Foo Fighters were supposed to spend 2025 on the road but "cancelled" their tour plans, according to Hellfest founder and director Ben Barbaud.

The French heavy-metal festival announced its lineup earlier this week, which includes headlining performances from Korn, Linkin Park, Muse, and Scorpions. During an interview with Le Parisien, Barbaud was asked what made him decide to book Muse after previously saying he'd never have them play the festival.

“They were offered to me on a platter,” he admitted (translated from French). “A month ago, I was offered to program them with a handful of other European festivals.”

That's where the Foo Fighters came in. “Foo Fighters having cancelled their summer tour, Muse was called in as reinforcements," Barbaud explained. “I accepted because I was missing a headliner on Friday and because the Hellfest audience is more and more open. With age, I too have matured, I am less sectarian.”

“I created this festival for the love of punk, hardcore and at the beginning for the purists. But today, I prefer to shock them than to always do the same artists," he added about his decision to diversify the lineup. “We could have invited Iron Maiden and Slipknot back, who were already there two years ago…”

The news comes after Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl revealed he welcomed a new baby outside his marriage in September. The band then cancelled their appearance at the Soundside music festival later that month.

Podcasts