The Boston Calling 2022 Lineup Is Here: Metallica, The Strokes, Foo Fighters Will Headline

Photo courtesy of Boston Calling

You ready to ride the lightning???

At Boston Calling 2022, you’d better be. Metallica and The Strokes will join Foo Fighters at the top of the bill for the long-awaited return of the food, art, and music festival this Memorial Day Weekend, according to the lineup organizers just released.

Rage Against the Machine, sadly, will not be joining them. They’d been on the lineup until Thursday, when the band cancelled or postponed all of the dates on its upcoming tour.

Red Hot Chili Peppers will also not be on the bill. They were initially set to headline in 2020, but 2020 had other plans. You can catch RHCP at Fenway Park on September 10, though.

The more than 50 artists on the rest of the 2022 lineup include Rüfüs Du Sol, Weezer, Haim, Run the Jewels, Glass Animals, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, Black Pumas, Modest Mouse, Goose, Cheap Trick, and others.

For anyone feeling FOMO about the emo-laden lineup out in Vegas this year, which has been the talk of the internet all week, this year’s lineup also includes Avril Lavigne.

Local artists, who have always had a role to play in Boston Callings past, will be featured this year on a new “local stage,” where you can catch performances from the likes of Van Buren Records, Cam Meekins, and Born Without Bones, as well as other acts from the area.

Other hometown heroes set to perform on the main stages this year include Boston’s Oompa and 2019 Best of Boston winner Cliff Notez (who famously had some beef with Boston Calling a few years back).

“To say we dreamed of this at some point is an understatement,” Cliff Notez says in a statement. “[W]e’re all looking forward to giving fans some of the most amazing performances we’ve ever seen. Wait until you see what we have up our sleeve!”

In all, organizers say, the lineup includes 18 performers with ties to New England.

This year’s lineup does not include any stand-up comedy, as had been the case in past years. It’s not yet clear what the plan is for The Arena, the indoor stadium that in the past has hosted comics as well as dance music and, once, an art-film-slash-live performance curated by actress Natalie Portman. We’re told we’ll hear more about what they have planned in the coming months, so stay tuned.

We’ll also keep you posted once we hear more about this year’s food and drink lineup. Typically, the food tents scattered around the festival are packed with local faves.

Three-day general admission tickets, which start at $369.99 (or $699 for two), are on sale now. VIP tickets for the full weekend are $999, and tickets in the Platinum tier are $1,999.99.

“We are so thrilled to bring Boston Calling back, and we cannot thank our loyal fans enough for supporting us as we navigated the pandemic,” said Brian Appel, festival co-founder and CEO, in a statement. “This year’s lineup is particularly special for us. It not only signifies a return to the things we love, but it also celebrates some of the world’s most renowned acts, exciting up-and-comers, and Boston’s talented music scene. Knowing how much Boston musicians endured during the pandemic, it was very important to us that Boston Calling 2022 shine a spotlight on local and regional artists more than ever before. We are really looking forward to seeing everyone come together on Memorial Day Weekend.”

Here’s the full lineup: