SLAYER’s Limited 2025 Tour
Following a brief 2024 reunion run, Slayer scaled back to a very tight series of live dates in 2025. Their schedule includes:
- Three headline shows in the UK in July:
- July 3: Blackweir Fields in Cardiff, Wales, supported by metal heavyweights such as Amon Amarth, Anthrax, Mastodon, Hatebreed, and Neckbreaker.
- July 5: Villa Park in Birmingham, where Slayer appear as part of Black Sabbath’s final “Back to the Beginning” show, one of only a handful of times Slayer has shared the stage with Sabbath.
- July 6: Finsbury Park in London, again with Amon Amarth, Anthrax, Mastodon, Hatebreed, and Neckbreaker rounding out the lineup.
- July 11: Festival d’été de Québec City in Canada, marking Slayer’s first Canadian performance in several years. Mastodon serves as direct support for this high‑profile festival weekend.
- September 18: Slayer headlines Louder Than Life at the Highland Festival Grounds, Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. This fills a slot vacated by a canceled 2024 appearance (due to weather), and the festival boasts an expansive metal lineup including Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Exodus, and more.
- September 20: A special one‑night stadium show at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA — Slayer’s only scheduled East Coast performance in 2025. The show features a killer supporting bill: Knocked Loose, Suicidal Tendencies, Power Trip, Cavalera (doing Sepultura’s Chaos A.D. in full), and Exodus (performing Bonded By Blood live). Presented by WWE superstar Damian Priest — a longtime Slayer fan — the concert promises theatrical flair, fire effects, and a full‑tilt thrash assault.
These dates represent Slayer’s only confirmed live shows in North America for the year beyond Louder Than Life, and appear to cap their live activity for 2025.
Festival Spotlight: Louder Than Life
Louder Than Life (Louisville, KY) runs from September 18–21 and is one of North America’s premier heavy metal festivals. Slayer is set to headline the opening night on Thursday, September 18, finally delivering on the set that was canceled at the 2024 edition due to severe weather. The event draws large audiences and combines music with craft bourbon, gourmet food, and curated experiences — a true destination festival for metal fans. Slayer will share the stage with major acts like Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Exodus, Lamb of God, Cannibal Corpse, and others across multiple stages. Their slot marks a headline‑level moment amid a stacked and deeply metal‑oriented lineup.
Attendees have discussed how sold‑out the festival got quickly once Slayer’s name was confirmed, and many fans who missed their 2024 appearance have already secured their 2025 passes, anticipating a ferocious return.
Hersheypark Stadium: The Only East Coast Slam
Just two days after Louder Than Life, Slayer hits Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, September 20. This is billed as their only East Coast headline date in 2025 and thus carries enormous significance. The stadium holds around 30,000 fans, and the stacked supporting lineup covers generations of heavy and metalcore. WWE’s Damian Priest, who uses Slayer’s “South of Heaven” as his signature wrestling finisher, headlines the night to add a flair of spectacle.
The supporting acts deliver serious pedigree too:
- Cavalera performing Chaos A.D. live, a nostalgic callback to Sepultura’s classic era.
- Exodus giving a rare full‑set performance of Bonded By Blood.
- Knocked Loose, Suicidal Tendencies, and Power Trip bringing modern hardcore and crossover energy.
Kerry King has promised that fans can expect full fire effects, big stage production, and “everything like we used to” — signaling a very theatrical and high‑impact set. Tickets for the Hershey show were made available via pre‑sale in early April, with general on‑sale a few days later; they moved fast once announced.
Overall Outlook — A Focused Festival and Landmark Approach
This is not a traditional “tour” in the sense of dozens of shows across months. Instead, Slayer opted for:
- High‑profile festival headlining appearances (UK venues, Quebec, Louisville).
- One marquee stadium show in the U.S. with a celebrated underground and genre variant supporting bill.
- A very limited footprint — only a handful of confirmed shows in 2025.
It appears the band’s return is meant more as curated events than an extended full‑scale touring cycle. Interviews with band members suggest this may become an every‑year‑or‑so curated schedule, rather than a continuous commitment; they emphasize playing on a year‑by‑year basis and balancing it with other projects. It’s a controlled, high‑impact approach: less quantity, more quality and spectacle.
Fans who saw Slayer in 2024 described a visceral excitement and emotional intensity from their brief return, and the 2025 shows are intended to capitalize on that momentum while respecting the band’s legacy and logistical realities.
In total, that gives us six key dates: Cardiff, Birmingham, London, Québec City, Louisville, and Hershey. Each marks a significant live moment for a band in semi‑retirement, offering fans a rare chance to witness Slayer perform again — big festivals, big stages, big commitment.
Summary Table (for clarity)
- July 3, 2025 – Cardiff (Blackweir Fields, UK)
- July 5, 2025 – Birmingham (Back to the Beginning, UK)
- July 6, 2025 – London (Finsbury Park, UK)
- July 11, 2025 – Québec City (Festival d’été, Canada)
- Sept 18, 2025 – Louder Than Life, Louisville, KY (headline slot)
- Sept 20, 2025 – Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA (only East Coast show)
That captures the confirmed U.S. and European (including Canada) dates for Slayer in 2025: the major festival appearances plus the pivotal stadium night in Hershey, delivering what’s shaping up to be a curated, high‑impact return rather than a sprawling tour.
