Horizon Fest

A festival born from a collective passion in the heart of the Yonne

Founded in 2016 by the Horizon association, Horizon Fest is a human and musical adventure driven by a handful of volunteers passionate about extreme music, determined to keep metal alive in Burgundy. Égriselles-le-Bocage, a village of a thousand inhabitants near Sens in the Yonne department, has become in a few editions the unmissable event for metal, hardcore, and heavy metal fans in Burgundy — a region that has been cruelly lacking in events dedicated to the most intense amplified music.

The choice of the village football field as the main stage reflects the spirit of the festival: rooted in the territory, accessible, no frills, and resolutely focused on the essentials — the music and the people who love it.

An eclectic program at the heart of extreme music

Over the editions, Horizon Fest has managed to weave an ambitious program mixing French and international metal. Thrash metal, death metal, hardcore punk, metalcore, traditional heavy metal: all currents of extreme music find their place on the festival stages. Bands that have become references on the French scene like Dagoba, Black Bomb A, or Ultra Vomit have graced this Burgundy stage, alongside international acts like Terror, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Benighted, Within Destruction, and Cytotoxin.

The program also leaves a precious space for emerging bands and regional acts, offering a rare showcase for extreme music artists outside the major cities.

A friendly and festive setting in a rural environment

One of the major attractions of Horizon Fest lies in its unique atmosphere: far from the giants of the festival circuit, the event cultivates a warm proximity between artists, festival-goers, and organizers. On-site camping encourages encounters and extends the party beyond the concerts. Bar, refreshments, and local products are offered throughout the weekend.

This human-sized format allows for a direct and unfiltered experience: the pit is close, the artists are accessible, and the atmosphere among headbangers, leather patches, and lively conversations over a beer recalls the good old values of underground metal culture.

Horizon Fest, a showcase for Burgundy metal

Beyond its role as a musical gathering, Horizon Fest is a strong act of cultural revitalization in a rural area. The Horizon association demonstrates year after year that it is possible to organize a quality festival in a village, far from urban infrastructure, by mobilizing the local associative fabric and the passion of its volunteer members.

This cultural and human gamble makes Horizon Fest much more than just an open-air concert: it has become a symbol of the vitality of the French metal scene in the provinces, and an event that the metal community from all over the northeast quarter of France eagerly awaits each summer.

Highlights of past editions

• 2016: First edition — birth of the first outdoor metal festival in Burgundy in Égriselles-le-Bocage
• 2018: 2nd edition with Dagoba headlining, accompanied by No Return, Irya, and many bands from the French scene
• 2020: The festival took place despite the difficult health context, confirming the resilience of the organizers and the support of the community
• 2022: "Horizon Open Air" edition over 3 days with an ambitious international lineup: Terror, Ultra Vomit, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Black Bomb A, Benighted, Within Destruction