Christmas Rock Night is a Christian music festival

Christian music festival

A Christian music festival is a music festival held by the Christian community, in support of performers of Christian music...

 held annually during December in Ennepetal

Ennepetal

Ennepetal is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.The town was featured in the headlines when on April 12, 2005, a hostage taker snatched several school children from a school bus and took them as hostages, see Ennepetal hostage taking.- Division of the...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. The festival does not focus on particular styles of Christian music, but leans toward harder forms including metal

Christian metal

Christian metal, also known as white metal, is a form of heavy metal music usually defined by its message in a song's lyrics as well as the band's dedication to Christianity...

 and alternative

Christian alternative rock

Christian alternative rock is a form of alternative rock music that is lyrically grounded in a Christian worldview. Some critics have suggested that unlike CCM and older Christian rock, Christian alternative rock generally emphasizes musical style over lyrical content as a defining genre...

.

Background

Founded in 1980, the first festival drew only three bands. Since then it has expanded to a two-three day event which regularly draws international artists such as P.O.D.

P.O.D.

Payable on Death is an American Christian metal band formed in 1992. The band's line-up consists of vocalist Sonny Sandoval, drummer Wuv Bernardo, guitarist Marcos Curiel, and bassist Traa Daniels. Their Christian faith is an important part of their music.They have released seven studio albums and...

, Disciple

Disciple (band)

Disciple is a Christian metal / rock band from Knoxville, Tennessee, formed in 1992.-History:Disciple was formed in 1992 by high school friends Kevin Young, Brad Noah, and Tim Barrett. The band released their first CD, What Was I Thinking in 1995...

, Savior Machine, Petra

Petra

Petra is a historical and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that is famous for its rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited...

, Bride

Bride

A bride is a woman about to be married or newlywed.The word may come from the Proto-Germanic verb root *brū-, meaning 'to cook, brew, or make a broth' which was the role of the daughter-in-law in primitive families...

, and Split Level

Split Level

Split Level were a Christian rock band from Ireland, whose career began in the mid-1980s and stretched into the 2000s.-History:Split Level first began their career in the mid-1980s, playing local Christian gatherings and festivals in Ireland. A song of theirs appeared on a 1985 Word Records...

.

The festival has spawned a few spinoff festivals. Fishcore, a one-off festival, was held in 1999. It featured European bands such as Noise Toys, Lightmare, and Sacrificium

Sacrificium

Sacrificium is a death metal band from Stuttgart, Germany, formed in 1993. The band made its breakthrough in the metal scene with its 2002 album Cold Black Piece of Flesh. The second album Escaping the Stupor was released on Black Lotus Records...

 in competition with each other. Legends Of Rock is a best-of festival held closer to Spring in 2007, 2008 and 2009. This festival features international bands such as Bloodgood

Bloodgood

Bloodgood is a Christian metal band from Seattle, Washington. Originally formed in 1984 and by 1988 represented one of the four largest Christian metal bands alongside Barren Cross, Whitecross, and Leviticus....

, The Electrics

The Electrics

The Electrics are a Celtic rock band from Dumbarton, Scotland. They formed in 1988 when former Infrapenny members Sammy Horner and Paul Baird asked drummer Dave McArthur and sax/keyboard player Allan Hewitt to play a gig at Glasgow's Impact Festival. The band released a self-financed cassette...

, Glenn Kaiser

Glenn Kaiser

Glenn Kaiser is a Chicago-based Christian blues musician, singer-songwriter and pastor. He was the leader of Resurrection Band and is currently the leader of The Glenn Kaiser Band.-Childhood:...

 Band, and Rex Carroll

Rex Carroll

Rex Carroll is a guitarist and known for his work in the Christian metal band Whitecross. Rex Carroll is also the leader and guitarist of other bands like Fierce Heart, King James and The Rex Carroll Band. He also filled in and did all the guitar work on Eden's 1994 album "Fan The Flame". In...

, sometimes for reunion events.

In 2007 the festival, under the leadership of Detlef and Martina Westermann, took the German Promikon Award in the category "Best Christian organizers."