Damian Priest to Host Slayer’s Only U.S. Headlining Show of 2025
Slayer is making their return to U.S. soil for a one-night-only headlining show this year, and they’re bringing a familiar face from the wrestling world along for the chaos. WWE Superstar and former World Heavyweight Champion Damian Priest will serve as the official host for the massive metal event.
It's all going down Saturday, September 20, 2025, at the Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pennsylvania.
Priest, a known metalhead and longtime Slayer fan, feels like the perfect choice to steer this ship of riffs and fire. Not only does his finisher borrow its name from Slayer’s classic South of Heaven, but Slayer’s Kerry King also provided guitar work for Priest’s entrance theme “Rise For The Night.”
Now, Priest gets to return the favor, introducing Slayer to a 30,000-seat crowd for their only East Coast appearance this year.
The lineup for this show is absolutely stacked:
- Slayer
- Knocked Loose
- Suicidal Tendencies
- Power Trip
- Cavalera (performing Chaos A.D. — exclusive set)
- Exodus (performing Bonded by Blood)
Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, April 11 at 10AM ET, with pre-sales kicking off Tuesday, April 8 at 10AM ET over at slayer.net. Doors open at 3PM ET, and the music kicks off an hour later at 4PM.
Slayer’s Tom Araya couldn’t hide his excitement, dropping a typically blunt statement “Slayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyeeeeerrrrrr!!!!!! One night only, stacked line up, it’s going to be fcking sick!!!! Hersheypark - be there…..if not, you’re either dead, in jail or a sissy!!!!!”
Kerry King added that fans should expect nothing short of full-scale carnage: “For the Hershey concert, we’ll play a Slayer show, we’ll have all of our big fire effects, and just burn everything like we used to."
King also noted this will be Slayer’s first time sharing the stage with Power Trip and Knocked Loose, saying: “I am well aware of them from word of mouth, and hearing their music on Liquid Metal. I’m looking forward to seeing them live.”
Power Trip responded in kind:“Honored to share the stage with one of our all-time favorite bands, Slayer. See you sick fcks at the riff clinic.”
Knocked Loose shared their excitement too, adding “We’re excited to play with some of the best heavy bands of all time, past and present.”
If you’re keeping track, this Hershey date is part of Slayer’s small routing of 2025 dates, which also includes festival stops in the U.S. and select overseas shows.
Slayer’s 2025 Dates:
JULY
3 — Blackweir Fields, Cardiff, Wales, UK (w/ Amon Amarth, Anthrax, Mastodon, Hatebreed, Neckbreakker)
5 — Villa Park, Birmingham, UK (Black Sabbath: Back to the Beginning)
6 — Finsbury Park, London, UK (w/ Amon Amarth, Anthrax, Mastodon, Neckbreakker)
11 — Festival d'été de Québec, Quebec City, QC (Direct support: Mastodon)
SEPTEMBER
18 — Louder Than Life, Highland Festival Grounds, Louisville, KY
20 — Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA (Hosted by Damian Priest)
Slayer isn’t touring extensively these days, but when they do decide to set fire to a stage, they make it count. With this being their only U.S. headlining show of 2025, and with Damian Priest in the mix, this Hershey date is going to be one for the books.