Discovery Park in Sacramento is abuzz with the electrifying energy of Aftershock, the West Coast’s largest hard rock festival, which opened its grounds yesterday to an expected 160,000 attendees over a four-day period. The 12th iteration of this headbanger's haven has expanded its already voluminous lineup to more than 130 bands and introduced a fifth stage, maximizing space for aural indulgences of every patron in the park.
This year's roster boasts iconic acts such as Slayer, Pantera, Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Motley Crue, drawing fans far and wide. Heather Gentry, having flown in from Idaho with a companion, savors the nostalgia and rare opportunity, telling ABC10, "I think that there's a lot of bands who are playing right now that are not going to be playing for much longer, so there's really kind of a historical opportunity to see them play before they retire."
With such massive influx of visitors, the city's economy is poised for a hearty boost. Visit Sacramento's CEO Mike Testa shared with ABC10 the tangible impacts. "People are staying in hotels from Yolo to Placer County. This is one of those events that demonstrates we don't have enough hotel rooms in Sacramento because it fills everything up, all the Airbnbs, all the Vrbos. This is something, also, when these folks get out of the festival, they're going to the restaurants, they're going to the bars," he said.
As the reverberation of electric guitars fills the air, Aftershock's reach is becoming international in scope. Chamie McCurry, Aftershock's general manager, celebrated the festival's impressive growth from a modest one-day event to a global phenomenon. She told CBS News Sacramento, "Every year we add a couple of new countries to the mix... which is really exciting. That means the gospel of Aftershock is spreading worldwide. What a place to welcome them to. We love Sacramento."
The ripple effect of Aftershock goes beyond just heavy metal; it prefaces a big October for Sacramento with the GoldenSky Country Music Festival following suit and the largest Ironman Competition in North America afterwards. Testa projects over $60 million in economic impact from these events alone, as he discussed with CBS News Sacramento.
