{{Short description|Annual metal festival in the United States}} {{for|the Wagner piece|Ride of the Valkyries}} {{unreliable sources|date=August 2018}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2025}} {{infobox music festival | name = Flight of the Valkyries | location = [[St. Paul, Minnesota]], [[Minnesota]], [[United States]] and [[Baltimore, Maryland]], [[Maryland]], [[United States]] | genre = Metal | years_active = 2007–2018 }}
'''Flight of the Valkyries''' was an annual metal festival with editions held [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]], and beginning in 2010, [[Baltimore, Maryland]], in the United States. The festival was dedicated to metal bands with female lead vocalists.
In 2007 SwordLord Productions announced the first Flight of the Valkyries festival, dedicated to metal bands with female lead vocalists. Shortly after seeing the Minnesota promoter's festival announcement, Maryland-based promoter Bobbie Dickerson of BlackRoseMetalHeart Promotions contacted promoter Nathan Block of SwordLord Productions. The two immediately began working together to create and promote the US-based festival that showcased the talent and the diversity of women in the metal genre.<ref name="f hist">{{Cite web |url=http://flightofthevalkyries.com/history |title=Flight of the Valkyries Festival |access-date=December 13, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222523/http://flightofthevalkyries.com/history |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 2010, the Flight of the Valkyries festival began to grow under the guidance and promotion of BlackRoseMetalHeart Promotions to include an east coast show, aptly titled FotV East. FotV East debuted in Baltimore at [[The Ottobar]] on November 6, 2010. The FotV East Mini-Fest showcased regional female-fronted metal acts, attempting to gather more east coast support for future FotV festivals in Baltimore.<ref name="f hist"/> Due to the positive response to the first FotV East festival in 2010, another festival was planned for Baltimore in 2011 featuring more well-known national acts.<ref name="facebook1">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flight-Of-The-Valkyries/108365872060 {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}</ref>
==History== The festival debuted at Station 4 in St. Paul, Minnesota in June 2007 featuring bands [[Doro (musician)|Doro]], Vainglory, Earthen, The Ottoman Empire (now known as [[Luna Mortis]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.adrenalinmetalunion.com/ottomanempire.html |title=The Ottoman Empire |access-date=July 2, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081201155705/http://www.adrenalinmetalunion.com/ottomanempire.html |archive-date=December 1, 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref>), Visideon, Spiritual Decay, and Sirens of Titan.<ref name="bands i">{{Cite web |url=http://flightofthevalkyries.com/fotv-i-bands |title=Flight of the Valkyries Festival |access-date=December 13, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304002605/http://www.flightofthevalkyries.com/fotv-i-bands |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In June 2008, the Flight of the Valkyries continued with its second installment featuring [[Unexpect]], [[Shadowside]], [[Benedictum]], Dendura, Visideon, Earthen, Something to Fear, and Aria Sharp.<ref name="bands ii">{{Cite web |url=http://flightofthevalkyries.com/fotv-ii-bands |title=Flight of the Valkyries Festival |access-date=December 13, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303222149/http://flightofthevalkyries.com/fotv-ii-bands |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In June 2009, Flight of the Valkyries held its third annual festival featuring [[Benedictum]], [[Luna Mortis]], Todesbonden (featuring [[Laurie Ann Haus]]), Hydrogyn, A.D.D., Sirens of Titan, Kaptivating Kate, Rott,<ref name="bands iii"/> and guest vocalist [[Nina Osegueda]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.metaltome.com/component/content/article/3808?format=pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=December 28, 2010 |archive-date=July 14, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714075519/http://www.metaltome.com/component/content/article/3808?format=pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> Flight of the Valkyries moved to Baltimore in November 2010, now titled Flight of the Valkyries East.<ref name="facebook1"/>
==Past line-ups==
===2007 - St. Paul=== <ref name="bands i"/><br /> DORO (Germany)<br /> Vainglory (Georgia, USA)<br /> Earthen (Chicago, Illinois, USA)<br /> Visideon (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)<br /> [[The Ottoman Empire (band)|The Ottoman Empire]] (Madison, Wisconsin, USA)<br /> Spiritual Decay (Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA)<br /> Sirens of Titan (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)
===2008 - St. Paul=== <ref name="bands ii"/><br /> [[Unexpect]] (Canada)<br /> [[Shadowside]] (Brazil)<br /> [[Benedictum]] (San Diego, CA)<br /> Visideon (Minneapolis, MN)<br /> Dendura (Detroit/Grand Rapids, MI)<br /> Earthen (Brookfield, IL)<br /> Something to Fear (Minneapolis, MN)<br /> Aria Sharp (Minneapolis, MN)
===2009 - St. Paul=== <ref name="bands iii">{{Cite web |url=http://flightofthevalkyries.com/fotv-iii-bands |title=Flight of the Valkyries Festival |access-date=December 13, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064313/http://flightofthevalkyries.com/fotv-iii-bands |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><br /> [[Benedictum]] (San Diego, CA/Arizona)<br /> [[Luna Mortis]] (Madison, Wisconsin, USA)<br /> Todesbonden (Maryland/DC/Virginia)<br /> [[Hydrogyn]] (Kentucky)<br /> A.D.D. (Illinois)<br /> Sirens of Titan (Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA)<br /> Kaptivating Kate (Wisconsin)<br /> Rott (Idaho)
===2010 - FotV East - Baltimore=== <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://flightofthevalkyries.com/fotv-east-bands |title=Flight of the Valkyries Festival |access-date=December 13, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304053613/http://flightofthevalkyries.com/fotv-east-bands |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><br /> Black Widow USA (Baltimore, Maryland)<br /> Operatika (New Jersey)<br /> River Runs Scarlet (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)<br /> [[A Sound of Thunder (band)|A Sound of Thunder]] (Washington, DC)<br /> [geist] (Baltimore, Maryland)<br /> Suhgarim (Columbia, South Carolina)<br /> Dying Design (Baltimore, Maryland)<br /> Cassandra Syndrome (Frederick, Maryland)
===2011 - FotV East - Baltimore=== <ref>{{Cite web |url=http://flightofthevalkyries.com/details |title=Flight of the Valkyries Festival |access-date=November 15, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304072445/http://flightofthevalkyries.com/details |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref><br /> [[Benedictum]]<br /> [[Echoterra]]<br /> DesDemon<br /> Brave<br /> Flames of Fury<br /> Serpent Witch
===2012 - FotV 6 - Baltimore=== <ref name="facebook2">https://www.facebook.com/events/327765770728326/ {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}</ref><br /> A Sound of Thunder<br /> MindMaze<br /> Echoes Never Lie<br /> Sekengard<br /> Spellborne
===2015 - FotV 7 - Baltimore=== <ref name="facebook2"/><br /> [[A Sound of Thunder (band)|A Sound of Thunder]]<br /> MindMaze<br /> Echoes Never Lie<br /> Sweet Suicide<br /> Spellborne
===2016 - FotV 8 - Baltimore=== <ref>https://www.facebook.com/events/1122686967755073/ {{User-generated source|certain=yes|date=March 2022}}</ref><br /> Sorrowseed<br /> Dogs & Day Drinkers<br /> Shokker<br /> Novarium<br /> Master Sword
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== Official festival websites * https://web.archive.org/web/20190727164427/http://flightofthevalkyries.com/ * http://www.femalemetalfest.us{{Dead link|date=December 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} * http://www.fotvfest.com{{Dead link|date=April 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Official social media * [https://www.facebook.com/pages/Flight-Of-The-Valkyries/108365872060 FotV on Facebook] * [https://www.myspace.com/femalemetalfest FotV on MySpace] * [http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/flight-valkyries-female-metal-festival-370/ FotV Official Forum on Ultimate Metal] * [https://www.youtube.com/user/FlightOfTheValkyries FotV on YouTube] * [http://www.last.fm/group/Flight+of+the+Valkyries+Female+Metal+Festival FotV Last.FM Group] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206025058/http://www.last.fm/group/Flight+of+the+Valkyries+Female+Metal+Festival |date=December 6, 2008 }}
[[Category:Heavy metal festivals in the United States]] [[Category:Music festivals established in 2007]]