MONSTERFEST will mark its return for 2022 with a new venue and a truly fitting date.

Hard rock fans will descend on Eden Court in Inverness on the weekend before Halloween to catch some massive names over three days.

The Fringe takes place on Thursday, October 27, with Glasgow five-piece Mason Hill already confirmed as headliners.

A handful of other acts have also been announced including The Quireboys as one of other headline acts.

As Sirens Fall, Bastette, Dawn After Dark and Florence Black are also on the bill, alongside The Virginmarys and Baz.M.

Other Scottish acts include Forgetting the Future, Bad Actress, North Atlas and The Hot Damn.

More acts will be announced in the coming weeks and months, with festival director Iona Allison keen to see the same mix of domestic acts and UK acts as before.

She also teased a "unique" second headline act yet to be announced.

She tells The Weekender: "We've already announced The Quireboys as one of our main headliners and the second one will certainly be an interesting one. Basically, it will be a show within a show. I can't say too much on that, but it will be something special – and a wee bit different.

"We usually have a lot of Scottish acts," she continues. "It's important to mix it so we have Scottish, local, and others. We try to cover all corners of the UK, but we want to give that opportunity.

"There are not a lot of festivals like ourselves – we have Winter Storm, Bon Fest and Wildfire – so not an awful lot of shows like this around. And, certainly, none this far north."

In previous years, the event – named after the fairly well-known monster of the region – was held at the Ironworks, but will now take place at Eden Court.

The new venue does come with a breakout space – somewhere to go other than the main arena, to sit down and chill out between sets.

"Eden Court is quite different from the Ironworks," Iona adds. "It's more modern; it's more of a theatre, and so it will be different experience this year.

"It's in a different area, but still only a few minutes' walk from the centre of Inverness. I'd imagine, as soon as people are in the venue, they won't notice a difference."

Tickets, including hotel packages, are on sale now for Monsterfest 2022.

Visit https://monsterfest.rocks/ for more information.