Slayer will return to the stage this September for a rare headline show on the U.S. east coast, confirming a massive one-night-only concert at Hersheypark Stadium, Pennsylvania, on September 20, 2025.
The Hershey date is one of just two confirmed Slayer shows this year, following their appearance at Louder Than Life in Louisville on September 18. Hosted by WWE star Damian Priest, the Hershey event promises a stacked bill featuring a mix of heavy metal icons and new-generation leaders: Slayer, Knocked Loose, Suicidal Tendencies, Power Trip, Cavalera (performing Chaos A.D.), and Exodus (performing Bonded By Blood).
For fans, the Hershey show represents a rare chance to see Slayer live in 2025. The thrash pioneers officially ended regular touring in 2019 after a colossal 148-date farewell trek that spanned 34 countries and 40 U.S. states. Since then, appearances have been limited to hand-picked festival sets and select headline shows, most recently in 2024 when the band stunned fans by reuniting for Riot Fest, Louder Than Life, and Aftershock. Hershey will be their only east coast stop this year.
Bassist and frontman Tom Araya is relishing the opportunity to once again feel the adrenaline of Slayer’s stage intensity. “My favorite part of what I do is the stage time,” Araya said. “Nothing compares to the 90 minutes when we’re on stage playing live, sharing that intense energy with our fans. I love singing, and I love convincing everybody, ‘my god, that guy is a maniac.’”
Guitarist Kerry King promises Hershey will deliver nothing less than a full-scale Slayer experience. “Not having toured in a number of years, there might be some people at this show who have never seen Slayer before, or in some time,” he said. “For the Hershey concert, we’ll play a Slayer show, we’ll have all of our big fire effects, just burn everything like we used to – a real Slayer show.”
King also expressed excitement about performing alongside Power Trip and Knocked Loose for the first time, acknowledging their growing reputations within the new wave of heavy acts.
Priest, a lifelong Slayer fan, sees the pairing of wrestling and metal as a natural fit. “Metal has always had a special place in wrestling, Slayer’s legacy is woven into the fabric of wrestling, and the genre wouldn’t be where it is today without Slayer. I’m excited and honored to host Slayer’s show and bring wrestling into their world.”
Supporting bands are equally fired up. Power Trip called it “an honor to share the stage with one of our all-time favorite bands,” while Knocked Loose celebrated the chance to perform alongside “some of the best heavy bands of all time, past and present.” Max Cavalera added that bringing Chaos A.D. to the stage on the same bill as Slayer was “a dream come true lineup for any metalhead.”
Formed in Huntington Park, California in 1981, Slayer rose to prominence as one of the “Big Four” thrash metal acts alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Their 1986 album Reign in Blood is still hailed as one of the most influential records in metal history, setting new standards for speed, aggression, and uncompromising brutality.
Over the course of nearly four decades, Slayer earned five Grammy nominations and two wins, while collecting gold albums and critical acclaim from the likes of Kerrang!, Revolver, and Metal Hammer. Unlike many of their peers, Slayer never softened their sound to chase radio or mainstream audiences – their intensity remained intact to the very end.
The band faced a turning point in 2013 with the death of founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman. Exodus guitarist Gary Holt stepped in and has remained part of the lineup ever since, joining Araya, King, and longtime drummer Paul Bostaph.
When Slayer called time in 2019, the curtain fell with a final show at the Los Angeles Forum on November 30. For many, it felt like the end of an era. But true to form, Slayer have refused to disappear entirely, choosing instead to return on their own terms with sporadic appearances at major events.
Now, six years after their supposed retirement, Slayer continue to prove why they remain the benchmark for extreme music. Hersheypark Stadium will be the latest reminder of the band’s firepower – both literal and musical – as they bring their brutal spectacle back to the east coast.
Tickets for Slayer’s Hersheypark Stadium headline show are on sale now via slayer.net.
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