'Welcome To Rockville' expected to draw world wide fans

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - It’s official.  After a delay because of COVID-19, Welcome to Rockville is coming to Daytona.  

"It's rock and roll heaven if you love rock and roll and you love being around fellow.  People who love rock and roll, then this is the place for you," said Danny Hayes, CEO of Danny Wimmer Presents, the group that puts on Welcome to Rockville. 

The four-day festival runs November 11th-14th.  Dozens of bands will perform each day.  Heavy metal royalty Metallica is headlining. They’re playing not one, but two nights of the festival.  

"Welcome to Rockville I may just end up being the biggest rock festival in America this year," Hayes said.  

Other acts include Nine Inch Nails, Rob Zombie, Deftones, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Lamb Of God, Social Distortion, The Offspring, Staind, Mudvayne, Cypress Hill, to name a few. 

Welcome to Rockville started in Jacksonville.  DWP signed a multi-year deal to hold the festival at the Daytona International Speedway.  Hayes said it was time for a new venue. 

"A couple of reasons, you know?  One is that we were outgrowing the park."

He says the iconic speedway is the perfect place for the festival noting it has more room for now and room to continue to grow the festival in the future.  Hayes says it also offers the ability for music fans to camp out at the festival, just like race fans do at the Daytona 500.  

"Daytona has got endless camping and our fans love to camp," Hayes said. 

After lots of anticipation, DWP announced the new date and the official lineup midweek.  

"It's been overwhelming, the response," Hayes said. 

 Each day they’re expecting at least 40,000 fans. 

"Less than 30% of our fans will come from Florida.  All 50 states will be represented and probably somewhere between 15 and 20 countries will easily be represented," Hayes said.  

And, after not being able to tour for a year, he says the bands are ready to rock Daytona.