de/

Metal Magic Festival - Denmark
Great small Festival for fans of Underground and real Music. The Gehennah show in 2011 was the best lifeshow i have been to in my whole live.
If you like the Bands dont miss it!
http://metal-magic.dk/

Thats it for now there are alot more great Festivals in the World.
Have anyone ever been to Eindhoven Metal Meeting (NL) or Brofest (UK)?
Cheers

Check out Obscene Extreme if you're at all into grind and crust.

Its cool to slam Wacken to a lot of metalheads these days but I had a fucking blast there this summer despite it being kind of a down year I think in terms of headliners. It being my first real open air metal fest had a lot to do with that I'm sure.

My problem with Wacken is that it is sold out before I can even think of going there. 2014 was sold out 48 hours after sales opened, in bloody august! I have been there once and had a blast and I would really love to go again, but at this rate that is never going to happen.
Maybe they should expand or something, they could easily go 200,000 (or maybe even a lot more) tickets instead of 80,000 and still sell out.

But yeah, as far as must attend festivals go, Wacken is the winner. Every metalhead should have been there atleast once.

Yeah, I got to Munich on Monday morning after the fest and looked at the Wacken site and saw it was already sold out. Fucking nuts. To be honest if it was much bigger it would be too big, hell I can see why people say its too big already.

I'd like to go to Hellfest this year but I know its not going to happen.

I would say Stella Natura but apparently it's not happening anymore.