The Summer Breeze Festival is scheduled for August 14th - 16th in Dinkelsbühl, Germany. Organizers have issued the following update:

"Today is the start off for our newcomer competition known as the Newcomer Stage! At www.newcomer-stage.de you will find 20 bands you have to estimate. Voting can be done

until May, 25th. You need to be registered in our Summer Breeze community and estimate all of these bands on only then your voting can be counted! The top 5 and the winners of the EMP Rock Challenge will compete on the party stage on Wednesday, 13th of August starting at 04.00 pm. The winner will officially open up the Summer Breeze on the Main Stage the day after!

Rock Alarm! the new rock community will this year be putting on the Rock Challenge 2008. Bands without a deal can sign up for the online band contest at www.rockalarm.de until May, 14th. Just have a song or video ready. Their destiny will then be in hands of the Rock Alarm! community. The Rock Alarm! heroes will be getting a wildcard for the Newcomer Stage. More info: here."

Acts on the Summer Breeze Festival bill include: ABORTED, AGRYPNIE, AHAB, ALL ENDS, ANATHEMA, ANIMA, ARCH ENEMY, AS I LAY DYING, ASP, AUTUMN, BEHEMOTH, BELOVED ENEMY, BLOOD RED THRONE, BORN FROM PAIN, CEPHALIC CARNAGE, CRADLE OF FILTH, CULT OF LUNA, DARK AGE, DARK FORTRESS, DEBAUCHERY, DELAIN, DESPISED ICON, DESTRUCTION, DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA, DISMEMBER, DRONE, ELUVEITIE, EMIL BULLS, END OF GREEN, ENDSTILLE, ENEMY OF THE SUN, ENSIFERUM, EXODUS, FLESHCRAWL, GOREROTTED, HACKNEYED, HACRIDE, HAIL OF BULLETS, H-BLOCKX, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, HEIDEVOLK, HELLOWEEN, HOLLENTHON, JAPANISCHE KAMPFHÖRSPIELE, JESUS ON EXTASY, KATAKLYSM, KEEP OF KALESSIN, KISSIN' DYNAMITE, KORPIKLAANI, LAY DOWN ROTTEN, MAD SIN, MÅNEGARM, MARDUK, MEGAHERZ, MIDNATTSOL, MISANTHROPE, MISERY SPEAKS, MUSTASCH, NEAERA, NEGURA BUNGET, NME.MINE, NOVEMBRE, THE OLD DEAD TREE, ONSLAUGHT, ORPHANED LAND, PARADISE LOST, PRIMAL FEAR, PRIMORDIAL, PRO-PAIN, ROTTEN SOUND, SALTATIO MORTIS, SCHELMISH, SHADOW REICHENSTEIN, SIX FEET UNDER, SOILWORK, SONIC SYNDICATE, SUBWAY TO SALLY, SWORN, TEXTURES, 3 INCHES OF BLOOD, TÝR, THE VISION BLEAK, THE WILDHEARTS, XIV DARK CENTURIES.