Welcome to Rockville: Sneak peek as final touches added to Daytona International Speedway

DAYTONA BEACH — With the exception of chugging forklifts and the occasional metallic hammering of crews at work on towering stage scaffolding, it was quiet earlier this week on the infield at Daytona International Speedway.

That all changes on Thursday, when the first power chords, molar-rattling bass riffs and propulsive drum beats announce the opening of Welcome to Rockville, the four-day heavy-metal music festival that will present at least 150 bands on five outdoor stages through Sunday on the Speedway’s massive infield.

By the numbers, this year’s event will be exponentially larger than any previous editions that span more than a dozen years starting in 2011 in Jacksonville. A year ago, for instance, 95 acts performed on four stages at the Speedway for a crowd that was estimated at 170,000.

This year, the audience throughout the four days is expected to swell to a record 200,000 fans, according to Danny Wimmer Presents, the festival’s Los Angeles-based promoter. On the eve of the event, single-day and weekend GA passes were still available at the festival's website, welcometorockville.com.

Rockville growth reflects Speedway's space, resources

That growth reflects the resources and sheer amount of space at Daytona International Speedway, home of the event since 2021, said Chamie McCurry, chief marketing officer at Danny Wimmer Presents.

“The infrastructure that it provides is top-notch, amazing,” McCurry said. “It’s definitely built for hosting this many fans. With all the land for parking and camping as well as the Speedway team’s experience in producing large-scale events, it’s an amazing partnership for us and for them, as well.”

It takes more than 100 semitractor-trailers to deliver the infrastructure required to transform the Speedway’s 180-acre infield into an outdoor concert venue, complete with two main stages that tower six stories in height.

That doesn’t include some 80 tour buses that will shuttle bands and work crews to the site throughout the four-day event. A staff of 2,000 workers, including locals, will be working at the festival, a total that includes roughly 400 production professionals and stagehands as well as 1,000 food and beverage workers, McCurry said.

New diversions await fans at Rockville 2024

In addition to music from headliners that include Mötley Crüe, Disturbed, Limp Bizkit, Jelly Roll, Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age, Slipknot and Evanescence, fans will be able to indulge new experiences that will debut at this year’s festival.

The list includes the Blackened Burger Bar Pop-Up, a collaboration between celebrity chef Chris Santos, Metallica and Blackened Whiskey master distiller Rob Dietrich. It offers three custom burgers and signature cocktails crafted exclusively for Rockville attendees.

For those camping on-site, the new “Add Milk Cereal Bar” offers campers the chance to indulge in favorite cereals of their childhood with ice-cold milk or a fresh scoop of ice cream as they watch nostalgic cartoons on vintage TV sets.

All milk and ice cream for the cereal bar, near the general store at the festival campgrounds, will be provided by Florida Dairy Farmers. All proceeds will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank.

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Also new is the Church of Rock & Roll, a stylized “karaoke dive-bar” experience where any festival visitors can belt out classic rock tunes or newer hits throughout the event. There’s also the prospect that a few legitimate rock stars from bands on the bill might make pop-ins throughout the weekend at the Church, McCurry said.

For guitarist Dave Baksh, of pop-punk stalwarts Sum 41, the opportunity to roam the grounds is a big part of the appeal of Rockville and other festivals.

“This festival is pretty unbelievable, if you look at the talent that’s been curated for it,” Baksh said in a phone interview. “As soon as I wake up, I get food in me as fast as I can, and I walk around and see as much music as I can that day.”

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Welcome to Rockville ready to roll at Daytona International Speedway