Leyendas Del Rock

Leyendas del Rock has just thrown another sizeable slab of British heavy metal onto the 2027 bill, and this one comes with serious historical weight. Saxon will headline the final day of Leyendas del Rock 2027 on Saturday 14 August, bringing Biff Byford and one of the defining bands of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal back to Villena for a full headline set.

If you know your metal, you already know the drill. If you don't, Saxon are one of the bands who helped build the bloody thing in the first place. Emerging from the late-70s British metal explosion alongside the likes of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, Saxon turned working-class British heavy metal into an international force, leaving behind a catalogue containing ‘Wheels of Steel’, ‘Denim and Leather’ and ‘Princess of the Night’. More than four decades later, Byford remains at the front of the machine, and Leyendas is clearly expecting Saxon to arrive in Villena with something considerably heavier than a nostalgia trip.

This is particularly significant because Saturday 14 August is still being built around another major headliner yet to be announced. Saxon therefore become the headline act for the final jornada, while the festival keeps another sizeable name tucked away in its armoury. After the huge XX Anniversary edition, Leyendas del Rock is already signalling that 2027 isn't going to be an attempt to quietly follow the party.

The latest announcement also brings a serious injection of metal from several different corners of the spectrum. Angelus Apatrida represent the Spanish thrash-metal contingent, while Gloryhammer bring their gloriously theatrical brand of melodic power metal to the proceedings. Asomvel add a dose of dirty garage rock, and Scottish death-metal lunatics Party Cannon promise to bring their particular interpretation of extreme-metal mayhem to Villena.

Then there's Skillet, the American rock heavyweights and one of the biggest names associated with Christian rock, who were announced previously and remain part of an increasingly broad 2027 lineup.

But Saxon are the announcement that gives this particular Saturday its backbone. There's something fitting about having a band whose history is intertwined with the birth of British heavy metal standing beneath the Leyendas del Rock lights in Villena. Their songs were forged in an era when denim jackets, leather, twin guitars and enormous riffs were becoming the language of a generation, and tracks such as ‘Wheels of Steel’ and ‘Denim and Leather’ remain embedded in the DNA of traditional metal.

And the important detail here is a full headliner set. This isn't Saxon dropping into Villena for a shortened festival appearance before disappearing into the night. The band will close the Saturday programme with the stage, time and volume required for a proper headline assault.

With tickets already reportedly moving quickly, the festival is also urging fans to get their camping and pool ticketssorted alongside their festival passes. In other words, the annual migration to Villena is already beginning to take shape.

Leyendas del Rock 2027 is still some way off, and there's another major Saturday headliner waiting to be revealed, but the picture is becoming increasingly clear. Saxon are coming back to Villena, Biff Byford is bringing the denim, the guitars are coming out and Saturday 14 August already has one hell of a soundtrack. The festival just needs to tell us who gets the final slot!

For tickets and more information: Leyendas Del Rock